I am a first year student studying Multimedia Journalism at the University of Essex. For me personally, deciding to apply to university was a big step, but I knew it was a step I needed to take and I'm hoping its one in the right direction!
I knew from the beginning I didn't want to leave home and go too far away, so I worked as many hours as I could and got myself a driving licence with the end going being able to go to University in September 2018. I can honestly say, learning to drive has given be the confidence boost I needed. I was so anxious about being on the road in my own car ALONE. The thought petrified me. With that being said, I passed first time, to this day I'm not too sure how, but anyway, I did it!
Like everything, there are pros and cons of living at home and commuting in and out of University. Not living on campus can be difficult sometimes, you aren't able to just nip back to your flat and grab a textbook or a snack, you have to have everything with you for the day. In addition to this, living on campus means you have everything at your fingertips and you are always at the hub of everything! Whether thats the library, computers, printers, its all there! In a way it kind of felt that I was missing out on the 'whole university experience'.
Obviously, there are so many perks to living at home. I am lucky enough to go home to a house with familiar faces and the comforts of my own home. One of the main reasons I didn't want to move away was because I could keep my car and stay in my part-time job which I have had for almost 4 years. It also meant saving a lot of money in the long run. During my A-levels I never thought I'd go to university so moving away was even less likely! Essex was always my first choice and I fell I have a healthy balance of education, family and work life.
MY FIRST TERM
During my first term at University, there were many things I needed to get used to, and fast! Some of my course modules are History, Media Law and Public Affairs, all of which I hadn't studied in great depth before. This meant that I really had to knuckle down, start from scratch and learn the basics.
2017-18 I took a break from education to work full time in order to gain experience and earn some money. This made things slightly harder for me as I hadn't written anything that would be assessed in a long time; for example, an essay.
We were told that as part of out Practical Journalism sessions we needed to create our own portfolio in the way of a website. At first I wasn't too sure on how I was going to achieve a professional high standard looking blog but I think I'm doing ok! I have learnt how to use Wix's website and this has given me a list of transferable skills, some of which I will hopefully use in my near future career.
I have also sat my first internal summative assessments in Public Affairs and Media Law which was challenging but not out of reach. I am waiting on feedback for both of those assessments so lets keep all our fingers and toes crossed!
To conclude this post all I can say is that I am ready for a break! I am excited to spend some time with family and friends over the festive period and come back with a fresh mind for a fresh start!
Thanks for reading,
EB
