Heads or Tails.

I’ve spent two hours folding clothes into the smallest shape possible, calculating how much make up it’s possible to wear in 2 weeks, and prioritising work by how light the book is... it can only mean one thing. It’s the end of term.

Every time it’s the same :
- you pack light, and still have a heavy bag.

- you give everyone the biggest hug goodbye, and then remember it’ll only be a few weeks until you’re reunited.
- you excitedly get on the train home, anticipating the overjoyed welcome you always exaggerate in your mind, only to spend the journey terrified that your bag on the overhead shelf will fall on that small lady with her head stuck in a book. What a shock that would be...

But this time, it’s different.

This time, it’s the last time.
Reminiscing with friends this week about our very first day at University and the nerves involved with moving into halls, we all realised something. That feels like ages ago. And it is.

Next time I pack to go home, I’ll have finished University. I’ll be leaving...

Excuse me while I take a quick break to run around the house in a state of panic...

Regaining some composure, let’s have a look at the main issue here. As a final year Undergraduate, thoughts inevitably split between current study, as essays come out of your ears, and future plans. What am I going to do with my LIFE? I hear my friends moan. How do I pick a CAREER? HOW do I pay this loan off? and... it’s so UNFAIR we have to decide our future path at the horrifically young age of 21... That’s my personal favourite.  

Despite some insistence that student debt isn’t ‘real’ debt, students facing graduation feel the intense pressure of picking a career or gaining an internship and ultimately earning some money.

First arises the decision about living arrangements. Every student is terrified of going home. Although it’s a financially viable option, allowing you to eat proper food (rather than cereal for dinner), it can also be seen as a step back as you wave goodbye to the independence of living with friends and settle into the family hierarchy as if you never left.

Then there’s the choice of further study, an internship, or a direct job application. With the first two, there’s a further issue of income because, quite frankly, it’s unlikely you’ll have one. Facing the bank of Mum and Dad versus ANOTHER loan, further study is quite scary.

But regardless of these concerns, think about the real problem here. Every step is a risk. Moving back home is risky - what if you get stuck living with your parents for longer than expected? Living independently is risky - how are you going to afford it without the many loans and bursaries you’ve previously been used to? Further study is a risk - it’s another year between you and a career and another drain on the bank balance, but it could land you in that dream job. Applying for a career straight away is also a risk - you might hate it. Or you might rise up the career ladder and love it...

The way I see it, it’s all a big, fat risk. But surely at our age, now is the time to face it. The student loan will get paid back eventually, the job will eventually be landed, the dream flat will eventually be rented... it will just take time. So why not do what you want to do now, and chase the dream you have even if you do think it’s unattainable. If it doesn’t work out, you still have the rest of your life to change career and reconsider your options. So stop panicking and just go out there and do it. And if you don’t know what to do, it’s not the end of the world - you’re young enough to still have time to work this out. Remember the wise old words of Baz Luhrmann - some of the most interesting 40 year olds still don’t know what to do.

So yes Graduation is terrifying...it’s the end of an era. But it should also be stupidly exciting as it’s the start of another one, even if you haven’t planned everything about it yet.

With that thought, I’m off to flip a coin to decide my future now. Oh don’t judge...everyone knows no-one can take their own advice...

RadioHead

So that’s it. I’ve come back to uni and I’ve broken into the world of radio.

The speakers aren’t going to know what hit them…

On Tuesday, I walked into the URN studios at my University filled with nerves & excitement. Before I knew it I was thrust in front of the microphone, reading the news bulletins and joking along with some of the afternoon’s friendly presenters. I felt so welcome. Then, two hours later, I was back in front of a microphone, sat around a table with 3 others discussing some intriguing news stories…and you know what?

IT WAS SO FUN!

Yes I realise those capitals are going to look like I just angrily shouted that in your face, but I can’t stress this enough. 

I wasn't going to tell anyone about being on air; y'know. Just in case it went horrendously wrong. At least on radio anyone who didn't know who I was wouldn't recognise me around campus...But, once I'd had the practice of the bulletins, and caught the radio buy, I ended up telling almost everyone I spoke to that day what time I'd be on air and how they could listen in. My Dad even recorded it... 

