Saturday 17 December 2016

Week 12: End of Semester 1!

Just a short one today I think because uni this week started and ended with Monday but I wanted to write a post none the less.

Monday was a struggle - I woke up very anxious because I knew how much I had to submit. But I went to my 11am lecture (mostly to do some work) and I was the only one there for a while but got the first draft of my features done, I then went to town for lunch with my boyfriend (time I could have spent working but I definitely needed that hour just to chill a little bit) and went back to seminar. I got some feedback on my features and finished the final draft and this is where the intense work regarding the essay that was also due that day began.

I wrote the whole thing in 8 hours and it was all very close, you can tell the exact point I gave up on citing things and just kept writing, my bibliography probably wasn't laid out right and it was barely proofread, but with it being submitted with one minute and forty three seconds before the deadline, I definitely didn't have time to do any of that!

And then my eighth and ninth assignments were submitted and semester one was finished!

I still went to meet my friend for a work session at 9am the next morning and got some blog planning done, then went into town with some friends, went to one of those trampoline room things, realised how unfit I am then went on a night out. Tuesday was a very busy day.

Wednesday and Thursday I chilled a lot, I barely left the flat and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I'm slowly catching up on Pokemon. Then on Friday I finally came home for the first time since my birthday in September - it involved a seven hour journey with a drive into London, a train from Gatwick to Kings Cross and another train from Kings Cross to Peterborough then a drive from Peterborough to home via the Chinese.

I'm home now for two weeks then about another week at my boyfriend's house, but I'm very excited for some time off and some real relaxation - it's been a long semester!

I don't go back to uni until the 23rd January, so I'll resume then with what I think is week 16 or 17. Have a good Christmas and see you in the New Year!




Personal blog: sophiecountsclouds.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sophiecountsclouds/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/sophiecountsclouds
The Student Seat: https://thestudentseat.wordpress.com/

Saturday 10 December 2016

Week 11: Lead up to Last Deadlines!

This week has been a difficult one so let's just start with Monday - always a manic day with little breaks, but managed to get a fair amount of work done and get to dance on time and remember to eat at regular intervals. I'd call that a fairly successful day.

Tuesday was a Mettricks morning, went and did a couple of hours of work in there, finishing a log workbook and submitting my seventh assignment before going to uni for a meeting about being on a social media team for open days and it was really productive, so at least I've got that to look forward to in the New Year.

I then got an email from someone at Campus Society regarding the student blog I run 'The Student Seat' about working with them and promoting their social media so that was quite exciting. And then I went to a pointless lecture at 4pm that literally made me want to claw my own eyes out.

On Wednesday I didn't have News Day, so I was planning to go to the library and spend the whole day working and I didn't do that. But I did go to the library to get out a few books and I did some research work at home and not too much else, productivity has been minimal. This week I've really struggled with motivation which is annoying because I have two massive deadlines due next week and I really need to be productive.

By Thursday I'd given up on forcing productivity - I went with my flat for a group road trip to Asda to buy food for our Christmas party at the weekend and then a quick trip to KFC before uni, where I did very little and chatted about YouTube and mindless gossip for two hours before returning home to do some work and then go to work at the university cinema in the evening.

Friday was even more lax - I went Christmas shopping (got nearly all of it done and finished the rest by placing an Amazon order that evening!) and then it was evening and I did a tiny bit of work but not enough.

I did write a blog post that I was really pleased with and uploaded my favourite Vlogmas video so far, so there's that.

So today has been very work heavy - I've done a lot of research and I'm ready to start writing but for some reason, my brain just can't function productively at the moment - I tweeted earlier about feeling like I'm looking through frosted glass, I just can't focus on any of the words on my screen.

Which is really inconvenient because I've not written either of my features or started my essay yet but I still can't bring myself to do it and I've only got two days left.

Yes, it's okay - I hate myself too.

Next week will either be 'my assignments are done I'm so happy' or 'my assignments are done they were awful' and at this point it could still go either way.



Personal blog: sophiecountsclouds.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sophiecountsclouds/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/sophiecountsclouds
The Student Seat: https://thestudentseat.wordpress.com/

Saturday 3 December 2016

Week 10: News Week...

Hello!

This week has been manic busy and a stark contrast to last week, so let's jump right into it! I've also been watching a lot of Phillip DeFranco.

Monday was the only day I had 'normal' uni this week - I had a lecture at 11, that a total of four people showed up to and then a seminar at 1 where there was only three of us! Such a great turnout, but more people showed up for my 4pm seminar and we all worked on our assignment deadline and it was stressful and I was nearly late for dance and then I uploaded my assignment and mentally prepared myself for news week.

I was both excited and dreading News Weeks, Newsdays have been really fun this year but also it's three very long days alongside me being very stressed right now about a variety of deadlines.

For context, I do multimedia journalism at uni and part of that is newsdays - where we essentially recreate an industry style news room where we have TV bulletins, radio bulletins, social media producers and news teams going out and making a full story package all inside of one day. News week (deceptively called a week) is three consecutive news days. I'm glad it's not a whole week because we would definitely all be dead by the end of it.

So Tuesday saw the beginning of news week and after just submitting my package on the new Pokemon game for my assignment, I was put on the story about the new Pokemon game! But it was okay - we found a different angle and we did an interview in the park and it felt like a really good package, probably better than my package. 

But then I went to HMV to go to a Busted signing and I made a full package all by myself and I was so pleased with it, it all came together really well and the next day, apparently my lecturers and the third years were talking about how impressed with me they were, I was very happy. I put a lot of effort into going out of my way to do a extra work this year so it's nice that apparently it's being noticed.

On Wednesday, I was on the subbing team, which means I was proofreading other peoples work before it was being uploaded to the website which I was actually quite excited about, but there were five of us trying to read about twenty five stories and it just wasn't enough work for us. But I did get some other assignment work done, I wrote a blog post and I edited a little bit of my monthly vlog. So all in all, a nice day but not necessarily doing the job I should have been doing.

And then it was Thursday and we were having our last News Day of the semester! It was the first day of December, I was wearing my Christmas gingerbread dress and I donated my tree to the editors table and it was super fun. I worked at first on a Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them review, which I really enjoyed (more than I anticipated actually) and then I was on the radio bulletin team so I had to write a script and present the bulletin at 4pm and I really enjoyed it.

