Being a mature student

[garynysmon]

Not to take this off topic but is there much opportunity for Journalists in England/Scotland/Wales? I've got a degree and am fully qualified but I'm only covering for someone at the minute and when they come back in February I'm out the door. There are no jobs in that area here (Northern Ireland) and I'm thinking I might have to move if I want to continue my career in that area.

 

Have sent you a PM.

[SpursRiot2012]

Maverick, the BBC and ITN are often looking for Broadcast Journalists, I've noticed. So that's London and Manchester.

[Dirty Eddie]

My advice to anyone looking at Uni would be to make up some extra money by working in the summer holidays rather than part-time during the week or at weekends. I knew a few people who were talented and smart who pretty much screwed up Uni because they couldn't get the work/study balance right.

 

I managed to find work during each summer break on a great vegetarian food stall doing all the music festivals in the south of England. I got to head to the likes of Glasto and Bestival, (as well as loads of smaller ones) see all the music I wanted and make some decent cash.

 

All in all it was probably one of the best three year periods of my life.

[Mr_Danger]

If you're put off that journalism course because you need to be funded how about trying to get a career development loan? I don't know if your line of credit has to be good mind but as far as I know the bank will give you some money to go and do a course or retrain for a year then you have to pay it back after the year.

 

If you do go the uni route then try and blag a low interest overdraft to supplement your drink and drug fuelled adventure. Might as well do it properly.

[SpursRiot2012]

There's more chance of the SETI Institute discovering an ET radio transmission in the next ten minutes than a bank giving me any sort of credit whatsoever.

[DCW]

I've no practical advice to offer cos I've no idea how the system works across the water, but I started a computer science degree back in September at 28, after giving up on ever being hired as a full time policeman here.

 

Was only really worried about sticking out because of my age compared to the majority on campus, but nobody seems to give a toss. Really enjoying uni life so far. I just about scrape by with our education allowance, but its great fun being around people who haven't been bet down by the working world yet, after being surrounded by the opposite of them working crap jobs for the last 10 years or so.

[SpursRiot2012]

In case anyone was interested, I've now applied through UCAS for five different courses at four different universities. I'm about two weeks late from when I should have applied, but fingers crossed.

[sammorgz]

In case anyone was interested, I've now applied through UCAS for five different courses at four different universities. I'm about two weeks late from when I should have applied, but fingers crossed.

Good luck mate. Going to Uni was the best thing I ever did.

[Kaz Hayashi]

I'd love to go to Uni and get properly educated. I'd want to do something based around music, but at the same time I can't really be throwing 2/3 years away on what would essentially be vanity learning.

Depends mate. I work in the disability sector, helping young un's get funding to access education.

I've always wanted to combine that and music, which opened my eyes (ears) to music therapy. You need a masters to be qualified... Anyway, ive droped my hours (wednesdays) at work to complete a 1 year top up degree in music.

BEST thing i've done in ages. I'm unsure if i'll go on to do a masters any time soon, but in turn its opened up a lot of opportunities in terms of additional work, including specific job offers.

 

If you haven't done a foundation degree, or access to HE course, there are still some interesting music related degree programs out there:

 

http://m.sagegateshead.com/join-in/further-and-higher-education/ba-hons-in-community-music/

 

I didnt originally start the final year of my degree and only completed 2 of which (8 years ago), due to different career options and i assumed that a degree in music would be purely for vanities sake.

This kind of course however managed to convince me otherwise. Its different to what im doing, but goes to show theres more than the obvious available.

 

Edit- also to confirm, i do still work full time Mon, Tues, Thurs, Fri.

*Some degree courses are pretty much self directed studying. Pop in for tutorials when you can and be prepared to write up assignments on a night and any days off.

 

Im surprised its been as straight forward. Half way through, all going very well and for anyone tempted to do something similar, i'd give it a thumbs up.

[SiWri]

In case anyone was interested, I've now applied through UCAS for five different courses at four different universities. I'm about two weeks late from when I should have applied, but fingers crossed.