I left the studios afterwards, with a mixture of emotions – thrilled that I could say I’d just ‘been on air’ and had spent most of the afternoon ‘in the studio’ (check me out...), disappointed that I hadn’t thought to join URN sooner, but excited that at the same time next week I’d be doing it all over again!

So what do you think…shall I open my horizons to include broadcasting?!  

Carpe Diem...

I’m so EXCITED!

I feel like filling this page with lots of nonsensical words that will amuse and annoy people, frustrating anyone trying to pronounce them and possibly giving others who have never read this before the image of myself as a complete and utter idiot. Instead, I’m going to fill a line like this:

Auhgpuawnhwvuyhguidmvhtrgpv urehtvhweikjvgt egruivfjh4uteos;idlkjhrgiwo 4wyurpughifujk !!!

Yes I realise they’re technically not words as I accidentally pressed some number and punctuation keys but it conveyed my excitement well did it not?!

I’ll explain why I’m so (for want of a better word) ‘buzzy’…

As you may have noticed, or guessed, my last blog was written in a slightly lower mood…maybe a new label needs to be invented like ‘pre-term blues’ or something…

But nonetheless, today everything seemed to brighten! The writing workshop I so briefly mentioned before emailed me: I have a confirmed place and the first workshop is next week! It’s titled ‘Writing Reviews for Publication’ and runs for 5 weeks at a professional studio in the city.
A studio, may I add, that is extremely difficult for two exploring students to find in the pouring rain…perhaps made harder because they overlooked the building name and focused instead on the number. Maybe I won’t be doing that again – I think my shoes are still drying out…

Anyway, this lovely-jubbly workshop will focus on theatre, book, film and product reviews with tips on approaching publishers and become a professional (!). Hopefully I’ll gain some useful skills, maybe possibly some contacts whilst giving me some good old fashioned writing experience.

Why reviews I hear you ask? Well, with the help of some lovely friends of mine, I’ve noticed that newspaper journalism, which I’ve been focusing on so strongly, doesn’t allow for much creative expression nor for an individual writing style to develop, both of which I enjoy experimenting with in my blogs… so perhaps the newspaper format isn’t quite for me. I also sometimes can be quite sporadic with my ‘news-curiosity’…some days I know EVERY headline, some days I don’t have the foggiest clue about who’s at war with whom…

Which led me to consider magazine journalism and, after various suggestions from friends and parents, I’m considering swaying towards those culture magazines that you sometimes get in the Sunday papers. (As a starting point) I’ve done reviews in the past for Impact at my university so why not start there? (Before slowly but surely progressing to a columnist position... *wishes*)  I’m aiming to review some plays over summer and try to get them printed by a local paper or something…

So, there you go – that’s the first exciting thing! Now for the next, which I am STILL beaming about! J

I, on a spare of the moment thing, applied for the (paid) job of campus tour video presenter for the University of Nottingham. This basically means presenting a video for prospective students highlighting our campus and why Uni. is JUST SO GOOD! To be perfectly honest, I thought nothing would come of it and actually forgot about it, until the email came through yesterday. I seriously thought about bailing. And then I had a rethink.

Today I had the actual casting session!! Yes yes, ‘casting’…

*pause for effect*

 I had to learn a short script and present it in front of a camera and three other official people – members of the project and marketing team I think. (In the excitement I think I’ve forgotten their names…) Anyway, after that I had to walk slowly across the room whilst being filmed explaining, off the top of my head and totally unprepared, why I’d recommend my university and explain a bit about my experience.

Well, I started with the English committee and being part of the netball team before I had a little brainwave. I mentioned writing reviews for Impact magazine, creating my own blog and managing to write for The Huffington Post. I finished in style with a cliché about University allowing you to chase your dreams and do what you’ve always wanted to do.

They seemed to like this. Mr Camera-guy smiled at me and said, and I quote, ‘That was brilliant’, whilst the boss of the ‘film-crew’ and part of the marketing team smiled and nodded to the lady sat next to him. Mr boss-man then questioned me a little about my blogs, especially Huffington Post and before I knew it he asked; "So, are you looking for writing opportunities?"

A little stunned I nodded eagerly.

"Great. Expect a separate email from me soon then."

I’m sorry, what? Run that by me again, I thought. Was this a writing opportunity landing at my feet? Could it be….?!

