The UoN Experience - How Good is University?

By Simon Wright – Follow me on Twitter @Siwri88

As the second anniversary passes which signalled the end of my education life and the finale to my journalism degree at the University of Northampton, I have decided to share my own personal experiences from my three years at UoN. This includes a look into how good is the University in general, a critical assessment of the video products I produced and what happened after graduation.

The final article looks at the University’s reputation in general. I ask whether I made the right decision in going to UoN, and summarise everything about the experience as a whole.

Two years have now fully passed and it is amazing to think of the time that just flies. Even in my role today, I sometimes get sudden jolts of memories from the UoN experience. It was a magnificent time and I certainly don’t regret going.

I was a late bloomer. I had the chance to go to University in 2007, two years before I actually did. I dropped out of the UCAS application process quite early on in sixth form because after some iffy AS level results, I knew I wasn’t ready for the challenge. I needed more time to prepare myself, both mentally and even psychologically.

It was the right decision at the time and still is now. If I had gone in 07, I think I might have struggled really badly and not lasted much more than six weeks. By not going until 2009, I think I became a better person. I wasn’t as selfish and greedy as I was in early forms of education.

Is UoN the best out there?

No is the simple answer to the above question, but it shouldn’t be either. There are over 200 universities across the United Kingdom and Northampton has plenty of competition in the Midlands region, let alone the rest of the country. Alternatives include Leicester, Nottingham, UCMK in Milton Keynes, Bedford, East Anglia and Coventry. There is always plenty of choice for the prospective student.

The home of British motorsport is Silverstone, based in Northampton

However, what UoN does is provide a good choice for anyone to study. There is good nightlife, you can’t fault the transport links with many other UK towns and cities, the town is home to the British Formula One Grand Prix (motorsport action from a media day pictured above) and excellent rugby union side Northampton Saints, as well as Northampton Town and Coventry City in the Football League and there is a reminder of both the new, regenerated areas and the more classical, traditional locations.

Sure it might lack some of the character of other places up and down the land but it isn’t as rubbish as some think it is. It is a nice place to settle down into a routine. The University’s Park Campus is an excellent, modern campus to be based at and to study on. Whilst Avenue Campus (where I was mainly based) looks a bit outdated, that still offers decent facilities and students in the School of the Arts have flourished here with excellent work in journalism, creative arts, fashion, literature and computing modules amongst many.

In conclusion, I had other options when I applied to UCAS for the second time. Among them were Middlesbrough (Teeside), Staffordshire and Bedfordshire. I chose Northampton because I felt it could offer me all I wanted in terms of a job outside of Uni, comfortable accommodation and a nice place to study and socialise. I know I made the right decision.

You can’t fault Northampton’s employability record too. It is among the top five in the UK. Over 90 per cent of graduates get a graduate job within the first year of getting that all-important certificate. That is excellent going.

Do I regret going when I did?

If I didn’t go to University when I did, I know I won’t have. I went at the right time for me. It meant I was more mature and probably less wild than what I was in 2007 but that was a good thing. 

Two years at Milton Keynes College was the best choice after sixth form. Not only did I get a BTEC National Diploma and learned plenty about the media industry, it put me in good stead for the future. I became more independent, wiser and more confident without showing a pure arrogance.

If I have a regret about my education, it was not going to MK College earlier than I did, but if I hadn’t, I won’t have got my A Levels in English Literature and General Studies.

Also, if I had made the step to University earlier than I did, I would have never met the people I did on my course such as Ellie, Tamika, Chris, Shane, Josie, Farida and everyone else. I was lucky to meet so many fantastic people and there was no guarantee that would have happened in 2007.

So for me, there are no regrets about going when I did to Uni and no regrets about the Uni I went to. I will always thank the University of Northampton for helping me, giving me a second home and will hold them grateful for the experience.

In summary, not everyone wants to go to University. For some, it doesn’t suit them but if you have a chance, then take the opportunity. It a fantastic experience and that is from someone who knows.

Categories: 2009, BTEC, Experience, Media, Midlands, Milton Keynes College, Transport, UCAS, University, University of Northampton

The UoN Experience - Graduation Aftermath and Advice

By Simon Wright – Follow me on Twitter @Siwri88

As the second anniversary passes which signalled the end of my education life and the finale to my journalism degree at the University of Northampton, I have decided to share my own personal experiences from my three years at UoN. This includes a look into how good is the University in general, a critical assessment of the video products I produced and what happened after graduation.

The penultimate article looks at the graduation aftermath and advice for those who are approaching the end of their degrees. The hard work that I had to endure during my degree was only about to get harder.

Just over two months after I officially finished my degree, it was time to put the smart suit on again and get ready for graduation day itself. Held at the Northampton Derngate Theatre, it was a polished and professional occasion with many people graduating on the same day (pictured with fellow journalism graduate Tamika below), not just from the School of the Arts but other areas of the University too.

With fellow hard-working graduate and close friend Tamika on graduation day in 2012

I had a big fear of tripping over my gown when it came to collecting my certificate but luckily it all went to plan. I shook the vice-chancellor’s hand and went off the stage feeling immensely proud of what I had achieved.

The target I had set from an early stage of the journalism degree was to achieve a 2:1. The economic recession was already in rapid form by the time I had started in Northampton and I knew it was going to be a hard aftermath once it was all complete. Therefore a 2:2 final classification was going to be totally useless to my future objectives.

So I was ecstatic to achieve the targeted aim and quite comfortably actually. In fact, I don’t think I was too far away from achieving a First Class Honours degree which is the top honour you could get. Honestly though if I had got that – I would have felt slightly undeserving of it. Whilst I had worked very hard, there were some weaknesses in my first year work and the design module in second year had been a spectacular flop. I was more than happy with the 2:1 and no-one can take that away.