On Friday, I had a lie in and I thoroughly enjoyed it, I then got up and made a to do list and planned some Christmas videos because I'm doing Vlogmas on my second channel, spoofaloof (if you're interested), then I went into uni to collect some Amazon packages with Christmas presents which is very exciting, then I watched a lot of YouTube videos (I'm so close to catching up and Vlogmas videos are starting to pour in... I'm getting there!) and I convinced myself that having my computer open is the same as getting work done.

I'm working on it and the weekend is looking to be slightly more productive - my boyfriend and I slept in really late and it was blissful. Then I put my pyjamas back on, came into the living room and starting writing this blog post. It's been a very slow day but I've had YouTube videos on in the background and I'm only a couple of days behind now but so many people are uploading more in December that it's still a lot of videos.

Next week is due to be a quiet week at uni but an intense week of frantic assignment work so I'm not sure how next weeks post will go!




Personal blog: sophiecountsclouds.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sophiecountsclouds/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/sophiecountsclouds
The Student Seat: https://thestudentseat.wordpress.com/

Saturday 19 November 2016

Week 9: The 'Not' Week

This week has been a very unusual one in terms of uni, so I think this post will be quite short!

As I said last week, I went to a concert last Sunday in London and I was really excited about it - and rightfully so, it was so good and I got to meet two of my favourite YouTubers and I loved it, but the journey home was a nightmare. Luckily it was only 2am rather than a possible 4.30am return home and a massive favour owed to a friend (thank you Maria!) but with being ill and having throbbing headaches as well, Monday was a completely write off.

I didn't get out of bed until my second seminar had started and I spent most of the day half asleep and blowing my nose before going to dance that night and desperately trying to breathe through intense training.

Tuesday was slightly better - I went to Mettricks for a 9.30am start to get some work done with my friend Nikki and proceeded to spend three hours working on planning my blog posts for the next month. Yes, I hate my priorities and myself too don't you worry.

But I did go to my lecture at 4 and even though it was pointless, I actually got some work done which is the important bit. And I made it to dance that night even if I couldn't breathe very well.

Wednesday was another blissful day off uni. I'll be honest I have genuinely no recollection of what I did.

I take that back - Pokemon Sun and Moon came out that day so my boyfriend and I were playing that all day. I bought snacks, I had a nap and then we played Dungeons and Dragons in the evening. Wednesday was 'full on nerd' day.

Thursday was slightly more productive - I had to go to a Student Ambassador retraining session and it overlapped with a seminar so I prioritised the one I'm getting paid for. Probably shouldn't, because one of them costs me £9000 a year but here we are, I can't change my decision now. I then played more Pokemon that afternoon and went to work at the uni cinema in the evening and got to see Fantastic Beasts and Where To Find Them for free because I worked it and it was amazing, I loved it, I'm obsessed with it, Eddie Redmayne is a blessing among humanity and I still haven't done any work because I've got to a point where I just hate myself a lot and I keep putting it off even more.

Then on Friday, I went into uni to pick up some equipment I needed for the weekend, tidied my room, did the washing up and then went to Asda with my dad who is visiting for the weekend. So then I went for dinner with him and my boyfriend and then we played Pokemon till 2am.

And then I went into town super early because my Dad bought me my Christmas present really early and we wanted to get to town whilst it wasn't too busy because Southampton on a Saturday in the run up to Christmas. It's not fun. There are many rude people.

But I have a new camera! It's so beautiful! Look at this photo of ice cream I took!


I like it a lot. Tomorrow I have a pretty busy catch up day planned because of how little work I've done this week.

Next week is super busy, so I'll have more to say next week. Thank you for reading!



Personal blog: sophiecountsclouds.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sophiecountsclouds/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/sophiecountsclouds
The Student Seat: https://thestudentseat.wordpress.com/

Week 8: being ill at uni isn't fun

I mean, I could give it a really clickbaity title or I could just say it like it is - death has come for me. Probably not but my head pounds when I stand up so I'm pretty sure that's a sure fire sign I'm going to die soon.

I'm not sure how well the sarcasm comes across but it's there - I know I'm not really dying.

Monday! I've realised that Monday's just make me really sad - I have my busiest lecture and seminar day at uni then I have no time before dance and then dinner is really late and I always end up feeling really sad on a Monday. So the week got off to a good start right!

Now realistically, Monday had been this difficult for a while - I was just starting to get ill and I spent most of the day choking because my throat wasn't very good at being a throat. I struggled to see the relevance of the lecture and the seminar was the same as last week except only six people turned up which makes me feel so good about actually making the effort to go to uni. The Producing the Package seminar was just another two hours of doing work but in a MAC suite at uni. So thrilling.

I was so officially ill on Tuesday that when I tried to write 'officially ill' in my notes for what happened on Tuesday, I typed 'officially in'. Sign.

Usually I go for an early morning Mettricks but I made the decision not to push myself and let myself have a couple of hours longer in bed. I got up about 11 and started work on my 6-point to do list. At this point I had it planned that I would have everything on my weekly to do list done by Thursday and then I would spend all weekend playing Pokemon. Spoiler: that didn't happen.

But I started by writing up my Newsday log notes into a proper log so I can just add the information from News Week and submit it in December, which is dangerously and painfully close now. I also edited music for my dance team. And then I didn't do anything else for the rest of the day and I didn't go to uni because I my head was literally throbbing. 

I was so glad I didn't have Newsday on Wednesday because I definitely wouldn't have made it and I'm just very ill at this point. I didn't go to voice coaching because I couldn't talk, I did some sofa Christmas shopping, I helped my friend with her fashion photography, I stressed a lot, I nearly had a migraine and then I stayed up really late working on my script for my assignment presentation the next day.

And then on Thursday I went in a little early to finish off the script and rehearse and then we went and did the presentation and I think it went really well, we didn't go over time and we felt really comfortable asking questions. Then I went home and did a bunch of work (like, really slowly), then I went to work at the cinema at uni and watch the new Jack Reacher film (not my cup of tea).

