FIRST stop Wycombe, next stop Milan, New York and Paris - It sounds like a dream come true for most people but talented budding artists and designers are one step closer to making it.

Today sees the start of a five-day free art and design exhibition by final year degree students at the Buckinghamshire Chilterns University College hoping to clinch that much sought after job or big break within the art and design industry.

More than 350 degree students have been juggling their final assessments with preparations for the BCUC End of Year Show this week.

Greg Votolato, Professor of design at the Wycombe-based campus, believes the show is one of the most important exhibitions for students who are hoping to make it. As we make our way through a maze of disciplines from ceramics and glass to spatial design and from furniture-making to textiles and fine art, Greg tells me why this show is unique.

He says: "It fits into a whole pattern of exhibitions which are taking place and there are many schools who also do this but this is one of the largest I have seen.

"It represents the final work of every student but the emphasis on furniture is unique to us because we excel in this particular field. Our furniture-making courses are some of the most ambitious."

This evening's invitation-only preview of the show is expected to attract some 2000 visitors, but once the show opens to the public tomorrow, several hundred people are expected to visit on each of the five days.

Students from all the art and design disciplines will be displaying their work they have produced in their final year of their course. Some of them have already clinched high-flying jobs and places at prestigious colleges.

This year no less than five students graduating from the degree course in ceramics and glass have won places at the prestigious Royal College of Art and another ceramics and glass student has won a place at the Franklyn School in New York.

One of them is Chris Hudson, 22, who transferred from her course at Kutz Town University in Pennsylvania, America, to BCUC after a student exchange programme.

She has secured a place at the Royal College of Art to continue with ceramics.

She says: "This course is amazing. The inspiration behind my work is around the death of my parents. I lost my mum to cancer when I was 16 and my dad died last year from a heart attack. so my work reflects all my emotions and feelings around that, but also where I am now."

Chris has got her sights on winning the coveted Turner prize one day, but she mostly wants people to come and see her work and interact with it.

Shana Valla, 21, who is the daughter of renowned photographer Daniel Valla, has already had her vases featured in Elle Decorations and the Independent newspaper. She says of her work: "I decided to blend the materials and chose to contrast the curves of the form. I would like to be able to design and make my own work.

"A few of my friends have asked me to make a few things for them."

Most of the courses take the students abroad to Europe and America. A group of 40 textile students have just got back from the Surtex Show in New York where they had the opportunity to showcase their designs and sell them to well-known designers such as Calvin Klein and Donna Karan.

Ray Marrs, course leader at BCUC, explains why it is important for students to go abroad. He says: "It was a major trade show and we encourage our students to go so they get a feel of what New York is like."

Student Jodie Lawson was busy trying to display her colourful work of knitted fabrics and lollipop sticks. The 22-year-old used the concept of childhood memories as the basis for her final work.

Another textile student, Maya Linhares-Marx, also 22, has been invited to show her work to Rowena Bristow, an international textile design studio and Laura Lees.

Most of the students exhibiting at the End of Year Show have gone on to exhibit at the New Designer's Exhibition at the Business Design Centre in Islington which this year is from June 30 to July 10.

New Designer's showcases work by all the top art and design colleges in the UK and attracts significant interest from professional designers, the design 'trade' as well as the general public. A number of prizes are awarded during the show and last year BCUC students won prizes in three of the categories.

During the past year students from the college have also exhibited at fairs in Paris and New York as well as at shows across the UK. BCUC's Mobillity contribution has become an annual feature of the Milan Furniture Fair, which features the creme de la creme of international furniture makers.

Prof Votolato says: "Most of our students go to a trade fair abroad but the Milan furniture fair is very important and something that we are really proud of."

A large number of students have been involved in interesting work placements. Spatial design student, Simon Hatter, was one of several students who recently worked on sets for the Big Brother's Little Brother TV programme but others have worked on sets for Fame Academy, The Games and a Rachel Stevens fashion shoot.

The BCUC end of year show opens to the general public from 10am to 2pm on Saturday, June 11, 9am to 6pm Monday to Wednesday and 9am to 4pm on Thursday at the High Wycombe campus in Queen Alexandra Road. Many of the exhibits will be available to purchase as well as the opportunity to commission special items.