Only one student in our group got First Class Honours and they totally deserved it too. By living, sleeping and breathing journalism, the individual got the result that fully recognised their efforts and I was proud to see that too.

From what I can recall, all of us graduated from journalism. The majority got their awards on the day I did in mid-July 2012; some had to wait until February 2013 but it was a proud and massive day in my life.

Tough roads lied in wait though.

Starting experience

To start with, any graduate just needs to gain experience in a working environment and if that means working without pay for a few weeks, then do it. It is not officially ‘volunteering’ but can feel like it.

This might be sending some articles online, to carrying out simple tasks around an office. It does mean learning on the job. However know when to stop when you start not to be recognised for working.

For me, I didn’t do that. By the time graduation day took place, I was already contributing to writing for a football website called Total Football Magazine. Initially it was preview pieces on matches for the European Football Championship tournament that summer in Poland/Ukraine. At first I didn’t mind doing it for free because I needed to get my name out there in the media spectrum. As the weeks and months went on though, I started to feel more and more dissatisfied.

In September of that year, I was promoted from a role of writer to deputy editor. However it still was unpaid and on reflection, I should have rejected the offer straightaway and refused to work unless I received some sort of salary contribution. Without any income coming in, things became more desperate. I applied for hundreds of positions and didn’t have one single interview. On top of that, the editor of who I was working for, was dabbling in other projects and showed little confidence in my abilities.

A paid freelance contract was agreed but eventually fell through, typically before Christmas 2012. In reality it was never going to happen. I kept emailing the editor for reassurances on the deal but although he did say it would go through, the replies were never convincing. I’m glad I stopped when I did and the website ultimately collapsed as a result. Whilst it was a good starting point, I was used by the system and seven months of effort came to nothing. It left me in a difficult position.

Take career guidance

May last year saw me have three one-to-one sessions with a careers advisor from the National Careers Service. Looking back at it now, it became a very valuable service. I learned some new skills in how to approach applying for positions. It was the guidance I was looking for.

Now that isn’t exciting and when I was first given the chance for some meetings with NCS, I wasn’t sure if it was needed. Yet after the three one-to-one sessions with the advisor I had, I felt much better and I had more luck/responses in applying for roles, even if some of these were still unsuccessful. Even do some unorthodox solutions; maybe advertise your services on Gumtree. It might not work, but if you don’t try in this environment, you won’t succeed.

You have to keep trying, even in the tough times. It can be morale zapping and on the first anniversary of my degree ending last year, I was in a thoroughly miserable place; there was no two ways about it.

The breakthrough

The breakthrough for me finally came last July.

I got calls for three interviews in seven days. First was for a football website company called Fanatix based in London. Second was for a publishing role with Topps Europe in Milton Keynes and third was as an online editor for the Phones4U website over in Staffordshire.

Ultimately I only attended the first two, as I had accepted a role before the Phones4U interview took place. It was the publishing job I took with Topps, which meant I could stay locally without having to move down the country and I could finally say I had a reason for why I did go to University.

I enjoy the job a lot, although there are difficult days as expected. I’ve been with the company now for just over 10 months and they’ve flown by in terms of time. The hard work paid off with a temporary contract becoming a short-term extension last October, followed by a permanent contract before Christmas last year. What a difference 12 months made.

There will be further challenges ahead, further goals too and probably movements in the future. However the journey to the golden sky of financial earning and security in a graduate job are complete for now.

Final piece of advice for graduates

My final piece of advice to those who are just entering the job market after graduation, or those even still looking to find something; don’t give up at all. Quitters never win on this planet and that’s a fact.

Apply for what you can. There will be rejections but even something like a simple email rejection response can be seen as a bonus. It means the company have clearly read what you’ve sent them and they probably just had a better qualified or skilled candidate ahead. Don’t forget – what you could be applying for might be a very popular role. If a recruiter gets 100 applications for one open position, don’t be surprised to find out they only pick five potential candidates for interview and you miss out.

There will be times of frustration and you wonder why you bother. That is bound to happen, but stay strong in the tough times. Perhaps take a motivational quote or an inspiring song and that should keep positivity up. And venture into every application with a frame of positivity. Going into this with negative thoughts will lead to a shoddy application and the recruiter will take one quick look, screw it up and chuck it in the bin. That is a waste of everyone’s time.

The most important avenue is to never give up. Trust in yourself and you can achieve anything.  

Categories: Applications, Contract, Freelance, Graduation, London, National Careers Service, Publishing, Topps, University of Northampton, Vice-Chancellor

The UoN Experience - The Video Projects

By Simon Wright – Follow me on Twitter @Siwri88

As the second anniversary passes which signalled the end of my education life and the finale to my journalism degree at the University of Northampton, I have decided to share my own personal experiences from my three years at UoN. This includes a look into how good the University is in general, a critical assessment of the video projects I produced and what happened after graduation.

Books played their part in the final major project in third year

Whilst there were many assignments I did in my time at the University of Northampton, some were better than others. That includes video work which took on a bigger role as the years progressed. For the first time in the public eye and with the help of my YouTube account, here is some of the video work I did throughout the three years as I assess the strengths and weaknesses of each piece.

I am working on a video showreel which will go online both on YouTube and on Viewing Perspectives later in the summer.

The Credit Crunch – Filmed February 2010

Group: Simon Wright, Emily Shears, Miles Aitkenhead

This was the first video project I was involved with which was a short exercise project in first year, mainly in how to use the video cameras, film an interview and edit it into a sharp news piece. There were no prizes for this and that was rather thankful.

At college, I was so frightened of the practical equipment; I didn’t even want to switch a video camera on for fear of breaking it! Luckily that was something I didn’t worry about at University.

