University So Far...

So I’m just sitting at home and I thought I would do a ‘’first week of university’’ post, sorry if this doesn’t interest you but I love writing and love the fact that people can read this if they want! So, this week was my first proper week of lectures and also my first week of work, it’s been hectic and I am so glad to have the night off tonight. I was supposed to be going out but I have a long shift at work tomorrow and I just want my sleep.

My thoughts on university so far are that I am absolutely loving it! I have a feeling that the next three years are going to be really fun and I am going to love it. I have no doubt in my mind that it’s going to be challenging but I love a challenge and if/when I do well it will just prove to myself that I can do whatever I put my mind to.

I have had one sick day already as fresher’s flu got the better of me. I missed a really important day filming however which meant that I did not have a group to be in. I wish I had gone in but I had no sleep the night before and was not in the mood for a 9am start. It seemed that I missed a lot as well which I am gutted about. However, I tagged along with a group on Friday and managed to get some editing done and get my name in the credits for one group’s film at least! I didn’t go to the screening though which meant that I did not get to see everyone else’s film or see the reaction to the group I joined. I have learnt a lot from the experience though as it has made me realise that I can’t just miss days and not expect there to be a consequence. There was one. I was way behind everyone else and I missed the lesson on how to work the editing software that we will be using. This just means I am going to have to practice on it to get my ability levels up. This is something I am more than willing to do.

I am enjoying the lectures so far, even business and management which I didn’t think I would do. One part of that module is to write reflective pieces on an online portfolio which I suppose is like writing blog posts so I am happy with that! At least I have had practice doing so. I also wrote quite a lot today and I feel that I will be able to do well in that particular module as long as I study hard to remember facts. Note taking is a bit of a pain when the lecturers go through the slideshows really quickly and do not provide print outs, but that is just another skill I will have to work on.

I am really excited to start making films as I want to work on my skills as a camera operator which is not something I thought I would enjoy as much as I seem to be doing. So far the only camera I have used is a Panasonic 151 which I struggled to use as I did not understand the controls. However I have heard that these are most likely the only camera’s I am going to be allowed to get out of stores being a first year. This means I will have a whole year to get to grips with the workings of the camera and use my knowledge to create great films. I also want to work on the editing side of the film. This is something I knew I would enjoy as I always enjoyed helping Scott out on his projects over the summer and I love watching him work. There’s something about seeing all the different separate shots coming together to make one flowing film that I really enjoy. How geeky does that sound? I am excited to learn how to use the latest Final Cut Pro software even though I don’t like it as much as the version before. It’s different but I’ll get used to it in the end, I’ll have to!

Overall I am just excited to get started and stuck into the lectures and tutorials. I want to find a group I really enjoy working with and a group that can get things done to a high standard. I am going to have to push myself to get to where everyone else is because although the lecturers assume no previous knowledge, a lot of the other students seem to know a lot more than I do.

Hopefully I am able to balance my workload alongside my shifts at work otherwise I am going to have to cut down my hours. This is something I am definitely willing to do as I am really feeling the strain of having a job and studying a degree even though it is early days.

I’ll update again soon.