One year on from University - A frustrating 12 months

By Simon Wright

It is staggering to think that I did a dissertation 12 months ago

Today marked the first anniversary of the end of my journalism degree at the University of Northampton.  Time has flown by over the past year, and I won’t lie – the first 12 months since finishing my education have been a frustrating experience.  

Rewind a year, and everything felt so different.  At exactly this time last year, I was around a friend’s house in Northampton having some pre-drinks before heading into town for a final night out to celebrate the end of three years hard work.  Now, as I sit here writing this piece – I do wonder whether putting myself through the University experience was actually worth it.

Rewind to last year

Rewind to 2012 and things were changing fast for me.  I had just handed in my notice to the retail company I had worked for due to not being able to get the local transfer I had been banking on, and the UoN experience was coming very fast towards its final conclusion.

The final few weeks of the course felt strange.  The relaxed approach I was able to adopt in the closing stages of second year wasn’t quite there.  Although my control in assignment deadlines was most definitely still around, the individual in me was working hard to the finish, but looking into an uncertain future.  What would happen once the final assignment was due?  Would I stay in touch with people?  Could I make the full-time media breakthrough I was hoping to achieve? 

When I handed the final piece in, which was all the paperwork and the DVD disc for my TV project (see embedded video), the feeling was one of delight that I had overcome my biggest challenge in conquering University but also a sense of sadness.  It was all over, and all I could do now was wait and hope my hard efforts would be enough to get the results I felt I deserved.

Before that, there was one final journalism night out in town.  We had gone out as a group twice in the final two weeks of second year, but in third year – this hadn’t happened, due to various workloads and friendship groups that either continued to develop or even disintegrate.

The night itself was memorable.  I had a very good time dancing and drinking into the early hours of the next day.  At the end of the day, if you can’t enjoy yourself at this point, you simply won’t enjoy yourself at all in life. 

The aftermath

That evening saw me largely say a final goodbye to the people who I had seen and been with day in, day out for the past three years.  There was the Silverstone Grad Ball, the graduation day itself in July and a couple of personal goodbyes in the weeks to come, but as a group, it was a fitting farewell. 

I always maintain that the group of journalists at the University of Northampton that started with me in 2009 were hungry to succeed in their future careers.  Some had better strengths than others, there were occasional flaws, mental breakdowns, moments of individual doubt but I can generally say I got on with the majority and built up some very close friendships along the way.

Since then, the dreaded ‘distance’ element has got in the way.  Some have drifted out to no contact, but I guess with time, your presence on their lives is simply not needed.  However, I still attempt to keep contact as much as I can (when I have a reliable smartphone that is), and the memories are mainly good.  Even the bad memories, such as the dark periods I had are still remembered.  I guess my memory bank is pretty full for the inevitable autobiography in around two decades times then!

I can honestly say that I’m proud of everyone that graduated, whether that was last July or in February 2013, and a good portion of course buddies have done very well for themselves.  From interning with major radio corporations, succeeding in the PR market with fashion and political departments, to freelancing for now until something more permanent crops up, I think everyone is in a stronger position than they were when arriving at UoN in 2009.

Well done to everyone, and also on this note, congratulations to those who have finished their journalism degrees this year at Northampton.  I hope you all get the results you deserve.

Too many false dawns

For myself, the University experience flew by and so has the past 12 months.  I will admit that I have achieved a lot since last May, but it has sadly brought too many false dawns, a growing sense of frustration and no luck in the full-time market, despite making over 200 job applications ranging from media and journalism, to admin, marketing and even library work.

Less than two weeks after my course finished, I was offered an internship with a football website, which was unpaid but gave me tremendous experience in the online world.  It allowed me to write about one of my main passions, and helped develop my skills as a deputy editor, sub-editor and features writer.  I was disappointed not to receive recognition in terms of payment, and the way things ended before Christmas last year was on a slightly sour note, considering all the hard work I put in.  Although I would change some aspects of how things turned out, I do admit that without this experience, I wouldn’t be in the position I’m in today.