On Friday I slept a lot, I spent a very long time very slowly working on one work experience application (but I did it!) and I spent a surprisingly long time questioning how long I need to cook two tins of spaghetti hoops for lunch. It was a very slow day but not in a nice relaxing way, in a 'I want to be motivated and get lots of work done but my head throbs if I stand up too fast and all I want to do is sleep and be sad'.

I found out on Friday that someone that was in my form at school passed away and it really hit me and I didn't even know her that well, but I saw her basically every morning for a year and she was so lovely and I know people who knew her really well and it's just really surreal. Especially with watching Children in Need that night it just really hit me how short life is and I was really sad on Friday night (and most of this week) but I just wanted to write something here - just, make good decisions, be careful with drugs. I'm feeling very spacey right now.

Today, Saturday, I had the biggest lie in I think I've ever had and slept until the afternoon, I then had a little Asda trip to pick up some fresh veg to make a roast dinner tomorrow then I tried to be productive but I felt like death outside so I'm actually a little bit worried about going to London tomorrow.

I'm meant to be seeing Panic! At The Disco tomorrow and I'm really excited about it but I also feel like death, so I'll update you on that next week.

Sorry this week has been so rubbish, I get really sad when I can't be productive and I'm trying my best and it's not going very well. Too much thinking, I'll get back to you next week where there's no deadlines and hopefully less disease.




Personal blog: sophiecountsclouds.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sophiecountsclouds/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/sophiecountsclouds
The Student Seat: https://thestudentseat.wordpress.com/

Saturday 12 November 2016

Week 7: running out of steam

This week has been a long one, it feels like months since I wrote one of these posts when it's only been seven days. So let's go back to Monday.

We have a new lecturer for our Concept to Commission lecture and seminar and he didn't use a PowerPoint for the lecture, which make a Monday morning after a week off much more difficult to concentrate on. I actually did quite enjoy the seminar - we were given a sheet with a bunch of information on it and we had to write a 500 word feature in two hours in between chatting to our lecturer about our assignment due at the end of the semester. It wasn't particularly useful but I enjoyed in none the less.

In Producing the Package we got our results from our first package hand ins back - I wasn't massively overwhelmed with a high 2:2, but I know exactly what areas to work on to pull the grade up in the next package and I've already got the go ahead for my next package idea.

On Tuesday morning I went to my favourite cafe Mettricks to sit and do some work with a hot chocolate. I then went to Spoons with some friends, went and tried to book a tattoo and then started a discussion with the tattoo parlour on Facebook to try redesigning it. I then went to HMV to pre-order Busted's new album Night Driver and get a ticket to the signing they're doing at the HMV in Southampton. I'm going to meet Busted and it's going to be a childhood dream come try. Then I did some work at home, went to a really shit lecture, went to dance and then came home and sat on the sofa for a really long time.

Wednesday was another Newsday and this week I was on the TV bulletin team - I had to write the script and present for the 5 minute long TV bulletin at 5pm so it was a really long day but really satisfactory - I had an awesome team and it was so much fun to work with them.

If you want to watch my bulletin, you can do so here: 



On Thursday I had a slightly later start because I no longer have InDesign sessions as that assignment has been handed in. So I went to Who's The Boss at 1pm, luckily we didn't have to have a debate because not many people were there and our assignment hand in is less than a week away (not that our lecturer didn't try). So I worked with my partner really well on our PowerPoint presentation - it worked really well that both of us were in the right place and on the same page about what we wanted to do because we made massive progress.

And Friday was my much needed day off, not that I took it - I met my partner about midday and we worked for about five hours putting together both the PowerPoint and the script and we're nearly at a point where we can hand in the PowerPoint on Monday.

On Friday evening I was given a complimentary ticket to see the World Premiere of Wind In The Willows at Mayflower theatre (post to go up on SophieCountsClouds tomorrow!) and it was amazing - seeing 'press' printed on the ticket is something that made me inexplicably happy and is something I'd love to do again!

This morning, on wonderful Saturday, I had another lie in and went into town for an Asda trip, I came back to make a bunch of lists of stuff I need to get done and then I spent the evening being an actor and helping my friend film her documentary for her course. Having got back at ten, my boyfriend and I have just ordered take out because we're too tired to cook dinner!

Tomorrow I'm getting my fourth tattoo (and I'm so excited) and then going to meet my partner to finish off our presentation for next week and then I'm going to have a really chilled evening and finish catching up on Flash Season 3.

This week's been jam packed and I'm running out of energy for sure - I need just a little bit of time off and I keep saying 'after this deadline' and 'after this hand in' but each of my assignments are due in less than two weeks after each other, which makes it a little bit more difficult to find 'down time' and chill out.

But I'll manage it. Somehow. Or if not; I'll blog about it.




Personal blog: sophiecountsclouds.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sophiecountsclouds/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/sophiecountsclouds
The Student Seat: https://thestudentseat.wordpress.com/

Saturday 29 October 2016

Week 6: Enrichment Week

Hello!

This week has been enrichment week, which means I have a week off uni that I'm using to catch up and get a little bit ahead but also to chill out and not work at 100%. Not being at uni might be an excuse to take a week off from updating this but I've still been doing some stuff and technically it is Week 6, so I thought I'd talk about it anyway!

Monday was still kind of uni-heavy because my workbook deadline was that night, but it was all fairly chilled - I worked in the morning, we went to Asda, I uploaded it about half past eight which was a little bit later than I anticipated but I was actually really pleased with the final product (hence why I included it in my October Favourites post on Sophie Counts Clouds!). If I'd started earlier I definitely could have been more creative and perhaps made it longer, but a 41 page workbook submitted makes me all done!

Tuesday was a super productive day for me - I made a list of things I'd like to accomplish this week, I made a daily list of what I wanted to achieve on each day and I got everything on my Tuesday list by 1pm, good day! I tried to dye my hair but by bleaching it I got rid of the black and green in my hair and brought back the blue in my hair, but that got sorted later in the week (the convenience of writing on a Saturday about the past).

It seems that a productive day is always followed by a flop day - Wednesday I slept in too late, I bleached my hair again, tried to put pastel purple on my hair and apparently it's not pastel purple but pastel blue. It upset me more than I thought it would, but I'm going to try and get rid of the colour without putting more bleach in my hair and then add the purple in maybe in a few weeks.