I was paired up with Emily and Miles and we basically had to film each other, and interview one another on how the credit crunch had affected students’ lifestyle at University, basically (their own life).

It’s far from a classic and I look better in another piece a few months later, but it was a start and I do believe that the clear errors in this film had been eradicated in the next two years.

Strengths: Clearly spoken throughout, honest answers in the questions and clear Astons.

Weaknesses: Lack of weather conditions consistency, jumpy camera shots and the size of the picture frame.

Northampton Lift Tower – Filmed April 2010

Group: Simon Wright, Tamika Short, Rochelle Lye, Todd Murphy

The first year TV assignment involved a trip to the iconic Northampton Lift Tower, which is regularly seen over the skyline whenever you approach the town. There had been talk on it reopening to the public as a tourist attraction after it had been shutdown 13 years earlier.

Another student took control of the presenting duties and I resorted to doing the editing work, which was one of my best technical skills. I didn’t think it was a bad piece but there was most definitely room for improvement.

There were some excellent and useful interviews but heavy wind noise and a huge cut on the final cue of the presenter’s closing speech was not great – especially when there was little I could do about this in the editing suite.

Strengths: Good interview subjects, mix of interviews, some solid editing transitions.

Weaknesses: Presenter not in the centre of the shot, cut on the presenter’s closing speech, Wind noise, a far too long introduction.

Vision Products Opening – Filmed January 2011

Group: Me

This was a very interesting project which turned out to be my unexpected TV piece in second year. A notification about this appeared on the student dashboard a week before the official opening of the Precision Manufacturing plant in Brackmills, but as it was offered to the Monday workshop group (I was in the Tuesday group), it looked like a non-starter for myself.

However when only one person volunteered to cover this, I decided this was a great opportunity and not one I should turn down. However when the second person didn’t show on the day, it was left to me to do camera work, the interview and the editing all by myself. Not easy but just about manageable.

Vision Products had decided to open their plant up in Northampton rather than move abroad to provide jobs for locals in a difficult economic climate at the time. I went on the day when it was officially opened and it was an interesting morning with the head of marketing solutions, Pete French and the workforce.

I was generally happy with this – there were big improvements to first year video work and put me in good stead for the final year major project. Of course, there were weaknesses as expected but for a one-man job, it came out rather well.

Strengths: Decent cutaways, strong narration, excellent interview with the boss

Weaknesses: Solo job made it trickier, another interview would have been ideal, doing the introduction on site in Brackmills rather than in an editing room at University.

Local Libraries under Threat – Filmed February 2011

Group: Simon Wright, Tamika Short

With some doubt over whether I could use the Vision Products piece, I decided to do a back-up in reserve which featured the threat of closures of local libraries within Northampton.

I went with colleague and close friend Tamika to do some filming outside St. James’ Library, which was one of the libraries that had been under risk of being shutdown in cost-cutting measures by the council.

I remember the days we went were cold, wet and miserable and filming next to a gun shop was slightly disturbing! Generally, it wasn’t an awful piece but I preferred the earlier camera TV report I had already done due a lack of consistency with voiceovers and a struggle with cutaway shots as we didn’t get permission to sadly film inside St. James’ Library.

Strengths: Point of the story was made, good main interview piece to camera

Weaknesses: Stumbling voiceovers, lack of decent cutaways due to filming restrictions, look too small in the pieces to camera.

Parking Problems Documentary – Filmed April 2011

Group: Tamika Short, Simon Wright, Chris Ola, Parris O’Sullivan

The documentary for Film Style & Technique was put together in the first four months of 2011 and this is as far as I’m concerned, the best TV project I did in the three years of studying at the University of Northampton.

Paired up with Tamika again and fellow journalism students Chris and Parris, our aim was to create a five-minute documentary on an issue around University. I don’t quite know how we ended up doing something on car parking prices and lack of spacing around both campuses but it turned into an intriguing documentary.

There was a slow start but we got a fantastic amount of interviews (largely down to contacts of Chris and Parris), leaving Tamika and me to work on the editing, camera work and paperwork elements.

The final result was a balanced documentary that highlighted the problems and expressed students concerns but also allowed a University staff member to respond to the issues raised. I don’t think it could have gone any better. It was a great team and I found a real buzz in putting this together.

Strengths: Variety of interviews, good use of music, balanced piece with no 100% bias, decent cutaways.

Weaknesses: Some audio levels of the voiceovers weren’t fully equalised, microphone cables evident in occasional interviews.

The Current Affairs Radio Show – Recorded April 2012

Group: Lauren Bowen, Miles Aitkenhead, Simon Wright

In terms of audio work, the best piece which came in third and final year. I never really enjoyed studying radio but creating a radio show was an interesting aspect. It was another one of those modules where the theory wasn’t exactly thrilling but the practical side was much better.

As individuals, we had to produce two features for a 30-minute radio show. One was feature length of approximately five minutes and another was a short, sharp two-minute piece at best.

Our lecturer then paired us into groups of three. I worked with Lauren and Miles on this and we immediately gelled as a group and were well organised in putting this together. The Current Affairs Show features pieces on Human Trafficking, Racism in Football, Film and Music Reviews, the building of a University Technical College and a feature on the fallout of the 2011 UK riots after the shooting of Mark Duggan in Tottenham.

The final result was a polished, strong piece of current affairs programming.

Strengths: Working in such a strong group, a wide range of topics, strong links into pieces, adverts to break the programme up.

Weaknesses: None

Modern Technology – Filmed May 2012

Group: Simon Wright

And so to the final piece of video work and this was my final project of the three years at the University of Northampton. I chose to look at the advancements in modern technology and picked three aspects of the new enforcements on our everyday lives; eBooks, the MP3 music revolution and smartphones.