 

Good luck! The 15th January deadline means nothing, in reality. Virtually every University continues to accept applications right up to Clearing in August. So unless you've applied to Oxford or Cambridge you should be fine!

[Surf Digby]

If you haven't done a foundation degree, or access to HE course, there are still some interesting music related degree programs out there:

I haven't even done A levels. The education section of my CV is something of considerable embarrassment.

[Stinky Dad]

I found myself in a similar quandry last year. I'm 35 and having finished a Media course at Uni 13 years ago and done very little with it since, I wanted to get back into it. I've managed pubs and more in December left a job I've enjoyed but offered very little challenge - selling garden buildings. I've always been interested in radio journalism. I've worked at a hospital station for 3 years but didnt know how to get into the industry. Most stations want demo tapes but I don't have a facility to make one. So I had a look about and came across a Broadcast Journalism course based at Radio City in Liverpool (the big tower!) It's an intensive 13 week course, very practical but also containing numerous law lectures to set you up for the position. It's the practical side that helps you find work. You're essentially doing the job but not getting paid for it. They take people from all over the country usually on a small course. Mine only has 6 on it.

 

It didn't come cheap. I've had to lend some cash off my dad to do it which really adds to the incentive for me. The course costs over £4,000 in total but as I say the practicality of it is second to none. Plus, after the 13 weeks (providing all law modules are passed - and you keep resitting them until you do) you go on a 2 week work experience placement at an affiliated radio station. Plus you get all the help you need with show reels and CV's, plus you finish with a BJTC accredited Diploma which alot of Radio stations love (apparently!)

 

I'm almost at the end of the 3rd week and I couldn't be enjoying it any more! It's the hardest work I've ever done but the most rewarding. I've had a number of packages and interviews used on air, I've conducted an interview with John Kettley, been to 2 Press Conferences at Prenton Park with Mickey Adams and today attended Brendan Rodgers' Press Conference at Melwood as well as spending the morning taking notes at the Magistrates Court. It's hard to imagine I was selling sheds a month ago! I think if there's something you really want to do just dive in there with both feet and have a go! You just never know! 

 

You can check out the website here.....

 

http://www.nationalbroadcastingschool.com/national-broadcasting-school-bjtc-radio-journalism-course-at-radio-city/

[SpursRiot2012]

 

In case anyone was interested, I've now applied through UCAS for five different courses at four different universities. I'm about two weeks late from when I should have applied, but fingers crossed.

 

Good luck! The 15th January deadline means nothing, in reality. Virtually every University continues to accept applications right up to Clearing in August. So unless you've applied to Oxford or Cambridge you should be fine!

 

 

Thanks. I've applied to Middlesex, University of East London, London Met and Birkbeck. As I understand it, those aren't the most competitive universities in the land, but I'm still not holding out a lot of hope that I would get an offer from any of them. But we'll see. I'm confident that, if I were able to secure an interview, I'd charm the pants off them. I'm pretty damn good at interviews.

[Monkee]

I've got a BA in Joruanlism, but a series of bad choices means I'm now stuck in admin.

Money well spent, then.

 

If you're thinking of going into journalism then an internship would be better where you learn on the job. I have a BA in Journalism but I soon learned I didn't want go be a hack chasing down the stories. I was more interested in editing and page layout. So that's what I specialised in towards the end. When it came to getting an actual job in the field though everyone wanted experience over education. Took 4 years before I actually got my foot in the door.

[SpursRiot2012]

I've been asked to submit a "200 word article on an issue that has affected your local area" for a Journalism, Film and Television Studies BA as part of my application.

Now, 200 words is nothing but I'm a little bit confused about what they want. I've written an article in the style of a local newspaper report on pedestrian crossing for local schools, using some government figures on road traffic accidents involving children and a quote from the local MP (a quote she gave to her official website.)

Will this be the sort of thing they're looking for? Or are they looking for something more based on my personal opinions on an issue? Or something else?