In Chapter 5 we share multiple examples of story and metaphor, including the Tell Us About It initiative at the University of The Arts, London, through which high achieving students from mixed backgrounds create visual and multisensory narratives of their learning experiences.

This report by Terry Finnigan, then Head of Widening Participation at the London College of Fashion, describes the rationale for, & outcomes of, Tell Us About It.

Student evocations of their time at university, such as those presented through Tell Us About It, are multifaceted and come in many forms: some are symbolic and metaphorical, others more narrative in nature.We include just a few examples to illustrate below, although we suggest reading our chapter and the accompanying report first, for context.

“U is for University” by Ravi Sohanpal spoofed children’s alphabet books in an entertaining and pertinent way for new undergraduates, while Himanshu Desai ‘s The Struggler’s Theme is entirely animated and narrated by the student author who also created the soundtrack. It conveys powerfully and succinctly in two and a half minutes what it felt like to be an international student coming to London for the first time.