I got an excellent response to an online survey I created, came up with some strong interviews with varying opinions, and by doing the piece by myself with only requests for a few people to be involved in some cutaway shots – I did a professional and clean job of this 10-minute feature.

I wouldn’t change much on this if I did it again. Maybe work on hiding microphone wiring and positioning the camera better to centralise my interview subjects but I think this was a fitting end to my three-year degree.

Strengths: Wide variety of interviews, no heavy music reliance, doing online surveys and social media interaction, strong introduction and title sequence.

Weaknesses: Some static cutaways, a couple of interviews weren’t centralised enough, microphone wiring use. 

Categories: Credit Crunch, Degree, Journalism, Libraries, Manufacturing, Northampton, Technology, The Current Affairs Show, University of Northampton, Video

The UoN Experience - The Nightlife Highs And Lows

By Simon Wright – Follow me on Twitter @Siwri88

As the second anniversary arrives which signalled the end of my education life and the finale to my journalism degree at the University of Northampton, I have decided to share my own personal experiences from my three years at UoN. This includes a look into how good is the University in general, a critical assessment of the video products I produced and what happened after graduation.

The next article looks at the entertainment levels out of hours. By going to University, you are committing yourself to three years of hard work, but also – enjoy yourself on occasion. The nightlife experience sees me talk about some of the nights, the venues and the stories behind student life when the sun sets.

When you decide to go to University, you know it is going to be one of the most enjoyable and demanding three-year experiences of your lifetime. There are many aspects to Uni. There is the workload, the deadlines, the relationships with your peers, your colleagues and your flatmates and of course, the nightlife.

I heard some good things about nightlife activities in Northampton before I went to UoN in 2009 and you know the saying; ‘All work and no play makes Simon a very dull lad!’ Was the nightlife experience disappointing or would it meet expectations? This latest piece to mark the second anniversary of finishing my journalism degree looks at the action, the dancing and some of the stories from three years out on the town.

Immediate change

Whilst I was never going to be one of those students who would go out and get hammered every single night, I wanted to enjoy Uni nightlife. It was important to keep a professional approach to most parts of my personality, but this was a good chance to integrate myself in a different and slightly more relaxed environment. That changed pretty quickly, before I had even begun on the course.

In July 2009, an incident occurred in my hometown that changed my look on the nightlife scene completely. This is something I will talk about a bit more in July in a piece for this website. What it did mean though was that caution took over rather than risk and my presence on the clubbing scene became more of an occasional visit rather than a frequent occurrence.

Nevertheless I had to go with the flow and Freshers Week was just that. First night I arrived in Northampton and we had drinks as a flat as I socialised with my flat colleagues from first year. All of the other members of Flat 35 were easy-going, likeable and easy to get along with. Two nights later, it ended in a trip to the first Northampton nightclub I would visit, Lava: Ignite.

From when I stepped into the place, I never felt totally comfortable. The main area was packed with Freshers as expected, but space was minimal and the environment in general just didn’t have the feel of a club that could offer a good time. I only went back once more in the next year and the place was eventually closed down after a tragic crush when people were leaving the club in October 2011 which led to the death of two students, one from the University of Northampton. I don’t think it is heavily missed by many.

I quickly preferred a trip to the SU bar on Avenue Campus, which was a two-minute walk from my flat. In fact, we often went as a flat group, or three or four of us to get the drinks in and spend a few hours keeping the pool table busy. It was enjoyable and a far friendlier, preferred environment.

A large gap

The clubbing days looked like there were over as soon as they had begun. I quickly settled into a pattern. Sure it might have made me a bit bland to say the least but I cared about my degree and I’d rather be keeping assignments on track than entertaining the opposite sex.

The only time I properly ventured out was a trip to the NB’s Sports Bar and Club in February 2010 which was a birthday party for one of my closest journalism colleagues. That night was really good. I vaguely remember having a couple of Black Russian cocktails that were nice at the time, but left me feeling the effects afterwards. I then decided that cocktails were not for me!

There were trips to some of the local pubs in Northampton like O’Neill’s, Pennywhistle and the White Elephant, as well as visits to the SU bar in second year but having not liked Lava or Embargo nightclubs and finding Haikkadou’s club to be just plain weird, I didn’t think any club would be able to overtake my experiences of Opus and Oceania in my hometown of Milton Keynes.

I was about to find my place though, Balestra.

New club, new group

Having moved into my own accommodation in second year, I wouldn’t say there was a group where I reckoned I could go out on the town with and have a load of fun. That changed at the end of that semester.

As a journalism group, we had usually been of the distant type. There were close friendship circles and other eccentric characters. However we seemed to get closer as second year continued, as it became clear that whilst you were an individual, there was also a team bond forming. This became quite important when communication levels dropped between lecturers and students in second year and servers with important work on them kept malfunctioning and crashing.

So to celebrate the final ever exam the majority of us had to sit in mid-May 2011, we all decided to hit the town, meeting in various locations around Northampton before coming together as one big group in the Balestra nightclub. The venue had only opened in the early few weeks of second year and Thursday nights seemed to be the most popular with students from UoN. It isn’t the biggest place but I found it very refreshing and a place where you are more than likely to have a good time. Many pictures were taken (one pictured below), drinks were had, dancing took place and it was so nice to be out as a journalism group and all enjoy it.

Me, Farida, Tamika and Nicole posing for one of many photos on a journo night out in 2011

I have plenty of memories of the UoN experience and this particular night was one of the best moments. It was so good, a similar routine happened the following week when second year officially drew to a close. Whilst it wouldn’t end up being the norm, it was a cracking fortnight of entertainment.