Thursday was a new day and another productive one! I did the washing up, I cleaned out my wardrobe, I did my hair and make-up (I actually did my make-up, it's a miracle), I thought of another package idea for my next Producing the Package deadline, I did a few uni bits and bobs and got the result from my presentation and workbook.

I got a first, like a really good first. I was so pleased that all my work had paid off and I really hope I can maintain this throughout the year and keep up that level of grade but I can't imagine I'll get a first on every assignment. Either way, I'm very happy. So many happy.

Friday was where the 'chill' part started - my mum and my sister came to visit and I had a lie in, went into town and bought the Krispie Kreme doughnuts they requested, showed them the flat I'm living in this year and then we went to Asda and I stocked up on a lot of food and spent far too much of my mothers money and I'm very, very grateful. Shoutout to mum because you're the best ever. After that, we tetris-fit everything in the fridge, I had a nap then got changed and went for an anniversary meal with my boyfriend. We've been together for a whole year now, it's fab! I also wrote another blog post. Just to finish the night off y'know.

Saturday was our actual anniversary but he was working at a TEDx event from 8am-8pm, but we had Chinese this evening and it's all very chill and really nice. But for the rest of the day! I went into town about 11am, I mooched around with my sister and my mum, my sister went and got her nose pierced, we had McDonalds for lunch (I was so happy), we then went to my favourite cafe to show them where I go to work sometimes, we went back to the hotel and had a drink and then I showed my mum how to use InDesign. When the boys got back, we got out Chinese and had a good time.

The plan for tomorrow is to go see my family before they leave, go to the gym and then do lots and lots of works in the afternoon!

It's been a lovely week off, but it'll be nice to get back to uni on Monday.




Personal blog: sophiecountsclouds.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sophiecountsclouds/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/sophiecountsclouds
The Student Seat: https://thestudentseat.wordpress.com/

Week 5: Stress, then more stress

Normally when I write these blog posts, it's off a set of notes I've been writing throughout the week so I don't forget anything. I feel like that fact I've not made any notes this week summarises the kind of week I've had.

Monday and Tuesday were always going to be stressful - I had to do a Pitch Presentation, pitching three feature ideas to three different publications to a lecturer and someone else I didn't know who is an industry professional, or something. So my Monday lecture and seminar were cancelled because of these ongoing presentations but mine wasn't till Tuesday, so I used the time to work more on my pitch and also the full package story that was due as part of another unit, also due on Tuesday.

See why I was stressed? 

So Monday was a lot of prep working from home - I managed to get quite a bit done for the pitch, then I went in early to the package seminar that was still on to work on editing my package before the hand in the next day. Then I had dance and had an early night.

Tuesday morning, I was up and in my lovely little cafe spot at 8.30am to start working. I had to edit the video for my package and that took a solid three hours, but from there I made the final notes for my pitch presentation, went to a tutorial meeting with my level tutor, went to Asda, started writing the copy for my package and went to do my presentation.

They were running so far behind on presentations that I had to wait 35 minutes and miss my lecture but it was Who's The Boss so I really couldn't care less. So I came home, carried on working on the copy for my package and then prepared to submit everything - video done, audio edited, pictures edited, copy written - assignment submitted before I went to dance. 

Now that was a nice feeling.

And after all that, Wednesday was another Newsday. I wrote a story about a 48 Hour Film Challenge that is happening this weekend, you can read all about it here: Exposure Filmmakers Host 48-Hour Film Festival This Weekend

Thursday was a good day actually - two hours of InDesign was really useful because I got to make a start on the workbook I really should have started on Tuesday and is due on Monday - about five days from now. I'm actually getting into and enjoying making the InDesign workbook, it's a way of virtually making pretty designs and I'm quite enjoying the process of it.

Friday was a bit of a day off - bit of a lie in, then going to the SU with my friends (taking my laptop to work on the workbook, obviously). I then came back home to work on the workbook and had a break to go for a free drink and pancakes, before coming back to... work on the workbook! I didn't work hard and fast all day long but I worked kind of consistently and had YouTube on in the background and I got way more done than I was ever anticipating to.

Today hasn't been so successful - after staying up till 3am working and the boys playing GTA, we all slept in pretty late and then went into town for some things we needed to pick up. From there it was back to working on the workbook, watching the Flash with fish and chips and a spontaneous trip to see Doctor Strange at the cinema. 

I'm hoping to get some more work done this evening when we get back from the film and then tomorrow will be another day of work before a Halloween fundraiser for dance that I'm taking a bunch of my friends too.

Next week is enrichment week so not a lot will be going on at uni because whilst I'm sure there's stuff going on, I don't know about any of it. I'll probably still write a post because I'm working on my blog re-design next week so I'll keep you up to date!




Personal blog: sophiecountsclouds.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sophiecountsclouds/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/sophiecountsclouds
The Student Seat: https://thestudentseat.wordpress.com/

Saturday 22 October 2016

Week 4: Creeping Deadlines

This week, it seems like two deadlines have snuck up on me completely out of nowhere to stress levels are sky high. But lets take it back to Monday, where stress levels were only at 30,000 feet.

On Monday, my Concept to Commission lecture 'scared the shit out of me' (thank you Past Sophie for those eloquent words of wisdom) but the seminar time was actually really useful in terms of getting some research done and really ploughing on with the assignment. My pitch presentation is now confirmed to be on the same day as my first full package is due, which definitely helped the stress levels that's for sure... No one missed the sarcasm there.

However the Producing the Package seminar was actually pretty useful - I chatted Jon through my idea and he approved, he thinks it's a good idea and as the event I was filming wasn't until later in the week, he approved of me leaving a little bit early which is always nice.

Tuesday began with a 9am cafe work date with my friend from my flat in halls last year following a very successful six-hour session on Sunday. We stayed for a few hours, had hot chocolate and lunch, went into town and then to uni to go make the most of a printer. I then went back to my flat, had a nap and went to dance in the evening. This is the beginning of my decline to the mess I am now writing this at the end of the week! It was a slow day but I know I was going to have a super long day on Wednesday so I was mentally preparing myself for that.

I'll describe very briefly what Wednesday was:

8am start.

Yes, I know a lot of people will say that that's a normal work day and I need to grow a pair and start complaining but it was a very early start. I was then at uni until 5pm and had people coming over for a games night that evening. I was a very tired girl at the end of Wednesday.

