the journalist
Back when I published
THIS POST (My freshers experience)
and
THIS POST (My Semester 1 experience)
I promised you that I would write about how I felt this year generally after my final semester concluded.
This week I am writing a 3 part series of ‘University Posts’ as I feel they will be particularly helpful to anybody in a similar position to myself, anybody starting university in September and anybody wanting to do a journalism course.
Before I begin, I would just like to say that this is just my experience of the first year.
Everyone has a different take so please, read along with an open mind.
This is a tale of three pieces.
The series will cover:
The series will cover:
1. How I Ended Up In Liverpool..
– How I chose a university to study at
– The problems that arose
and
-Why I never went to London
2. My Univerisity Experience..
-Living in halls of residence
– Freshers week
– How I adjusted to a new city
-Holding onto a long distance relationship
and
-The daily grind
3. My Experience As A 1st Year Journalism Undergrad.
– My highs and lows on the course
– My outlook on becoming a journalist
and
– What next…?
– Today’s post is the final installment of my First Year Experience
It will focus on my year as a student journalist.
I hate to be repetitive but.. grab yourself another brew…it’s another long one
For aslong as I can remember I have said that I want to be a journalist.
Everybody who knew me / knows me now could tell you that.
I have always wanted to be apart of a glossy magazine, (Grazia perhaps?) it is still my dream today.
Where I went wrong was when I said that I wanted to be a writer for a magazine.
Opinion writing and journalism are completely different things, a lesson that this year I have learnt.
Even though I did not know the difference properly when I applied, I figuired that for me personally a journalism degree would be the best way to get my skills and knowledge up to scratch to become the best magazine employee that I could be.
Something that I still tell myself now because after all, it is true and although my interests have swayed more towards public relations, a good PR gal needs to know her journalism.
I used to be under the illusion that blogging was journalism.
Infact, I don’t think I really knew what journalism was.
This year as a 1st year undergrad at Liverpool John Moore’s university has taught me exactly what it is.
Once I understood and remembered why I am taking a journalism course
I began to enjoy it more thoroughly.
I have always enjoyed the course but I found this year challenging as it was a year that
trained me to become a newspaper journalist.
Amongst over things, I learnt shorthand, reporting techniques and how to cover court and press conferences.
I was not allowed to have my opinion, because that is not journalism.
This annoyed me for a while, I wanted to know how to make it on a women’s, glossy magazine not
how to become a reporter at the local weekly.
But then, I remembered what I have said all along.
“It is best for you Hollie to learn it all.”
I have enjoyed the personal challenges that the course has given me.
At first I was timid about finding original news stories and ignorant to get stuck into hard news, local affairs and politics.
I wanted fashion, beauty, Ugly Betty, Carrie Bradshaw, The Devil Wears Prada…
To shed the misconception, a journalism course is news.
If you want to do magazines, do a magazine course.
I lost track of why I didn’t do that for a while, but then I realised.
“It is best for you Hollie to learn it all.”
Throughout the course my confidence, news writing ability and news sense has come on leaps and bounds.
I now feel confident in my journalism, but ofcourse I will have to wait until I
recieve my grades before I can say that for sure.
Despite my personal problems at uni my faith in the course remains untarnished
I had support from the majority of my tutors when they could see I was a little bit wobbly about my choice.
The 1st year has thus far it has prepared me as a student journalist within the newspaper industry.
I have realised that newspaper journalism may not be my area of interest but
I can say that I have learnt the ropes should a job in that sector ever come my way.
I am really glad that I am studying for a journalism degree, it has knocked down
alot of confidence issues, shown me the real way to report and write for an editorial job
and allowed me to meet some really ace people of whom I study with.
I am super excited to see what challenges next year throws at me as I enter into broadcast territory.
Do you study a journalism degree?
What do you think of it?
Do you study a journalism degree?
What do you think of it?
Love, Holl
xo
****THIS MONTH MY LEOPARD PRINT ADVERTISER IS
FOLLOW ON TWITTER
I completely agree with you about journalism not being about your opinion. I struggled a bit at first with learning about reporting news as I also want to go into magazines! I'm just about to finish my first year of print at Trent and this may sound stalker-ish, but we were chatting on our test day at Trent! My friend reads your blog so pointed me over to it! Glad you've settled in a bit more in Liverpool now 🙂 x
Hi Nicole , I'm going to start my print journalism course in nottingham trent this September and was wondering whether there are any specific requirements for laptops – are pc's preffered over macs , or is it the other way around ? Also , what Sort of computer programs will we need to use during the first year ? Sorry for bombarding you with questions , I'm just really excited for uni 😀
I had the same journalism ambitions as you and taking media & journalism began to really dislike the journalism side of things. I had a experience with a magazine journalism module and that definitely confirmed that, that side of journo – I would enjoy!
http://www.northoflondonblog.com
Hi Nicole…OMG we were!!! Yes I remember! Awh you decided to go there in the end!
Oh that's so funny HOW ARE YOU? xxxx
Haha how funny!!! I remember we were the only two talking and we wandered off and realised outr group had crossed the road haha. Yeah I did, I spent the next 6 months praying I'd get the grades! I'm good thanks how are you? So jealous you're finished for the year I've still got one assignment and 3 exams to sit xxx
Your journalism degree experience sounds much better than mine. I'm coming to the end of my degree in Journalism and English and I can't say it's been great, infact it's been a bit of a waste of time as I don't even want to go into a journalism career now! Good luck with the rest of your degree, Liverpool is an amazing city to be in (my favourite place to visit!) xx
Omg Nicole! I remember that!!! that was so funny! I can't believe you remembered me!!! Awh i wish i had come to trent now, as my first post read, i regretted it! we could have been friends!!!! Good luck with your exams and assignments you will do brill!!!! do i have you on twitter to stay in touch? xxxx
Awh yay Liverpool 🙂 At least Lauren you will have a degree and all the skills journalism gives you to apply to any job you might go for!! xxxx
I know hahah!! One of my really good friends on print told me she read your blog and said she remembered us talking on test day but I couldn't remember your name so she guided me here haha! I know how sad!!! Awh thanks 🙂 yeah you started following me earlier!!! Here's my facebook as well if you wanna stay in touch that way too https://www.facebook.com/nicolealiciacottrell94?ref=tn_tnmn xxx