One final goodbye

Third year wasn’t about enjoying the nightlife. It did start with a repeat performance in Balestra three days after my 23^rd birthday. Not as many turned out, as there had been a delay in student finance payments but it was another super evening. A planned Christmas night out went a bit sour as the adverse weather conditions of December 2011 put a spanner in those works.

However, there had to be one final goodbye. The final day of the journalism degree was Wednesday, 16 May 2012. Not as much organising was needed. In fact, there was no initial plan on the day itself. A few of us decided to have pre-drinks at one of the student houses, then get a taxi into town for a night at NB’s. It was the first time I had been back to this place in over two years.

I remember getting out of the cab and one of my friends saying; “Are you planning to get drunk tonight?” My response was; “Yes I plan to have plenty of drinks and some dancing, but I do want to remember getting into a taxi in the early hours of the morning.”

It was another stunning evening. I remember being a bit of an ace on the dancefloor, although I have no plans to make a future appearance on Strictly Come Dancing! It was the final farewell to the people who I had shared my life with on a daily basis for the past three years and we went out with a bang! Not quite literally of course, but it couldn’t have ended any other way.

There was one final occasion and that was the end of year graduation ball at The Wing pits and paddock complex at Silverstone, the home of British motorsport. I was a bit reluctant to go at first; wary of the steep price for a ticket, even without having a meal there (which is something I wasn’t keen on). I eventually took the plunge, firmly in the knowledge that it was a great chance to dress up for the occasion. I never thought I would look smart in a suit and tie, but apparently I did. The evening went through without a hitch, apart from Rizzle Kicks backing out from performing at the last moment. Thankfully, Professor Green stepped in and did a good job without too much planning.

The nightlife experience at the University of Northampton had its moments and there were times where it wasn’t enjoyed. However, I had some good times away from the pressures of lectures and studying and wouldn’t swap any of it. My message to future University students is to find a decent balance between work and fun but enjoy the nightlife aspect. University only happens once, so live it and embrace it. 

Categories: Balestra, Cocktails, Dancing, Drinks, Graduation, Journalism, Nightlife, SU, University, University of Northampton

The UoN Experience - Year Three: The Final Goodbye

By Simon Wright – Follow me on Twitter @Siwri88

As the second anniversary approaches which signalled the end of my education life and the finale to my journalism degree at the University of Northampton, I have decided to share my own personal experiences from my three years at UoN. This includes a look at some of the nightlife memories, a critical assessment of the video products I produced and my insight into each of the three years I had in what was my second home.

The next article places specific focus on the third and final year of the journalism degree. 2011-12 saw the countdown towards the London Olympics and the Queen celebrated her Diamond Jubilee. Plus, Manchester City won the Premier League title in the most incredible way possible. For me, third year was all about building on how second year ended. It started badly, but improved rapidly and finished with mixed emotions which involved saying goodbye to my many friends I had made.

Two years down and one to go, the University journey had certainly contained its ups and downs. First year had been almost been in cruise control; second year provided far more challenges. Looking back two years on, third year was harder but I managed to conquer challenges better than second year, possibly because of the previous experience.

The planning for the final year had begun as early as June 2011, when I had to decide on a topic for my 5,000 word dissertation. I was always intrigued by the 24-hour news channel concept and decided to focus on the rise of Sky News in TV journalism, combining it with a major 90s news story which made them a more creditable source in media. The OJ Simpson trial was fascinating as much as it was sensationalised, with many of the witnesses playing up to the live TV cameras when giving their evidence. It was Sky’s coverage of the helicopter chase of OJ the year before his trial in 1994 that saw it win widespread praise from all quarters for the first time. I was glad that the dissertation was 5,000 words only. As a group, we were all lucky it wasn’t 10,000 which was the case on other courses. I wouldn’t say the journalism students got off lightly but it was a nice luxury to have. A 10,000 word essay would have been mighty difficult for all of us.

After the slow start with second year, I was hoping for a better first month to third year. How wrong was I? If I had to pick a month where I was in a bad place, October 2011 would top the list. The final year began on my birthday of 3^rd October! Although the first week went okay (largely thanks to a Thursday night nightclub celebration for my 23^rd year of existence), it went downhill from there. I wasn’t in the right frame of mind. The summer break had been too long and I wasn’t prepared for what was to come. I was also majorly affected by the deaths in quick succession of two well-known motorsport figures in IndyCars and MotoGP. I got very upset by these events. While I had every right to be shocked and slightly downbeat by what had happened, these events were out of my control and by allowing them to get into my personal detailing, it clouded judgements. After a lecture where an essay topic was changed; two weeks after having already prepared something, I lost control of my emotions. There was only one thing I could do to try and drown the shambles of the month and that was to get drunk. It wasn’t like me at all. Sure, I liked a drink – we all did on the course and we all enjoyed a good party but it was a rare episode where I let alcohol do my talking. It was the best thing I could do. By drowning my sorrows, staring in mirrors and playing loud music in my room, I had to just release all the tension and stress that had been building up.

It affected my social media activity too. Both Facebook and Twitter took a break for a month while I got myself back on track in November. I did that and the episodes of the first month of the year were slowly, but surely forgotten. Concentration turned towards various assignments in the five modules I undertook. Some underlined my strengths and others highlighted weaknesses. As 2011 turned into 2012, my grades in the first half of the year were not good enough. I had collected too many average marks and feared for my final degree classification. With the job market as it was, a 2:2 would be utterly hopeless to me. I had to get a 2:1. Rather than feel sorry for myself like before, I seeked advice from my lecturers (two pictured below) and it got me back on target.