I also tried online radio and talking to the world with a successful Formula One talk show, which began in the closing months of the 2012 season.  This venture ended amicably in January due to an advertising structure which had a high risk element, and was something that I felt was going to be too vulnerable to myself.  I have also written for a student media website, and now have strong freelance positions earning basic pay for another football site, and a strong fee writing holiday guides for a travel website that specialises in updating the weather of destinations across the world.

Kleeneze's business model came very close to getting ugly

The most frustrating experience was attempting to make a go of a business with Kleeneze, which began in February 2013.  I went into this with high hopes of getting an excellent income, and driving strong online sales together with the door-to-door sales in the nearby neighbourhood I live in Milton Keynes.  Eight weeks later, and I had to admit defeat and the business was shutdown, another victim of our recession that never seems to end.  

The online shop was non-existent in terms of profit, and weekly sales figures always came in at a similar total.  Even boosts of crafty leaflets created on InDesign, and new catalogues simply didn’t drive the money in.  All I can say is it was worth a go and it is more experience gained.

However, things ended very messy with the company themselves.  My ‘sponsor’ didn’t help me whatsoever and promised me things that simply never came off.  He was absolutely useless.  

Also, when I went to close everything down, Kleeneze insisted I should pay them another £90 for the next two months despite not doing anything for them!  I was absolutely furious, and although this matter has now been resolved after drawing up a letter of complaint, the situation could have got very ugly.  However, if anyone is thinking of starting a business with commission bonuses, don’t do it and I certainly do not recommend Kleeneze as a viable business structure. 

What will happen next?

Despite the hundreds of applications I have made, I have only been shortlisted for two interviews.  One was last month in Northampton, and one was in Lancaster in February.  I have updated, tweaked and restructured my approach to applying for various positions, and now have had three career meetings with the National Careers Service to see if I can make the breakthrough I am looking for.

Full-time work in media was always going to be hard, because of the competition levels in the sector, but I have to be honest, I really expected to have landed something by now.  I considered a postgraduate degree in January, but this route has been shut off due to not being able to get the required funding.  In recent weeks, I decided I will start writing a book during the summer and have also considered going abroad and maybe do some travelling for a year.  This is a backup plan, but should I be in the same position as autumn arrives in the UK, this will become a viable and probable option.

Do I regret going to University?  No, when I think of the friends I made and the valuable life experiences gained, but there is a small tinge of regret that things haven’t gone the way I hope they would have.  It shows that even a 2:1 degree is not easy to break those doors down to the job of your dreams.

The last 12 months have been tough, but I'm still smiling!

In summary, it is staggering how quickly a year has gone since I finished University.  As I come from the critical mould, I would say: “Trying hard, feel frustrated, but must not give up.”

Not yet anyway.  After all, I have a habit of being knocked back and getting up again to conquer the world of media.  The last 12 months have been frustrating, but I still have friends, family and my health to be thankful for, so it could be much worse.

Categories: 2012, Degree, DVD, Graduation, Journalism, Kleeneze, PR, Silverstone, TV, University of Northampton

2012 - A year in review - Sport

By Simon Wright

The sporting year of 2012 was dominated by the Olympics and Paralympics in London, but that doesn’t mean it was a quiet year elsewhere.  Far from it, as there was plenty of intrigue and drama all the way.

Cycling saw history made and legends disgraced, tennis allowed records to be broken and new challengers to emerge, football produced one of the most sensational finishes to any season, while horse racing had another year of triumph and tragedy.

It was a mixed bag for cricket, minor miracles emerged in golf and Formula One produced another thrilling showdown.   So, here is the sporting review of 2012, excluding the Olympic highlights.

It’s Wiggo time

Cycling has rarely been out of the headlines in 2012.  Thankfully, most of the stories were of a positive nature.

Bradley Wiggins made history in the Tour de France

The country fell in love with Bradley Wiggins and his sideburns.  He might have won Olympic gold and BBC Sports Personality of the Year, but his main feat arrived just days before the London extraganvanza.

He won the Tour de France, cycling’s most difficult race to win.  He crossed the finish line with the yellow jersey in Paris, to become the first Brit to win the race since its inception in 1903.

British team-mate Chris Froome backed him up by finishing second, while Mark Cavendish did his bit for Team Sky too and won the final stage for the fourth year running.

