New year, new challenges

Helloooo everyone!

Many apologises for the lack of posts on this blog, but as you're about to find out, I've been hugely busy the last few weeks... oh the life of a Journo student!

As you may be aware, I'm currently studying Multimedia Journalism for my degree and as part of our course, we are encouraged to take up work experience. Anyone who knows the world of Journalism, gaining experience is hugely important. It's a great way of gaining contacts, becoming familiar of that environment of working and it looks great on your CV to future employers. It's so important - my Uni tutor hasn't got off my back nagging to complete some!

A couple of weeks back, I completed two weeks work experience at football magazine FourFourTwo. For my first proper placement, it was perfect - I love football, so to spend two weeks writing about a sport I play and love was great. And to make things better, some of my work got recently published in the latest issue of the magazine, as well as a news story also published online. I loved every minute of it, and left after the two weeks supremely happy.

But my work experience was not to end there! I emailed the editor I kept in contact with at FourFourTwo once I got back to University, thanking him for the opportunity and asking if I could come back in the Summer months to complete some more experience. What I didn't expect was an reply back asking if I was interested in completeing another two weeks work experience the following week, at another magazine run by the same publication - Haymarket. This magazine was What Hi Fi - at first I was a little unsure admittedly; I'd only just gone back to University and wanted to spend time back there with friends and carry on with my studies yet, this was another fantastic opportunity. So I said yes, and low and behold, I'm currently sitting in the What Hi Fi office, writing this blog whilst doing work with FourFourTwo just down the corridor. Again, I have thoroughly enjoyed this experience (despite being ill with the Flu the last few days, and trains being delayed every day) and I'm so glad I decided to do this. Furthermore, I am receiving pay for this so I guess this kind of makes me a freelance Journalist. Awesome.

It's also been so nice to spend more time at home; before the Christmas holidays, I didn't go home as much as I did last year, preferring to work more at my job down there but also it's always nice to spend time with my friends at University. However, I found myself pining for home - particularly after New York - so it's nice being home and being to catch up with friends who are also away studying in different parts of the country at Christmas, and see my family. I've also been able to play football more back home over the last few weeks - albeit only training, having only played one whole game of football due to the snow arriving and the adverse rain! But it has been nice - it'll be weird going back to University again and getting back into the swing of things, and dealing with new assignments. Oh joy...

So that's just about my round up of the last few weeks for me - I did go and see Les Miserables in the cinema in between all that, so I shall write a review for that soon - I SHALL!

I'd also like to thank everyone - because you guys - yes YOU - this blog has received over 1,000 views! Yippee! Thank you all so much, it is such a comfort to know that people are actually reading my ramblings.

Take care, and watch out for my review of Les Miserables heading to a computer screen near you!