Two of the best lecturers, Hilary Scott and Richard Hollingum got me back on track in tough times

In third year, I will always lookback on my TV project with immense pride. I came up with a modern idea, and utilised it with plenty of research and filming in my spare time. It was an interesting topic and something I immersed myself in throughout the opening months of 2012. While I wouldn’t have it down as my best project, it was the most enjoyable work I underwent in third year. The task I hated the most was the group project on motorsport. With my racing background, I was expected to ace this topic in our group, which involved a media day trip to Silverstone for the final round of the 2011 Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship. I didn’t enjoy it – I don’t know why (apart from someone stealing our tapes), but while everyone else seemed to have fun – I found the day slightly unrewarding. As I had already committed to TV for my final project, I had to work on an eight-page magazine and I hated every single minute of it. I worked with someone who I really couldn’t stand. The individual was irritating, frustrating and so opinionated. They even had the cheek to ask me to compromise my antivirus security to bring my laptop into University grounds!! I couldn’t do that and was unwilling. I didn’t help myself by coming up with a feature piece called ‘Death in Motorsport.’ It was such a grim idea and one I regret suggesting. Nevertheless, the whole project was a joke. The other three members of the group were fine but I didn’t get the camaraderie I was hoping for. Perhaps not being able to choose group members would have worked better on reflection.

As the weeks went on, so did the months and once again, the spirit of the group was shown in abundance. That is what I found out about our course. We started a year all slightly distant to one another or in our own friendship band groups and we all had them but as it reached crunch time, we all pulled together and helped each other out if necessary. Whether that was explaining how to burn MP3 tracks to a CD, suggesting a sound change to a narration or even having a chinwag about everything in the SU in spare time, it was worth it. I will never forget the appreciation and the time of the final few weeks in both second and third year.

Being one of the elderly statesmen in the group at the time, I saw it to myself to set an example for the rest. It wasn’t something I needed to do but I felt it was my responsibility. If I slacked off, it was a bad example to everyone else. The extra two years at college doing a BTEC National Diploma really helped. The experience of this shone through in the period when deadlines emerged. I was never programmed to leave assignments until the last minute to beat a deadline. With this, I was often asked for help, advice or assistance and I didn’t mind doing that, as long as it didn’t compromise my own performance. There were times where I did think ‘do your own work’ or ‘stop asking me, I might be wrong’ but 99 per cent of the time, I would try to offer the best support I could to my colleagues.

I had made a load of friends throughout the three years but I made more in third year. While I stayed close to people I had known from the start of the course, I made sure I knew everyone and tried to get on with everyone too. There was the odd individual who I struggled to see eye-to-eye with and there were occasional personality clashes but I couldn’t complain too much. It was nice to know people but also work closer with them as the degree went towards its closure. When all projects were handed in on 16 May 2012, my journey was complete. A wild night and few weeks were to begin (more of this in the nightlife chapter) but it was the end of an era.

Saying goodbye was one of the hardest things to do. These were people who you saw on a weekly basis, daily basis in some instances. I’m not great at saying farewells to individuals who I know so well. When I last met Ellie around a month after everything finished, we spent a few hours reminiscing and trying to make each other laugh, which I think we did. When it was time to say goodbye, I could feel the emotion from both of us, realising that this was it. I would say I was friends with 95 per cent of the course, but I did make special friends along the way. 

However if there was one who I shared many great memories with the most, it was with Ellie. We bonded so closely from day one and were always there for one another. There were times where we let each other down but that happens in most friendships and whenever there were tough moments, we always worked hard to ensure it didn’t get in the way of what we had as a friendship. If I was forced to pick one person I miss the most and would like to see again, Ellie would be top of the list – just because we shared so much, relied on each other and had such a fantastic friendship. I would like to think that we might see each other again at some point, or our careers collide into one another in the future.

So that was that, University was over and a new chapter of finding employment after graduation was about to begin. It was to be a tough and far more testing proposition than first anticipated.

Categories: 2011, Deadlines, Grades, Journalism, May, Silverstone, SU, TV, University, University of Northampton

The UoN Experience - Year Two: Trials and Tribulations

By Simon Wright – Follow me on Twitter @Siwri88

As the second anniversary approaches which signalled the end of my education life and the finale to my journalism degree at the University of Northampton, I have decided to share my own personal experiences from my three years at UoN. This includes a look at some of the nightlife memories, a critical assessment of the video products I produced and my insight into each of the three years I had in what was my second home.

Next is the middle year of my degree. In 2010-11, the UK celebrated a Royal Wedding, then suffered days of rioting in the summer. Barack Obama successfully managed to capture the world’s most wanted man and England’s cricketers actually won an Ashes series in Australia. For me, this was a rocky year but I survived it and learned a lot from the difficult times to make me a stronger individual.

After a break of some three months, second year began at the University of Northampton in late September 2010 and it was fair to say that it was a sluggish start for yours truly. This would turn out to be the biggest character test I had endured in my education history. It led to me nearly walking away from it all in the spring of 2011 and ultimately ended with my first ever A grade in exam conditions.

With my Halls of Residence contract ending, I had to look quickly for new accommodation for second year in Northampton. Luckily, I found a room similar to my first year environment in a building called Sunnyside – owned by YF Properties in January 2010. I quickly signed a rental agreement and moved in eight months later. Sadly the early weeks were punctuated by regular cutouts of the electrics in the building. I was unfairly blamed by some of the other stayers who believed one of my electrical products was causing the faults. That hurt because you know deep down when you’ve done something wrong and when you haven’t. It took around three weeks to solve, with the movement of a fridge freezer in my room to help ease socket pressure, but it turned out to be a faulty hairdryer in another area as the cause. After that, I (pictured below) elected to keep myself to myself throughout my two years in Sunnyside as I had more important issues and that was passing my degree.

Smiling through a tough start to second year, which turned into a bumpy ride

However this didn’t help my settling in phase into second year and meant I couldn’t fully concentrate in the early weeks. I also wasn’t happy with the spilt of the course that saw me separated from almost everyone I had been close to in first year. Whether it was planned is not for me to answer but it did start a tempestuous relationship with many of the lecturers throughout second year.