Cavendish has quit Team Sky since, but the future looks bright for the team, as they have snapped up youngster Jonathan Tiernan-Locke, who was winner of the Tour of Britain in September.

On the track and a sign of Team GB’s Olympic dominance shone through at the World Championships in Melbourne.

Sir Chris Hoy, Victoria Pendleton, Ben Swift and Laura Trott all won gold and broke world records in the process.

While Wiggo fever hit Britain, Lance Armstrong’s reputation is in complete tatters.

Armstrong’s record seven Tour de France titles were annulled from the history books, after doping allegations were upheld and made public.

He was one of sport’s most inspired figures a while ago.  Now he goes down as the biggest cheat in sporting history.

Murray comes of age

In tennis, the year saw some surprises and a big breakthrough for Britain.

In the women’s game, Victoria Azarenka finally fulfilled her potential with victory in the Australian Open.

The flamboyant Maria Sharapova was the Queen of Clay at Roland Garros.  The Russian completed her set of Grand Slam titles and became world number one for a brief period.

Ultimately though, it was Serena Williams who stole the limelight once again.  After overcoming some serious health issues in the last two years, the American won her fifth Wimbledon title, defeating a brave Agnieszka Radwanska challenge in the final.

She then went on to win the Olympics, the US Open and the WTA Championships at the end of the season.

It was a good year for the British female players too.  Laura Robson reached round four at the US Open, beating the retiring Kim Clijsters along the way, and Heather Watson became the first British female player to win a singles title in 27 years, as she won the Japan Open.

2012 though was the year that saw Andy Murray coming of age.  The year started inconsistently, with defeat to David Ferrer in the French Open quarter-finals, then an embarrassing first-round exit from the AEGON Championships at Queen’s Club.

However he bounced back at Wimbledon and in some fashion.  Murray became the first British male player to reach the final in 76 years.  He came up short in the final, going down in four sets to Roger Federer, but his emotional speech after the agonising loss at SW19 won him the hearts of the nation.

British drought in tennis ended with Andy Murray's US Open victory

Murray used his Wimbledon heartbreak as a motivation to not be the nearly man once again.  He thrashed Federer in the Olympics final, and in the early hours of a Tuesday morning in early September, he overcame Novak Djokovic in five brutal sets to win the US Open.

He ended the drought at Flushing Meadows, becoming Britain’s first Grand Slam winner since Fred Perry back in 1936.  The foundations have been set for a bright future.

Federer won his seventh Wimbledon title and broke the record for most weeks at number one, as the Swiss Master showed once again that he can still do it at this level.

Djokovic won the Australian Open and the ATP Tour Finals event at the 02 Arena.  The Serbian ends the year as number one, and although he was more vulnerable in 2012, he is still probably the best in the game at the moment.

Former Grand Slam winners Juan Carlos Ferrero and Andy Roddick both called it a day and Rafael Nadal might have to join them.  He did win his seventh French Open title, but an early exit at SW19 in round two against Lukas Rusol and persistent knee trouble mean he hasn’t played since the summer.

His career is firmly in the balance and if he doesn’t come back, it will be a real shame as tennis is currently in a golden period.  It is pleasing to say that Murray is now firmly in the battle to be the best in the world. 

The miracle of Medinah

Golf has often been accused to be a very boring and pedantic sport but that wasn’t the case in 2012.

In the major tournaments, Bubba Watson held off the challenge of South African Louis Oosthuizen to win in a play-off at the US Masters at Augusta, while Webb Simpson won his maiden title at the US Open in San Francisco.

At the Open Championship in July, it was Ernie Els who delivered the goods.  The veteran seized on an opportunity to take his second Open title, a decade on from his last major success.

It had been Adam Scott’s tournament to lose, but he did a ‘Van der Velde’ from 1999 and bogeyed the last four holes – handing Els the coveted Claret Jug.

The golfer of the year was definitely Rory McIlroy.  The Northern Irishman stormed to his second major championship in August, blitzing the field at Kiawah Island to win the US PGA Championship by eight strokes.

He ended the year with the most prize money and top of both the European and US rankings. 

So it was on to the Ryder Cup and what turned out to be the ‘Miracle of Medinah.’  The American team were in complete control on the first two days and opened up a handsome 10-4 lead at one point.

