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.
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