The one person I hadn’t been spilt up from was another female who would play a huge role in both my development as an individual on the course and a friend away from the assignment pressures. I had got to know Tamika through first year but not in the way I did throughout the next two years. Tamika became a very close friend of mine. We were in all the same module classes and I had great fun being around Tamika and with another lad in the form of Shane. We were in the lengthy six-hour workshop sessions on a Tuesday morning and quickly formed a friendly partnership in group projects. Tamika and Shane were big players in perhaps the funniest project throughout my three years at UoN. Tamika and I were asked to do an exercise on sound prep for the Film Style & Technique module in October 2010. What followed was a hilarious two-minute piece of drama, superb acting and ‘The Maskman,’ played by Shane. We only revealed his identity about six months after the piece went online on YouTube!

I continued to work with Tamika throughout the year and alongside two other journalism colleagues, Chris and Parris, we produced a short but fantastic five-minute documentary on issues of car parking for students at University. It had a perfect balance from student concerns on the issue to the way the University could deal with the problem. Tamika and I did the camera work, the production folder and the editing, Chris and Parris were the main people who carried out the interviews. I was so proud of this project when completed – and tops the list of video work throughout the course.

Whilst the friendship I had with Tamika went from strength to strength, I wasn’t feeling so good on the inside. When I had to film the opening of a new manufacturing company in the Brackmills Industrial Estate of the town on my own, it was the catalyst to a huge meltdown as winter gradually turned towards spring. After relaxing and not studying during Reading Week (there’s a lesson for all future Uni students), slacking off on my return to lectures, the charger to my laptop stopped working and then a furious argument with a fellow colleague, I came so close to going home back to Milton Keynes and not returning. I wasn’t in the right frame of mind and I’m happy to admit I was on the verge of a breakdown. I’m an individual who often takes things to heart and therefore, this can lead to huge uncertainty. I questioned if I was good enough for the Uni course – even thinking of going because I was a distraction to others around me.

Having felt zapped of morale, confidence and happiness, I was ready to pack up and go when I saw the videos of the horrendous tsunami that hit Japan in March 2011. As a trainee journalist, I really felt for everyone affected by something so devastating that Mother Nature could throw up. I then realised that here I was feeling so low just about a laptop charger breaking and a petty argument when others worldwide had lost everything through no fault of their own. If I had gone through with it and walked away, it would have been a massive mistake. A weekend back in home comforts helped, and I returned with a new belief and also a relaxed, rather than stressed approach to the workload.

Before all that, the entire journalism intake had undertaken a press day for the first time as a group magazine was put together for Christmas in 2010. On the day itself (the final Friday before Christmas), it was sheer and utter chaos but organised chaos in that. With the hard work of the whole course, plus the knowledge and experience of senior lecturer Hilary Scott, we got a Unique Xmas magazine online and there was an element of both pride and relief. Hilary only began lecturing with our group from second year and she was an excellent motivator and lecturer. If you worked hard, she would appreciate it and if you got on the wrong side of her, your life would be made a misery. I think that was a good element. While I’ve never liked harsh criticism, I also appreciated what Hilary would do for some of my weak design work. Rather than paper over the cracks, she’d tell me face up if it was utter rubbish and I could start again by improving. She did that with most of us. In second year, Hilary was the only lecturer who I felt I could communicate with in a fair and dignified way and it is a shame that we are no longer in contact.

As deadlines approached, nightmares began. I was on track and never really had problems with meeting deadlines in good time, although some assignments wouldn’t be without their troubles. The eight-page magazine I did in second year was so close to failure. It was a pitiful attempt and highlighted my dreadful design talents. If you saw it, you’d come to the conclusion that a 10-year-old could do better! Others had left things a bit tighter and with computer servers crashing and not being sorted instantly just added to the pressure. On top of that, there was a Law & Government exam to prepare for. MB5, which was the main work room for journalists became a second home for most of us. All it needed was some sleeping bags, a kettle, toaster and microwave and it probably would have converted into a sleeping hut! So when everything was handed in, it was pure joy for all of us. I was so proud of the group in general. We had come together and helped each other out in those final weeks and battled against the lecturers in almost a mini mutiny. All of this happened in the midst of one of the hottest April months on record too.

I put a lot of preparation into the Law & Government exam – although with other various projects going on, I couldn’t solely focus on this as much as the first year exam. I went into the tense atmosphere of exam conditions in a confident manner, perhaps the most I’d ever been. Usually in exams, my brain froze and I didn’t perform. This time, it was all different. I felt I had done well, but I was stunned when the results came back and I had achieved an A grade! Surely it was a mistake…Simon Wright getting an A grade in exams is about as likely as the United Kingdom ever winning the Eurovision Song Contest again! It did happen though, perhaps more by fluke than good nature but it is on the results record so I won’t be swapping it for sure.

With lectures, workshops and presentations completed by mid-May, it was then out on the town for a proper celebration with my course (more in the nightlife chapter). The year wasn’t quite finished though. In July, I went to London to undertake a two-week work placement with Runners’ World Magazine, one of the many publications under the National Magazine Company. It was such a valuable and useful experience of how a publication works (on a monthly basis in their case). I enjoyed it, even if the commuting was a bit of a tricky. I was incredibly lucky to get this placement and I think it put me in good spirits that I could work well in an office position which is what I now have today.

So that was second year done and dusted. Two-thirds of the course done, just 33 per cent to go and now it was crunch time. Second year at the University of Northampton had taken me to the brink and back but I had succeeded and it was time for a decent summer break and a family holiday in Fuerteventura before the joys of my final academic year in education – season 2011/12.