However the heroics of Ian Poulter, Justin Rose and McIlroy allowed Europe to stay in the contest.  On the final day, trailing 10-6 – they produced one of the greatest sporting comebacks in history to dominate the singles and retain the Ryder Cup 14½-13½.

Some inspired performances and a great team unit, organised by captain Jose Maria Olazabal had delivered.  This has gone down as one of Europe’s greatest ever team performances. 

Aguero wins it at the last

Sunday, 13 May 2012 and one city was divided – with the destiny of the 2011-12 Premier League title firmly in the balance.

Manchester United had been eight points clear at one point, but Manchester City closed them down – beat them in the Manchester derby in late April and held the advantage going into what looked like would be a routine final day.

Wayne Rooney’s early goal won the Red Devils their match at Sunderland.  As ever, City looked to have made a meal of it.

They led relegation threatened QPR 1-0, but second half goals from Djibril Cisse and Jamie Mackie allowed the visitors to take a 2-1 lead, despite having just 10 men on the field.

The Citizens fans looked shocked but Edin Dzeko rekindled hope in stoppage time, heading in an equaliser. 

As the final whistle blew on Wearside, United were champions again but they were still playing at the Etihad. 

Mario Balotelli found Sergio Aguero, who drilled his shot inside Paddy Kenny’s near post to seal City the title in the most unbelievable fashion.  It was their first title in 44 years, won on goal difference and confirmed their place as one of the superpowers of the English game.

Chelsea produced their usual habit of sacking managers.  They started 2012 with Andre Villas-Boas in charge, and ended it with Rafa Benitez at the helm.

In between though, interim manager Roberto Di Matteo produced his own minor miracle.  They beat Liverpool 2-1 to win the FA Cup final, then a fortnight later – went to Munich to take on Bayern in the Champions League final.

Drogba inspired Chelsea to an unlikely Champions League triumph

Trailing 1-0 with three minutes to go, Didier Drogba thumped a header home in his last game for the club.  Petr Cech saved a penalty from Arjen Robben in extra-time, then from Ivica Olic in the penalty shootout itself.

Bastian Schweinsteiger hit the post, before Drogba’s final kick for the west Londoners took them to the promise land.  Roman Abramovich’s dream had finally been realised – they were Champions of Europe at last. 

Di Matteo was appointed full-time boss in the summer, but was dismissed harshly in November and the Blues are already out of this season’s Champions League edition.

Liverpool won the League Cup in February on penalties but Kenny Dalglish still lost his job and was replaced by Brendan Rodgers.  The Reds fans though were delighted in September, when the findings of an independent panel revealed the full truth about the Hillsborough disaster of 1989.

The first verdicts in the inquests of 1991 were quashed recently in the High Court and the families of the 96 who never came home can start to think about finally getting justice.

The John Terry racism storm continued in 2012.  The FA removed the England captaincy from Terry in February, prompting Fabio Capello to quit as Three Lions boss.

Terry went on to play at the European Championships in the summer, and was cleared in a court of law – but charged by the FA for racist abuse.  He retired from international football in September and was banned for four games, his reputation  as an individual completely destroyed.

Despite Harry Redknapp being the fans choice, the FA went for Roy Hodgson as the next man to lead England.  He took them to Euro 2012, this time with low expectations.

England won their group in Poland/Ukraine, but suffered the familiar exit – this time at the hands of Italy in a quarter-final penalty shootout.

Spain were once again the class of the international scene.  They thrashed the Italians 4-0 in the Kiev showpiece to retain the trophy.  The frustrating Fernando Torres ended as Golden Boot winner.

Pep Guardiola quit Barcelona in April and they lost their La Liga crown to Jose Mourinho’s Real Madrid.  Current boss Tito Vilanova is unbeaten so far domestically, but in hospital undergoing treatment after a cancer relapse.

However, it was another stunning year for Lionel Messi.  He has scored 91 goals across the calendar year – breaking Gerd Mueller’s 40-year record in the process.

Celtic won the SPL title and famously beat Barcelona in the Champions League group stages in November.  Glasgow rivals Rangers went bust though financially, and have had to start again in the fourth tier of Scottish football.  Hearts won the Scottish Cup, but also could face financial ruin.