Despite all that complaining, News Day wasn't actually that bad - I was a Social Media Assistant Producer for the day so I got to tweet and make Facebook posts all day. That sounds like an easy day but it was actually a lot of making sure we didn't miss any content, thinking of creative ways to keep content varied and up to date and I actually did enjoy it. I probably posted about 50 tweets over the course of the whole day alongside a bunch of Facebook posts and scheduling even more posts that I think have been removed since then because they have not been going up on Facebook. But it's not my responsibility any more so it's fine!

I also made brownie and that went well.

Thursday was a fairly easy day - I went in for my two hour InDesign session but that was really just another environment to work on my research for the Concept to Commission pitch but the Who's The Boss seminar was cancelled (reserving comments on how I feel about that) because our lecturer was written off as ill this week. I then went into town for some retail therapy (and took most of the clothes I bought back), went home for a shower and back to uni to pick up equipment to film for my package story!

My new story, after the gig at Notes Cafe fell through, was a vintage clothing line launch at my university's shop Re:So - I got my boyfriend to help me film the event, I took photos and conducted both video and audio interviews as well as doing a piece to camera that was 90% improvised. Looking back, I think the whole event was a success both for Re:So and for me in terms of recording it but my anxious mind told me then and is still telling me now that this package actually counts as part of the marks for my actual degree grade and nothing is ever good enough and I'm a failure. But that's just how my brain works.

Then I went to a dance social and I hated it but that's not a post for this blog.

Friday is my beloved day off but even that was busy - I had to return all the equipment I'd used the night before, tidy my room, go to the halls I lived in last year to pick up a parcel Amazon delivered for me, go to the train station to pick up my sister who's here to visit for the weekend, go to the SU to see my friends and have lunch, come home, go back into town to go to Asda, then collapse for the night.

This weekend I should really be doing a lot of prep for my two approaching deadlines but with my sister here, I'm having to be very creative (and a lot of late nights, hence why this is 'technically' going up on Sunday... sorry) with how I get my work done. I'm sure it'll all get done in the end.

My primary anxiety right now is that all of this counts - all of these assignments actually count towards my final degree and I feel like I should have put a lot more effort in than I have but I don't know where that effort would have gone because I also feel like I've put everything I could have into these assignments but part of me really wants that First but I really know I'm not going to get it and it's crushing me a little.

My crumbling mental health is showing. Hopefully, with two deadlines surpassing this week and a Halloween dance fundraiser with all my friends next Sunday, Week 5 should be better!



Personal blog: sophiecountsclouds.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sophiecountsclouds/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/sophiecountsclouds
The Student Seat: https://thestudentseat.wordpress.com/

Saturday 15 October 2016

Week 3: Freshers Flu

I feel like I need a week off between every week of uni just because every week is so busy but that's not how it works, so here's to week 3!

Monday was a difficult day - since Thursday the previous week I've been feeling increasingly more ill and after an 8.30am Asda trip, the rest of the day was feeling like a bit of a push. After my lecture first thing, I felt a little bit like death and didn't go to the seminar (obviously emailing my lecturer and getting the work I missed out on, obviously) and I did go to my package seminar in the evening just because I needed to talk to the lecturer - being ill can't stop anything at uni because if you stop you'll miss something.

I'm working on a package story about Joe Fox, who's performing at a cafe in Southampton but has a pretty cool backstory. Have a read on the event page if you want to know a bit more. I'm not sure this story's going to go through because I'm still waiting for people to respond to me but I've got back up stories in the running just in case it all falls through. But I feel like that's just the story of a journalist!

Tuesday was another Who's the Boss lecture, my least favourite. They're always rubbish. This week we learnt all about how things can be interpreted differently by different people. I know right, I'm so glad I'm paying £9000 a year. So glad.

Wednesday was a News Day planning day and this one was a little bit different to every other one I've been to - today, rather than being a News Journalist I was being a Social Media Assistant Producer. I had to go to the editors meeting in the morning and I felt like I was actually useful! I've been making and uploading content to the SSU Journalism Facebook page and twitter page so if you want to see what I've been up to have a look there, I'm really pleased with the little teaser video I made from planning day.

Thursday was a pretty slow day, still feeling pretty under the weather but the InDesign session was really useful because we actually started working on our assignment workbook and I actually started making some research notes.

Who's the Boss on the other hand was a different story entirely.

We debated whether marmite was good or bad. Yes, the yeast based product marmite. That only one member of my class liked. It was the most pathetic 45 minutes of my life and the only thing I really questioned was whether it was really worth £9000 a year. Nine thousand pounds. It hurts my heart.

Friday was a nice lazy day for me - I needed it to try and recover from this cold I couldn't shake and in preparation for working an Open Day at uni on the Saturday. So I went for lunch in the SU with my friends, went for an Asda trip where I bought a lot of baking supplies and Halloween glitter but then had a chilled afternoon, desperately trying to shake the coughing.

But today has been super busy! I was at uni for 7.45am this morning and then working the Open Day at uni till about half past three. I'm absolutely shattered and have spent the rest of the afternoon napping, eating the most amazing stir fry the best boyfriend in the world has ever made and watching The Flash. It's been a good night.

And tomorrow I'm going to a cafe with my friend to get some hardcore work done and then finish the Flash season 1 and start the Flash season 2. It's going to be a very exciting weekend.



Personal blog: sophiecountsclouds.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sophiecountsclouds/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/sophiecountsclouds
The Student Seat: https://thestudentseat.wordpress.com/

Saturday 8 October 2016

Week 2: Back to Uni Life

Week 1 of being back at university really knocked it out of me - being in uni four consecutive days a week and going back to being a lot busier than I had been? I definitely wasn't ready for it and week 2 has definitely been a bit of a struggle. But overall it's been a good week!

Monday was another lecture in the morning which was actually really interesting - I learnt a little more about the industry and how it'll be for us going in as graduates and also telling us more about the presentation we have to do in a few weeks. The seminar was a bit slow and a bit patronising but I suppose it was useful in the end. I guess?

The second seminar of the day was actually really good, there was loads of useful tips for filming video and it was nice to chat to the lecturer on his opinion on things. The discussion about pandas needing to be extinct was questionable but was clearly poignant because it's stuck with me nearly a week later!