Categories: Accommodation, Degree, Documentary, Friendship, Government, Journalism, Magazine, Parking, University, University of Northampton

The UoN Experience - Year One: A solid beginning

By Simon Wright – Follow me on Twitter @Siwri88

As the second anniversary approaches which signalled the end of my education life and the finale to my journalism degree at the University of Northampton, I have decided to share my own personal experiences from my three years at UoN. This includes a look at some of the nightlife memories, a critical assessment of the video products I produced and my insight into each of the three years I had in what was my second home.

First up and it is rewind to 2009-10, a time where political powers changed in this country, another World Cup failure approached for England’s footballers and for me, the start of a new journey at University for myself, one which blossomed to begin with.

The time had come. It was Saturday, 19 September 2009 and to many, it was the beginning of a normal weekend. Not for me though, as I was about to start my journalism degree at the University of Northampton. All bags packed, documents ready to be shown and the car journey from my hometown of Milton Keynes to my new home was about to take place.

Before I left, I took one final look around my room at home. The part-time retail job I had at the time meant I would be back every weekend so I wasn’t leaving for good. However I wouldn’t be at home as regularly as I used to be. I got a photograph out taken of the family at a happy time for us just eight months earlier. We were beaming with smiles at such a fantastic day. I admit it was tough to not feel emotional at this moment.

I made the most of my new surroundings in first year accommodation

Enrolment day itself was long but that was to be expected. Once all that was done at Park Campus, it was off to Avenue Campus and the Bassett Lowke Halls of Residence. This was where I would be staying at University in my first year. I still remember my room very well – Room 1 in Flat 35 (pictured above). It had a self-contained kitchen and small bathroom. It was very cosy and useful for me in my first year. That did mean sharing with a roommate and he was good company to start with. By the end of January 2010, he was gone though as he moved back to his parents’ home in Northampton. He was staying over there a lot and decided the money he was paying to stay on campus wasn’t worth it. It was probably the right decision and it gave me a big room to myself for the next five months!

The other flatmates I was with were all very cool and we socialised well from an early stage. At the end of the day, we were all in the same position of moving away from home and it was more important to do this than be locked away and look like a loner. I enjoyed their company and made some good friends, some who I am still in touch with today.

Hello to the course colleagues

Two days after moving was the introduction to the course colleagues I would be getting accustomed to for the next three years. There were some interesting characters but no heavy troublemakers which was good. I remember the introduction to one of my fellow colleagues, Farida in a striking Coventry City home kit. Farida would provide plenty of entertainment and kind friendship over the course of the next three years.

However the individual I spent the most amount of time in first year would turn out to be another close friend throughout the University journey. My friendship with Ellie was formed from day one, when I introduced myself to her during some tedious afternoon PowerPoint presentation in the main hall. At first, Ellie’s look was like ‘yes, do I know you?’ At that point, I reminded her of a brief conversation we’d had a week earlier on Facebook when she had taken the time to find someone studying on the course. And from that moment on, a special bond was created. We were almost inseparable in first year, helping each other through the various challenges. Ellie would often need guidance in lectures from me and she returned the favour by helping me out with some tricky real life situations. The best moment of our friendship I think came when a short conversation about something to do with living arrangements in second year on social media turned into a long two-hour chat with compliments aplenty on both sides. It is one of those chats with someone you don’t forget.

I generally found the workload in first year fairly comfortable to deal with and never hit drastic issues in terms of assignments piling up and deadlines mounting. Of course, there were moments where tasks were tough to do – one of them involved a Media Relations project within the first two months which was the first time where I really struggled to get the required tasks done. This was largely because I couldn’t get the contact required to get an interview done about their PR department. It was a weak spot in my college days and although I would say it still isn’t one of the better skills in my media background, it is something I have managed to adapt pretty well through Uni and now into my full-time role in the publishing industry.

Favourite tasks

Favourite tasks in the first year included a radio vox-pop piece on Petrol Prices going up in the build-up to the 2010 General Election. I’m not a fan of politics but can easily criticise policies. I came up with various answers like ‘Anything is possible’ and ‘We’re in a mess, simple as that really’ in regards to the worldwide global recession. One of the best people to interview was a guy called Miles who when he was asked about paying at the pumps, his first response was ‘As a hippy at heart!’ It was a random response but a light-hearted approach to a tough debated issue. I also undertook a marketing module called The Entertainment Business. I really enjoyed that module, despite being the only single honours journalism student to choose it! It involved a detailed report into the 2010 BRIT Awards – and I spent loads of time on this to get the best grade possible. It was a shame I wasn’t able to carry on with a marketing module in second year. That was because all journalism students were made to take Creative Writing. I never enjoyed it, never saw the benefits to it and was annoyed that this had to be done too in second year (unless you were good at photography which was the only other option).

I found the right balance to studying and the nightlife scene and as the year wore on, you would find me more often in the nearby SU enjoying a drink and a few games of pool with my flatmates rather than hitting the town on a boozy night out. My nightlife outlook changed before coming to Uni but it was something I was happy with.

First year ended in the final week of May with an exam. These were never my strong points, as GCSE results would testify but I achieved a respectable grade. I did spend many hours revising but with a better, more serious technique to it – I could have achieved a stronger result. First year also introduced me to the world of Twitter as I signed up after ignoring the site at Milton Keynes College and I began my first full blogging website on BlogSpot that eventually lasted a full 18 months.

First year at the University of Northampton wasn’t a piece of cake but I passed with the minimum of fuss and felt happy with the fairly secure introduction to the degree. However, if I thought second year would be the same, I would have another thing coming.

Categories: Avenue Campus, Bassett Lowke, Degree, Home, Journalism, Marketing, PR, September, University, University of Northampton