Lastly, the world of football came together in March to support Fabrice Muamba.  The Bolton Wanderers midfielder collapsed in the 41st minute of an FA Cup quarter-final at Tottenham.

His heart stopped beating for over an hour, and he was giving emergency CPR on the pitch at White Hart Lane, infront of 35,000 spectators and millions of TV viewers. 

Incredibly, Muamba survived and although he had to retire from football in August on medical grounds, his story is probably the miracle of the year, and showed that football can unite as one game, despite the constant fighting battle against racism.

An Indian winter

It hasn’t been the greatest year for English cricket but it did end on a high.

Andrew Strauss started the year as captain but their number one test ranking was put under threat after losing 3-0 to Pakistan away, before grinding out a drawn series in Sri Lanka.

The West Indies were comfortably dispatched 2-0 in May, but South Africa outclassed the home side in the summer.  They clinched a 2-0 series win at Lord’s to become the number one test side.

The build-up to the final test was dominated by Kevin Pietersen’s ridiculous involvement in a series of ill-exchange texts and tweets with South African cricketers – criticising Strauss and Andy Flower.

Pietersen was suspended from the test side and although he has since returned, he is another individual who will probably want to forget 2012 ever existed. 

Strauss retired from all forms of test cricket and was replaced by Alastair Cook, who has guided England to a fantastic 2-1 series victory in India, the first away test series victory for an English side in India since 1985-86.

England did also lose their World Twenty20 crown, beaten in the Super Eight stage.  Hosts Sri Lanka reached the final but were defeated by the West Indies.

The game also said goodbye to Australian cricket legend Ricky Ponting, who retired after the Aussies lost a test series at home to South Africa in November.

On a domestic scale, Hampshire won the CB40 and Twenty20 finals, whilst Warwickshire became County Championship winners.

Vettel does it again

The 2012 Formula One world championship was the most thrilling of all-time.  There were seven different winners in the first seven races but after all that unpredictability; there was a familiar final outcome.

Red Bull’s Sebastian Vettel became the youngest ever triple world champion, clinching the title at the final race in Brazil in late November.

Vettel was spun around on the first lap, but recovered brilliantly to finish sixth and pip Ferrari’s Fernando Alonso to the crown by just three points.

Alonso was magnanimous in defeat.  He drove like a champion all year, winning three times and getting the absolute maximum out of a Ferrari that had no right to be in the championship reckoning.

It was a testing season for the British drivers.  Lewis Hamilton did win four races and Jenson Button triumphed three times, but reliability issues and accidents blighted McLaren’s title challenge. 

Hamilton’s relationship with McLaren was damaged beyond repair in September, when he shocked the paddock by tweeting confidential telemetry data to his millions of Twitter followers in the run-up to the Belgian Grand Prix.

A few weeks later, he announced he was joining Mercedes for 2013, with Michael Schumacher heading into retirement for a second time after an unsuccessful comeback. 

Pastor Maldonado won Williams first race in eight years in Barcelona but celebrations turned to horror when a fire in the garage erupted.  Luckily, no-one was seriously injured.  It was the same at Spa, when Romain Grosjean’s dangerous driving off the start saw him nearly decapitate Alonso’s head and become the first driver to be banned in 18 years.

Dario Franchitti won another Indy 500 in America but it was young Australian Ryan Hunter-Reay who took the IndyCar title.  Scotland’s Gordon Shedden claimed the honours in the British Touring Car Championship and it was Newmarket’s Rob Huff who became World Touring Car Champion. 

On two wheels, Max Biaggi triumphed in World Superbikes before going into retirement at the age of 41.  Casey Stoner also quit at the end of the MotoGP season, but the Honda man broke his ankle in Indianapolis and wasn’t a factor in the title reckoning.  

There were two podiums for Britain’s Cal Crutchlow and a battle for the title between two Spaniards.  Despite some stunning consistency, Dani Pedrosa lost out on the prize to Jorge Lorenzo, who became champion for the second time in three years.

Triumph and tragedy in horse racing

2012 in horse racing produced its usual share of controversy and drama, with a mixture of triumph and tragedy.

