Surviving the first week of Uni!

So for many of us, it's coming up to the first/second week of being away from home and getting used to 'student life', but I can honestly say that I've had a great time so far!

Starting with our first guest speaker (who is also going to be teaching on our course for a few weeks) Jessica David, the beauty editor of Glamour magazine and also a freelance writer for other high end magazines. Jessica gave us an insight into her experience of doing English and Journalism at University, then moving onto work experience, where that led her to gaining a place at her first job! She had invaluable techniques to gaining the most out of the course, such as:

• Use social media- start blogging, twitter, facebook, anything that will start getting you noticed and gaining networks to gain the work experience that you will need.
• Choose essays and practical work wisely and really look into depth at the story/ route that you want to cover.
• Write in your own free time, either in a blog, a college/university magazine, as this will broaden your writing experience and help to influence your writing style over a period of time.

Jessica also had top tips for work experience and how to gain the best places:

• Start  applying around now (the start of your course) as many institutions have waiting lists of up to a year.
• Keep your cover page an email short (less is more) and straight to the point, editors don't like to read covers that go on forever and try to impress with their knowledge of the magazine (although this is always good to have)
• Always apply for internships during the summer, as editors like to see you for an extended period of time in the work place, the longer the better.

Jessica was a great inspiration to start working now, as the work really does start here. It's made me realise that this course is going to be hard, but if I do the work and push myself then it will defnitely pay off!

Secondly Farrah Storr- Editor of Women's Health Magazine UK visited us and just like Jessica has had a wirlwind of a career even though they are still quite young! It really shows that a career in Journalism is such a life changing job. Also like Jessica, Farrah spoke about gaining the experience in the work place and as the editor of the magazine she has had many work experience people joining her and she said that the ones who stand out, are the ones who WANT to work hard and stick around from 9 in the morning till 8 at night, commitment really does shine and she said that she always build relationships with her employees at this time because in the day, there really isn't any time to communicate on a personal level.

With plenty more valuable and amazing guest speakers inbetween, Thursday was the day everyone was excited about!

Stooshe, the English 3 piece girl band, who have had hit songs in the charts such as 'blackheart' and 'love me' came in for an hour long press conference just for the journalism students. WIth hands flying up in the air and people wantin to ask them questions, I finally had my chance right at the end. I asked them how they would sum the band up in three words, with the response "cool, raw and versatile", which really does sum them up. After 3 acoustic versions of their songs, and 2 new ones from their upcoming album, it was time for them to get back on their tour bus after being up till 5 this morning recording for the album!!!

So all in all, my first week at Southampton Solent Uni has been pretty awe-inspiring and magical. It had opened up so many oppurtunities and directions which journalism can take you! Let the next 3 years commence!