Thursday, 13 December 2012

University Challenge...


So, it's the end of term. I've survived. Hurrah!

I seem to have made it through the first term relatively unscathed: all my assignments have been handed in on time, I passed my law exam, I am up to about 70wpm in shorthand and I managed to avoid getting ill until this last week. I have managed to gain three work experience placements at both national and local publications and have another in the process of being organised and have had work published online via The Kingston Courier. I also have interviewed someone from Strictly Come Dancing, learnt to tango, been chased by a rutting stag and performed an enthusiastic rendition of Abba's "Dancing Queen" with one of my tutors.

Thus I declare this term a success.

But I know that, even though I may have found this term a challenge, that the next term is going to be a step up in workload, difficulty and stress levels. I am therefore vowing to continue to work hard, do my best and try to keep a positive attitude and a smile on my face - even when I would rather be eating my body weight in chocolate, drinking lots of red wine and sobbing into my pillow.

The hard work starts here. I have taken on new challenges and learnt new skills this term but now it is time to actually put that all into practice.

For starters, this blog.

So far, it has been all about my experience on this course and any endeavours I have taken on, but now I want it to change my focus for this blog. It will still include posts about interesting interviews or exciting news stories I have covered but I want it to have a more journalistic focus, blogging about current affairs, political developments and national stories. I hope that this will help me to develop a more critical way of thinking about the news and perhaps widen my audience by linking to other relevant blogs.

I also want to try and tackle more "serious" stories, whether news or features. So far, although my writing has developed in structure and skill, I feel that I have been covering more frivolous stories - such as deer chasing people up trees and how to make ginger bread biscuits. Rather than just volunteering for stories, I am going to make the effort to find my own and do research on them before presenting them at conference.
Hopefully my work experience will help me with this - I hope to be able to have several bylines in a few publications by the time we come back to uni.

I will also refuse to be nervous of voicing my ideas in conference and I will apply for a different, more involved job on the Kingston Courier when the opportunity arises.

I refuse to let the thought of all the assignments, exams, expectations and new challenges frighten me.

My first challenge of the year will be my work placement on The Independent on Sunday and yes, I am nervous. But I am going to embrace the challenge, do my best and try and make an impression. Hopefully a good one but if it all goes horribly wrong then I'll try to take it on the chin and look forward to the next opportunity.

Wish me luck...

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