The greatest flat horse of all-time retired undefeated.  Frankel won all 14 races he took part in, while in the jumping game, Kauto Star was also retired after winning a record fifth King George VI.

The Cheltenham Gold Cup was won by Synchronised and AP McCoy, but tragedy would strike Jonjo O’Neill’s horse less than a month later.

After delaying the start of the John Smith’s Grand National, Synchronised was put down after breaking a leg following a fall in the world’s greatest steeplechase.

Neptune Collonges (left pictured) won a very close Grand National

The race itself had to be decided on a photo-finish, eventually given to the 33-1 shot Neptune Collonges, trained by Paul Nicholls.  It was the closest ever national finish at Aintree, but the deaths of Synchronised and another horse has put the future of the race in long-term jeopardy.

Frankie Dettori also took a massive fall from grace in 2012.  He failed a drugs test in France and was given a six-month ban. 

The rest of sport in 2012

Despite playing the best rugby league in England and winning top of the league standings, Wigan Warriors ended the year with nothing.

It was Leeds Rhinos who once again led the way, winning their sixth Super League crown.  They defeated Warrington Wolves at Old Trafford 26-18 in the final, getting some revenge for Warrington’s own Challenge Cup final victory in August.

Bradford Bulls were saved by a local consortium after being placed into administration, with Salford City Reds the latest club to face a winding-up order.  The short-term future of the rugby league game in this country isn’t looking rosy.

It isn’t either in rugby union, but that is more down to the form side of things.  In the spring, Wales maintained their momentum from the Rugby World Cup, to take their third Grand Slam in eight years in the Six Nations.

However come autumn, they suffered seven successive losses and dropped out of the IRB top eight rankings.  English rugby has had a quieter year after the disaster of 2011, but Stuart Lancaster’s side did record a tremendous autumn international success over world champions New Zealand.

Leinster made it three Heineken Cup titles in four years and it was Harlequins who were the kings in the AVIVA Premiership, as they beat Leicester Tigers 30-23 in the May final at Twickenham.

The University Boat Race in March was ruined by a protestor swimming down the Thames.  He was arrested, but a further clash between the two crews meant that Cambridge’s victory will forever be tainted.

Ronnie O’Sullivan won the World Snooker Championship at the Crucible, beating Ali Carter in the final, before taking a sabbatical from the game.  Stephen Hendry retired for good.

And the sporting world paid sad goodbyes to the likes of Sid Waddell, Mitchell Cole, Lee Richardson, Gary Ablett, Angelo Dundee, David Tait, Danny Fullbrook, Brian Woolnough, Jack Taylor, John Bond, Tom Maynard, Professor Sid Watkins and Dave Sexton.

The 2012 sporting year has been truly remarkable.  2013 promises much again but will do well to beat this year’s excitement. 

Categories: 2012, Andy Murray, Bradley Wiggins, Cycling, Didier Drogba, Football, Golf, London, Manchester City, Manchester United, Paris, Roger Federer, Sergio Aguero, Synchronised, Tour de France

2012 - A year in review - My favourite music

2012 has been another great year for music, with some addicting songs.  Here are my top 10 favourites.  Apologises if you're choice isn't here, these are my own personal favourite selections.

1. Gangnam Style - PSY

2. Always No.1 - Alistair Griffin

3. Skyfall - ADELE

4. Next to Me - Emeli Sande

5. Yeah Yeah - Willy Moon

6. Spectrum - Florence & the Machine

7. Live While You're Young - One Direction

8. Endless Summer - Oceana

9. Sovereign Light Cafe - Keane

10. Good Time - Owl City (Feat Carly Rae Jepsen)

Categories: 2012, ADELE, Alistair Griffin, Carly Rae Jepsen, Emeli Sande, Florence & The Machine, Keane, Music, Oceana, One Direction, Owl City, PSY, Skyfall, Summer, Willy Moon

2012 - A year in review - Me

We are approaching the end of another year.  What are the first words you all think about 2012? 

Mine are quite simple.  I would describe my 2012 as life-changing, emotional and character-building. 

I have had to adapt to a year full of change.  I don’t think I’ve said as many goodbyes as I have had this year.  Some were for the best, others as it was natural progression and some it was really sad.

