When I started my third year of Uni back in September I knew posts would be few and far between, but I never expected it to be as long as this. However, having handed in my final assessment yesterday I’m completely done until January - yay!
Words cannot begin to describe how hectic this year has been, only three months in, I can safely say third year is the most challenging but best year yet. And why shouldn’t it be? It’s my final year - it has to count somehow.
What exactly have I been doing? Well, a lot of my time has been taken up in radio production. Every other Friday we produce a show called ‘City Vibe’ that goes out LIVE on Siren 107.3FM. It’s exactly like a working newsroom and feedback has been pretty good so far. Radio really has been playing a big part of my life, last month myself and five others did a 24 hour radio show… 24 whole hours on the radio. I don’t know how we did it, but we did. I’ve also had the mundane assignments to complete, but that’s all done now - it’s party time here on in.
Fingers crossed I can get a few more regular posts in now that we’re finished for Christmas. I have missed writing and it’s nice to see people are still ‘liking’ and ‘reblogging’ my stuff - even if I have been a bit MIA.
Until next time - I promise not to leave it too long.
x
For those of you who follow my blog and are studying journalism or are a journalist, you’ll get exactly what I mean, for the rest of you I’ll try and describe this part the best I can. Our group pitched our packages one by one yesterday, all of them very inspiring but so moving at the same time. One feature was about teen suicide, the interviewees were the mother and brother of this boy who had taken his own life. Never have I cried at the radio - but this was a first. Second was a radio package about euthanasia and this incredible woman remained optimistic even though she had secondary cancer - again I cried. The final package to bring me to tears was about cyber bullying, a subject that remains close to my heart that put everything into perspective. 
Having come home to babysit my puppies, this weekend has turned out to be something quite fabulous. Last night I curled up in front of the fire with a chinese whilst watching Mean Girls - aware of what tomorrow would bring. I’m someone who adores to be surround by people, company is the best thing in the world. Saying that, there’s nothing like my own company on the odd occasion and this weekend has given me time to escape and get my head together. 
After my amazing news about receiving an award for my academic success, Monday came to bring new and exciting prospects. I was invited to a workshop with leading broadcaster Angela Rippon. If you don’t know who this woman is, then where have you been? She’s the biggest lady in broadcasting in my eyes and a complete icon.
I was asked if I would present the bulletin at 5:45. When I went down to the studio, Angela was being interviewed by the managing editor of Siren FM, who I happen to have for my Radio Production workshops! Just as I was about to go on air Angela came up to me and asked how the bulletin went, I replied we were about to go on air… to which she asked to see the bulletin before we went on. At that moment I have never been so scared and nervous in my life - she asked me to read the bulletin to her. 
If that wasn’t enough I met with the lifestyle editor of Reuters during a workshop. It was fascinating listening to someones experience as a journalist who has worked in 20 different countries, and give advice on how to improve our writing. I really have no one else to thank but the Lincoln School of Journalism for all these amazing opportunities. So far it has been truly and utterly amazing.
