How has it been two months at Nottingham Trent Uni already? In some ways it feels like a lot longer as so much has happened. I’ve got an internship at Capital FM East Midlands with Dino & Pete, become a freelance Broadcast Assistant at BBC Radio Nottingham, and also hosting my own two hour radio show each week on Fly FM. You can listen online every Tuesday from 1-3pm! In addition, I’ve got a monthly column in the Nottingham Post paper. The first one about the perils of social media and your legacy can be found here.
It’s funny how things can snowball. This time last year I was suffering with pneumonia, unhappy with my day job (they were a great company to work for but I had been there for six years, couldn’t go any further and my heart had always been with radio and journalism), living with my parents and worrying about the future. Since then I’ve started the course, undertaken numerous brilliant placements, spoken to many helpful people within the industry who are kind enough to share their experience and advice, got the aforementioned jobs/internships and I’ve moved in with my boyfriend too.
I’ve met so many lovely people through the course already, and the lecturers genuinely have a passion for what they do, whether it’s radio, documentaries, democracy and politics or the inner workings of a court room. We’ve written online articles, started working on radio packages, and I now know more about politics than I ever thought I would.
It’s interesting being there as a mature student, there’s only 11 years difference and sometimes it’s very noticeable (when I don’t understand a slang phrase/emoji, or I tell them that there was no iPhones until I was 21.) but for the most part we’re all there for the same reason and everyone has their strong points and experience. Writing academically is a challenge, but I’m keen to learn.
For Fly FM I’ve interviewed Young Guns, Yashin, Scouting For Girls and Don Broco and on Wednesday I’ll be interviewing The Darkness!
I’m so glad I decided to make the jump and apply for the course, it wasn’t easy leaving a secure, well paid job but I knew what I wanted to be doing. It’s already proved itself to be the right decision as I’m so happy to be where I am, and I’m excited for what will develop over the next three years. I’ve got my first BBC shift booked in too!
Some of the interviews and radio clips can be found below. For more, head to http://www.soundcloud.com/jenthomas
Jen Thomas 