There have been testing times but I ended the year with a degree and more life experience.  So here is how 2012 turned out for me in my opinion. 

A difficult start

2012 began difficult for me.  I had been ill over Christmas and started January on antibiotics for the second time in three years.

I don't think Valentino Rossi needs to be worried about my motorcycling skills!

I visited the Autosport International Show in January for the annual motorsport exhibition, and I must say it was one of the best years for the show.  I will be back in 2013 to experience the atmosphere and the buzz at the LG Arena in Birmingham for the 10^th consecutive year.

As winter turned towards spring, the end was getting ever closer in regards to my time at the University of Northampton.

I had some mixed results at the start of third year, and getting the degree classification on my journalism course I wanted was touch and go.

Then I worked harder than ever before.  I spent day after day in the edit suites filming, editing and interviewing people for my TV project.

This project challenged me as did my final dissertation and at times, I let the pressure get to me.

In February, I even considered whether I was chasing the right path in my future career.  A lecture talk from former NME editor Neil Spencer left me with plenty to think about.

He gave a real negative persona to the media industry and I wasn’t sure if I was prepared for long slog in the world of journalism. 

Eventually, I decided to stick with journalism and it proved to be the right decision.

Some satisfying results and goodbye to Clarks

As I was approaching the end of my life in education, another chapter was closing and that was in my part-time retail work at Clarks Shoes.

I was working at the Northampton branch, since making a permanent move to the area in September 2010.

However, I couldn’t stay there after the end of June because I was leaving Northampton after my course, so I was hoping to get a transfer back to Milton Keynes.

Unfortunately they didn’t have the hours I required and in May, I had to hand in my notice and get prepared to leave.

The job was never the most exciting but it kept the money ticking over, especially at Uni and I met some amazing people in six and a half years, in two completely different environments.

My last shift was on 9 June 2012.  It was a sad goodbye but I was excited to finally leave the retail market. 

As my time with Clarks reached its conclusion – my results at University improved and I started finding my best form in March, which was the UK summer this year!

I completed my major individual project, a 10 minute TV documentary into modern technology and how it has changed our everyday lives.

You can see the video below:

I also took part in the Current Affairs Show, a 30 minute radio programme which was recorded by me and two of my fellow coursemates, Lauren Bowen and Miles Aitkenhead.

Surprisingly, I found this module to be quite exciting to do.  I did my own telephone interview without any hassle and when we put the show together in April, we were excited and the results came back very well too.

I can honestly say that it was the best group I ever worked with.  The three of us had one goal and that was to get it done and get it done with some quality and style.  The Current Affairs show can be listened to here.

It also opened a new door into a radio career…more on that later.

The end of University and a brilliant final couple of nights

My dissertation was an interesting challenge to complete

Wednesday, 16 May 2012 and it was all over.  The final project was handed in just before lunchtime – I had officially finished as a journalism student at the University of Northampton.

I didn’t want to leave to be honest; I knew it was great to finish but sad to finish at the same time.

I had done all I could to get the results I desired and now, I just had to wait and hope.

In the meantime, it was time to party and that night, the majority of the journalism group went out into town to the NB’s Sports Bar and the Fever nightclub.

While Fever was a real letdown, I had so much fun in NB's.  Apart from one night out in early February at the preferred nightclub destination of Balestra in Northampton – I had focused on my degree and now, it was time to enjoy myself.

Farida and me in NB's on the final journalism party night. As a course, we did it!

I had such a laugh that night.  There were plenty of drinks, some crazy dancing (apparently I’m quite the dancer….) and I did a few things that were slightly out of character but the night was memorable.

We hadn’t gone out as a massive group since my own birthday the previous October and it was great to socialise with my coursemates. 

A lot of us had many differences with our personalities, and I’m not the easiest person to get on with at times, or the most interesting individual to meet but we knew how to party.

We did it and we finished in the best fashion possible!

Lights out! The Silverstone Grad Ball lived upto expectations

10 days after the NB’s madness, it was destination Silverstone for the 2012 Grad Ball.  What a lovely night that was too.  I even dressed up smarted and booted for the event and I’m not the smartest person ever when it comes to these occasions.