Tuesday is my quiet day - I have one lecture that starts at 4pm and is meant to last an hour but today I was there for half an hour being told that the internet has censorship. It's a shocker right? There are restrictions on the internet? I'm glad I'm spending £9,000 a year.

Wednesday was our first live news day of the year! I ended up being in uni for seven and a half hours, working on a story about a potential HIV cure. This week I made an infographic (which is a video with pictures and text rather than footage of an interview or talking to the public) and got to use some of my animating skills in photoshop (and by skills I mean, I know how it's done, not I know how to do it well). If you'd like to have a look, you can read the story here! HIV hope as first patient cured

Thursday is my other long day - I had a two hour InDesign session which was okay, other than the fact I was really beginning to feel quite ill but the seminar that goes with the shitty Tuesday lectures was, unsurprisingly, horrific. The way the lecturer (who never fails to remind us about his pHD) arranges our debates is stupid, none of us know why we even have to debate anyway - as journalists, we see arguments from both sides so we can then produce content equally and honestly. I hate debating when the arguments made are weak and especially when someone makes a really long point that is actually defending our side of the argument. It's all ridiculous, and my partner for the presentation had bailed after InDesign anyways, so I had no reason to stay that afternoon.

Friday is still my day off - I fully intended to be super productive and get up early and go to the gym, but what I did was get up early-ish with my boyfriend so we could do our laundry, then when he went to uni I curled up bed surrounded by my clean laundry and watched YouTube... then we went into town to browse shops we didn't need to be in, went to the SU for lunch and didn't do much in the afternoon because I was feeling increasingly more and more ill.

So whilst I do have a to do list that I really wanted to complete this weekend, I have a funny feeling that I'm not going to make the dent in it I intended but looking at it positively - maybe I'll wake up tomorrow feeling much better and have a really good day! 

I do have try outs for a couple of dance teams on Saturday, but I'm not entirely sure how that's going to go... I'll fill you in next week!




Personal blog: sophiecountsclouds.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sophiecountsclouds/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/sophiecountsclouds
The Student Seat: https://thestudentseat.wordpress.com/

Saturday 1 October 2016

Week 1: New Year, New Units

Hello!

Let's start this year of right, right? Week 1, uploading on time!

This semester I'm studying three units and then after Christmas I have the two optional units I picked plus another core unit. The three units I'm doing now are called Concept to Commission, Producing the Package and Who's the Boss.

Concept to Commission is my writing unit for this semester - I have to do a presentation of three feature ideas for three different publications with a workbook to go with it and then I have to pick two of those feature ideas to actually write about by the end of the semester.

Producing the Package is pretty self explanatory - I have to produce two full news packages which means finding a story and writing copy, producing audio, video and pictures to go with it. I've completely forgotten how I'm meant to find news stories but I'll cross that bridge when I come to it. Probably tomorrow. At some point before my deadline at the end of October.

Who's the Boss is the confusing one - it's the one theory unit I have to do, I have to a debate-style presentation thing and an essay (I have no idea what the essay is meant to be about yet). I'm not entirely sure what the point is of this unit, I thought it would be about freelancing and knowing how to approach companies and get a job after uni, but at present it's nothing like that. 

I think I'll try and stick with the structure I had last year of going through the week and talking about each lecture and seminar that I had this week.

Monday was a long day but luckily not an early start - first was a lecture that was basically an introduction to Concept to Commission, we were told about our assignments and given a bit of context as to what the unit was about and how it was relevant to our assignments. Within that lecture I had some ideas about what I could talk about in the presentation, which is only about four weeks away, so at least I'm not totally uninspired.

The seminar for the same unit was then an exercise to further refine our analytical skills of magazines and their audience. It brought back all my English Literature A Level analysis skills and I'm almost excited to get back to that, especially over something I care more about.

The last thing I had on Monday was a Producing the Package seminar which was another very introductory lesson - talking through the assignments and what's the best way to approach them. It's not a massively, overwhelmingly difficult unit but the lecturer is quite intense! Especially when I've completely forgotten how to find news stories. How I got through last year I have no idea. Absolutely none.

Tuesday was a much easier day - just a one hour Who's the Boss lecture at 4pm, it was weird to be starting my uni day so late. This lecture was not worth going in for though - I sat and listened to a man talking about what a bad thing the internet was and the conclusion was that none of us should have smartphones because they're made by children in Asia. 

I know a lecture is bad when I feel inclined to tweet about it. There were many tweets and group chat conversations about this lecture.

Wednesday was another easy-ish day - getting back into News Days with a planning day. My story this week is okay, I'm writing copy about an inspirational woman who works at a VR company in Southampton who just won a national business award. Having since tried to write the copy, I've just forgotten how to write a news story but that's not the point - it's not a bad story! I'm almost excited for News Days now? Just because I'll actually have some decent work to do rather than just being the dogs body.

Thursday was another long day - starting with a two hour seminar on how to use InDesign, it's a five or six week course to help us put together our workbook to go with our feature pitch presentation. I like learning how to use new software and I'm actually thinking I might make a start already (I know, right?!) just so I can jot some of my ideas down. 

Then it was another Who's the Boss session - a two hour seminar where we had to do some form of badly organised debate that was so unfairly weighted, but we then actually got told what our presentation in this unit has to be about and got to start brainstorming and talking through that, so it's nice to have some ongoing work.

I still don't see how it has any relevance to my journalism degree but I can't just not do it so I'm not saying anything... (except on twitter).

On Thursday night, I actually got to go to an exclusive pre-launch event at MAC Cosmetics in Southampton - it was so cool to be part of this environment of bloggers and feel like I was getting this shortcut in. I'll be honest, I feel like I was doing a hashtag #spon post and I felt really good about it, so I really loved writing this blog post on sophiecountsclouds.com.

Disclaimer: it wasn't sponsored in any way, shape or form. I had to pay extortionate amounts of money for a lipstick and a lip liner. 

Then Friday was my day off! Why oh why I went to the gym at 9am for two and a half hours I have no idea, but I then went to the SU for lunch with my friends and then went to an adorable independent cafe called Mettricks for a hot chocolate and a working afternoon with my friend Tatiana and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Like, really, really enjoyed it.