I thanked them all for their time and left the room feeling the happiest I’ve felt for ages. I got escorted downstairs by the nice young man who initially escorted me upstairs, and he asked me how it went. I genuinely got good vibes, I told him. I also thought to myself, and am still thinking now, how impressed I am that I didn’t clam up in front of the camera – I managed to actually look straight at it - I didn’t feel my heart getting overworked and beating a million times a minute AND I didn’t feel my face burning up. All in all, I’d say that’s pretty good right?!

I then decided to tell him about the writing thing. He looked at me, and it was as if something seemed to dawn on him. "Of course!" he said. Turns out, the marketing department, for whom he and Mr boss-man work for, are looking for a writer (originally full time but they realised students hadn’t finished yet) to work for them. It’s a paid position. A PAID WRITING POSITION.

OK, so I’m not sure the finite details; I don’t know what I’d be writing and I could very well be forgotten about by Mr boss-man. *sob! L *

But I really really hope he doesn’t forget.

I left with a wave from the nice young man as he called, "who knows you might end up with a nice little writing number, that is, if you don’t get the presenting job and end up getting scouted from YouTube!"

AAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHH! Just IMAGINE!

So yes, my lovely readers. Not only could I gain a nice little writing job (pray for me that he emails), but I could be presenting a video for bright-eyed young potential Freshers. Maybe presenting is the way to go…

                                                                                ***

P.S – Did I also mention I got voted in on the Yoga Committee at University? I am now the new Communications officer and their website, email account, Twitter and Facebook account is MINE.

Oh, it’s been a good day… 

Artificial Futures

So, I’ve just embarked on my usual morning peruse of the BBC News headlines. I skimmed over the best April Fools pranks, news of the economy recovering (sure we’ve heard that already) and pictures of snow in Scotland (sure we’ve seen that already) to stumble across a story that could have been out of a sci-fi story. It was titled ‘Man VS Machine’.

Now I can reassure you that this was not a story similar to the plots of The Terminator or I, Robot but it certainly reminded me of them. I scrolled down to the link and two eyes stared back at me; one human, one robotic. I clicked.

What loaded was an article about the scientific progression in developing artificial intelligence. This is basically the theory and development of computer systems to perform tasks that would usually require human intelligence, like visual perception.

The first thing on this article was a video, so I clicked play and allowed myself to be impressed. The video showed a reporter meeting Professor Owen Holland from the University of Sussex, and the world’s first anthropomimetic robot. (Don’t worry, I didn’t know what that meant either…)

For all the non-scientists reading this, anthropomimetic means simply that this robot mimics the human body. Professor Owen Holland believes that without a body, artificial intelligence cannot exist because the human form helps shape the way the brain works.

The reporter, somewhat apprehensive looking, attempted to squeeze and shake hands with this robot…which squeezed and shook hands back. Yes. The robot responded to the human contact. Ok, it only mimicked it, but it’s a massive progression from things like Poo-chi or Furby that responded to human words because it had been programmed to. (I remember getting annoyed that my robotic dog could only bark so many songs…) 

Is this an impressive development?

Well, yes. But it’s not the only impressive robot we’ve seen….remember the Honda robot? I’m sure you know what I’m talking about; that little thing must be famous now. Well in 2008, I went to the British Motor Show with my Dad and brother and remember this little robot walking on stage at the end of a stunt show. It walked on and shook hands with the guy with the microphone. And unless I’m very much mistaken, it did a little dance before walking off.

Is that not amazing?!

So…if science progresses at the current rate and the world doesn’t end this year, will the future see robots being a commonality amongst our society? Will we have personal robots, one for each household? Admit it…having your own personal robot would shift that ironing pile a hell of a lot quicker! 

Maybe I’ll have my own robot and call it Sonny…

What’s that you say? Beware of what you wish for?

Quite right too. As much as I admired Will Smith in I, Robot I don’t know how well I’d cope if robots turned around on the human race. And if every household had a personal robot that could do everything humans can do, what would be the point in us? Except for producing more robots? We’d be robot-producing humans churning this technology out like cogs in a factory...we’d be like robots.

Yes, I’m getting very H.G.Wells here, predicting a devastating future of technology…but is there not an old saying, something like ‘curiosity killed the cat’?

Of course, we have more intelligence (supposedly) than our feline friends to be able to better handle our curiosity, but I’m just saying…what if our future became artificial?