Professor Green rocked the stage after Rizzle Kicks pulled out, one of them was ‘ill.’  It was great to be at the home of the British Grand Prix and to be in the lovely Wing pits complex for the night.

It was another special night and well worth the price for going.

Friendships and graduation

What I have learnt this year more than anything, is about the value of friendship and where the line needs to be drawn.

I had to deal with people talking about me online (not directly mentioned but aimed around me) in both April and June.

That was not nice and led to me taking disappearing acts from Twitter and Facebook.  I changed my Twitter username from @HappyDude88 to @Siwri88 in February for professional reasons and I’m still trying to find the right balance with social media.

I think I’ve found it with both Twitter and LinkedIn (joined in January).  My use of Facebook has still caused me more trouble than what it is worth - it is now the poor cousin relation to both Twitter and LinkedIn.

BBM also caused me problems in the summer.  It might be free but sometimes, you can come across as an entirely different individual.  I will look forward to ditching the BlackBerry in September 2013.

Then there were the goodbyes to some of my closest pals from University, pretty much for the last time.  I have some regrets and at times, my honesty cost me more than what was expected.

With Tamika on graduation day: One of the sweetest and kindest individuals I've ever met

Luckily I didn’t need the tissues at any stage, but it still feel strange to not see some that were around me almost day in, day out for the last three years.

After Uni, I’ve distanced from some for the right reasons, while some just drifted away.  However, I would say I stay in touch closely with at least four coursemates from Uni and occasionally speak to around 10 others.

So this leads me into the big graduation day in July.  The event was held at the Derngate Theatre in Northampton. 

The certificate confirming my degree.  No-one can take this away!

I was so nervous in the build-up, hoping I didn’t look like a clown in the gown, or make sure my name was pronounced correctly. 

Luckily on the day, it all went to plan.  Although some of my behaviour could have been better on the day, it was a nice feeling to have my final degree classification of a 2:1 down on a certificate.  I worked massively hard for that!

So it was goodbye to my coursemates, the lecturers and to Northampton, both the University and my accommodation.  It was time for the next chapter.

A new chapter and moving on

I do miss my sole independence although I have settled back into everyday life with my beloved family in Milton Keynes.

I made a final visit back to Northampton in October, just before my 24^th birthday to collect all of my work. 

It felt like I finally found closure, as I did miss not being a student anymore.  I still do but that’s life – you have to move on.

Amidst all the celebrations of summer events like the Diamond Jubilee and Euro 2012, there was also the small matter of the London Olympics.

It inspired a generation and it inspired me too.  What a spectacular 17 days of competition and there were so many highlights.

The golden postboxes in Milton Keynes.  Nice one Greg!

I was delighted when local lad from Bletchley Greg Rutherford won the Men’s Long Jump, as that meant we had two golden post-boxes painted by Royal Mail in his honour of winning gold.

The women’s football excited me, as did Andy Murray’s gold medal in the tennis at Wimbledon, the feats of Jessica Ennis and Mo Farah and of course, Usain Bolt’s three gold medals in the 100m, 200m and the 4x100m relay.

Although I didn’t have the privilege of being at the Olympic Stadium, either as a spectator or working in media, I did go to BT London Live twice, once at Hyde Park and once at Victoria Park in August. 

Great day experiencing Olympic atmosphere

Both were lovely sunny days and were great occasions to sample and experience the atmosphere. 

And so a new chapter has begun.  Unfortunately, a paid freelancing contract collapsed recently with Total Football Magazine, meaning I had to leave after six months of hard graft, but I have begun a career in radio, hosting the F1 Zone on Bee Vocal which will be back in February and I am dedicated to new and future challenges.

2012 has thrown up plenty of challenges.  I had to say plenty of goodbyes and make some difficult decisions.  The year could have gone a bit smoother and it has been tough but would I have swapped any of it – not a lot of it anyway.

I do hope 2013 is a little bit less dramatic and a bit quieter though!

Merry Christmas everyone and have a Happy New Year!

By Simon Wright

Categories: 2012, Autosport International Show, Birmingham, Christmas, Clarks, Emotion, Journalism, Nightclub, Professor Green, Silverstone, Student, The Current Affairs Show, TV, Twitter, University of Northampton