Maybe I've become one of those pretentious types who sits in independent cafe's working and you know what? I don't think I mind.





Personal blog: sophiecountsclouds.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sophiecountsclouds/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/sophiecountsclouds
The Student Seat: https://thestudentseat.wordpress.com/

Saturday 24 September 2016

Starting Second Year: What happened to this blog?

So it's been a few months since I've written for this blog... would you believe I've had two posts in drafts for four months? I didn't even remember I had two posts in drafts until I checked out this blog when I thought about starting it again!

I didn't publish anything because in terms of timing, it wouldn't have made much sense to have written about the end of my first year in the middle of summer! 

To summarise, I did a law assignment in one day (which is probably why I didn't do very well in law) but then I dyed my hair blue and went home for the weekend to help my mum move house. Then to finish off the year after the Easter holidays, it was a bit of a blur of finishing off assignments and having four deadlines due in a very short time span. 

But my first year is done and dusted and I came out of it with a 2:1 so it bodes well for a good start to second year, hopefully.

Since the end of first year at the end of April and going back to second year at the end of September, a lot has changed - I've moved flats three different times, I've been to MCM ComicCon and Summer in the City, I've networked and worked a lot on my personal blog and I've started a brand new project called The Student Seat (links below, I'd highly recommend giving it a look!) where students can give blogging a try and share experiences - I'm really pleased with it and always looking for new writers!

I'm much more organised with my blogging life now - I write on Sophie Counts Clouds on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays and I upload on The Student Seat on Sundays. I'm planning to update this blog on a Saturday, because blogging five days a week is a great idea in second year... I'll get back to you on how true that is.

I'm currently using a notebook to write all my ideas down in because I have so many ideas that I just need to write them down or I'll forget, so my blog is actually planned quite well in advance. I'm really liking the set up right now and I'm hoping it'll last!

Uni starts again in two days (Monday 26th) and I'm actually quite excited, in an appropriately apprehensive way I think. I'm looking forward to having a routine and a schedule again and I'm going to be documenting it on this blog!

First year was actually really fun, let's see how second year compares.





Personal blog: sophiecountsclouds.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sophiecountsclouds/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/sophiecountsclouds
The Student Seat: https://thestudentseat.wordpress.com/

Friday 1 April 2016

Week 23: Week 8: Going home for the first time since Christmas!

Hello!

Slowly getting to catch up with these posts - my new goal is to get up to date by the time I go back to uni after Easter and when I've written this post I only have one more to go! Almost back on track!

The Monday of Week 23, I actually made it in for my 9am lecture! The first time I made it in in quite a few weeks! But I was there, I then spent three hours in the library working on a law assignment and then went back for a seminar that afternoon. We have a guest lecturer for the next few weeks and it brings a different angle to my writing development unit, that's for sure!

It's a miracle... I also made it in for my 9am law lecture! It wasn't much use though - I have one particular lecture who isn't very good and my seminar wasn't very good either, but it was with a different not very good lecturer! Let's just say I'm not enjoying law all that much! After the seminar, I went for a tutorial with my level tutor and got to give my feedback on the year so far, which was useful I guess.

Wednesday was the traditional News Day but it wasn't the most interesting story - did you know March is National Bed Month? I didn't! And I don't know how much I care either but here we are! I left a little bit early (after handing in my video assignment five days early!) because I wasn't feeling very well... again... the end of term was breaking me a little bit.

On Thursday however, I went home for the first time in three months - I hadn't seen my family at all in that time but I came home to see my old dance school's show! It was so strange to be watching it and not dancing in it but it was amazing nonetheless, I'm not ashamed to admit I cried! I have a blog post planned on my personal blog but I'm yet to write it up - I'll link it on my Facebook page when I do!

Friday I may have skipped video... for convenience's sake... I was up at home and it would be 4 hours of train to get back for video at 1 to then come back up to Nottingham for a dance competition the next day! When my alternative was to stay at home and get a 1 hour train over to Nottingham on the Saturday... simple decision right? And it just happened to be that my old school that I spent seven years at were doing their production of 'Singin' in the Rain' that week as well... so I went to see that too... I wasn't skiving I promise!

Then that weekend I went to my last dance competition in Nottingham. I snuck away a bit early to get trains home because I didn't want to be arriving back home at 2am when I had a 9am the following day so the dance season didn't get a real conclusion. But we came 2nd and I think we scored really well so I'm still proud of what we achieved!

And now, only one more week till I'm home again for the Easter holidays... brilliant!




Personal blog: http://sophiecountsclouds.blogspot.co.uk/
YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/SophieCountsClouds
Twitter: https://twitter.com/SophieALuckett

Thursday 17 March 2016

Week 22: Week 7: Excited for the Easter Holidays!

Hello!

Let's get the ball rolling again! I definitely plan to have a more structured plan after Easter but my timetable changes a lot in May so I'll see what happens with these posts after that - something to think about I guess!

Monday - I may have missed my 9am lecture... again... but having just started getting over feeling ill, my boyfriend said I was perfectly within my rights to say I was ill and not go in. However I got a message at 10 asking where I was because I was meant to be filming for a News Day story! A bit late, but I did meet up and was filming until about half 3 and ended up having to only go to a tiny bit of my seminar. I went for the news quiz and to find out what I'd be missing that session but then had to go back to filming!

Tuesday I may have possibly missed another 9am lecture? My bad? But I did go to the seminar! Even though it was rubbish and we finished really early but even then I was back over to the main campus uni to finish off the News Day filming from the day before and with editing, I was at uni until half past seven! The latest I've stayed in a very long time... so I was justified in going straight to the pub for a massive burger right? Even then I went home that night and had to upload 10 videos for News Day and do more editing, so justified I think!

Wednesday was the first 9am I managed that week but with a struggle! I was put on an awful story that was completely unworkable and we were put on a new, slightly better story which I worked on, then went for lunch with my boyfriend and our friends and went back to wait to sign out. Dance that evening was really great though which made up for a questionable day!

Thursday was my day off and boy did I need it, unfortunately I didn't get it but for good reason! I went and got my lip repierced at long last, after it healed up at a dance competition. After that we went to Asda to buy food for a Roast my friends were doing that night and I made the most amazing apple crumble! I've been trying to replicate it since but with no luck! But it was a really good night none the less.

By Friday I was feeling much better than the week before so video was actually pretty productive! I wrote the script for part of my assignment and I managed to do a rough edit of most of the video clips too so actually useful. I was also assigned to a News Day story for the following week when I shouldn't have been, so I had to get equipment out for the next night and carry it home all by myself which wasn't fun!

But I went out and filmed on Saturday and it was nice because it was the first story I've done in a while that felt like a proper group which made me feel less reluctant about it. Then on Sunday I got the video assignment edited and I edited video and audio for the story, so productive day! And I tidied my room!

Everything's starting to come together a bit more but I'm more than ready for the Easter Holidays now!




Personal blog: http://sophiecountsclouds.blogspot.co.uk/
YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/SophieCountsClouds
Twitter: https://twitter.com/SophieALuckett

Wednesday 16 March 2016

Week 21: Week 6: Exhausted

Hello!

Still a couple of weeks behind but let's catch up with the week commencing February 22nd! 

After a week at Channel 4, a dance comp weekend, a week back at uni and then a day in my boyfriends home town, I wasn't really ready for another super early morning dance comp. We left at 5am to drive to London, got lost, ended up running into the arena with 8 minutes - eight minutes - to get changed and get onto the mat to perform and then everything was done by half past 8. 

Right?

Then we didn't leave the arena till about 7 or 8 in the evening, got home about 10 or 11? It was a painfully long day and I was completely exhausted and not ready for the oncoming week (an attitude I stick by two weeks later when writing this!).

So I missed my 9am lecture the next day. I felt horrifically guilty, especially considering I've never missed a lecture before and I was already beginning to feel a cold coming on. Not a good start to the week!

But I pulled myself together a little bit and went in for my seminar, where we were looking at writing features and I ended up analysing the language used in The Sun and writing a story in the same style - somewhat exciting!

Tuesday... I missed another 9am lecture... however I have a better excuse reason this time! There were 3 fire alarms last night - quarter to 2, 3am and 5am. No. I don't want this (it's beyond the point that there were a further two later that day!). But again, I went into the seminar, got patronised by the law lecturer I don't like and then went home. I went to the pub with my friends that night and that's when I knew I was ill because I just turned and needed to go home early.

But I braved it and went to my 9am Wednesday - News Day! I've enjoyed News Days a lot more this semester and I did have an assignment to do today so I was running around getting video for a World Book Day story whilst also thinking about writing some of the copy for a story on the 80th Anniversary of the Spitfire! Two very different stories but felt good to be so productive in one day and be the last first years in the news room! Latest I've stayed so far.

I went home and crashed that day because I was not feeling well at all.

Thursday was meant to be my day off but what I did was go into town, still feeling very ill and we spent hours in town - browsing and doing jobs and I was no having a good time of life!

But I was determined to make up for my poor attendance at the beginning of the week! Despite being ill and bunged up and feeling very foggy, I braved it and went into video, to learn about filming and editing interviews and to be patronised by another lecturer about how ill I felt without being sent home. Just told that I shouldn't go anywhere near her in case I infect her! Definitely made me feel better. I did go home and collapse for the weekend.

I ended up having a really busy weekend but hey, what's uni without a few completely exhausted, ill weeks right? Right?!

Almost up to date now! Sorry for the many delays on this blog, hoping to make a more regular schedule after the Easter holidays!




Personal blog: http://sophiecountsclouds.blogspot.co.uk/
YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/SophieCountsClouds
Twitter: https://twitter.com/SophieALuckett

Wednesday 9 March 2016

Week 20: Week 5: Back to uni!

Hello!

It seems that I forget to write these posts and then I write four in a row, but in terms of looking back on it or helping someone else in the future, at least I'm writing it? Right?

Monday was my first day back at uni after my week at Channel 4 and I was in the brilliant position where I was sat alone in the lecture! Normally I find someone I know but that day I couldn't find anyone or maybe less people like me than I hoped (fingers crossed it's not the latter!) but I sat through the lecture on writing style in news and then went straight to the library.

To work on an assignment. That was due that night. That I hadn't started yet.

I'm not a bad human being I swear! With the busy weeks I had leading up to this deadline and the dance competition the weekend immediately following, I hadn't had a chance to even think about this assignment so three stressful hours in the library were had! Then I went to a seminar where the only notes I have are on appropriately referencing in the assignment I'd just been working on.

Tuesday was a bit of a relief because my 9am lecture was cancelled (I was so grateful for the extra time in bed!) and then I went to a really useful law seminar on codes of conduct. I say 'useful' because it was interesting and also it was just copying notes and that's my favourite kind of lecture because I can just type without thinking too hard!

I like Tuesday's because my whole day is finished by 2 and that makes me very happy.

Wednesday wasn't as bad as last semester - I used to dread news days and now the only thing I worry about is whether I'll be on a good story! This week I was - I got to write about the upcoming Brit awards (they were that night!) and whilst I forgot my purse, my lovely boyfriend bought me lunch so I wouldn't starve. By the time I got back from lunch the story had been uploaded and there was nothing more for me to do, so another early (ish) day!

Thursday was my day off but it didn't feel like one because I didn't really get to lie in - my boyfriend started uni at 9 and when he left I was really awake so I went a tidied my room a little bit and then met him and our friends in town to go for lunch and do a few jobs that we all had to do. It ended up being a fairly long day and it definitely didn't feel like I used my day off to its full potential! Well, not in the way it's meant to be used anyway.

Friday led to my first session in video having missed two weeks of teaching, both of those being our lessons in editing using Final Cut Pro... I was a bit behind and struggling! Alongside that, I had to plan two video assignments, figure out how on Earth I was going to teach myself to edit on a program I wasn't familiar with and everything was a bit overwhelming! The stress is real and lasting, which definitely didn't help in trying to keep up all my blogs!

But now (in real life, a few weeks on from Week 20!), everything is starting to sort itself out a little and the looming Easter holidays is more than a welcome relief! Two weeks off - yes please!

For now though, going to try and stay busy and get as much uni work as I can before I go home for Easter!




Personal blog: http://sophiecountsclouds.blogspot.co.uk/
YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/SophieCountsClouds
Twitter: https://twitter.com/SophieALuckett