2. What is UCAS?
◦ UCAS is a charity ran service that makes it simpler for people to apply to
university, you can use UCAS to apply for any type of university course and they
will help you every step of the way, including helping students to find suitable
accommodation if they are required to move away for their further education.
Applying through UCAS for one course would cost you £22.50 however if you
chose to apply more than one course it will cost you £27. UCAS has a point
system called ‘UCAS tariff points’ which helps to work out the relative value of
all post-16 qualifications in the UK, the points help when applying to university as
it gives a basic level that anyone can be assessed on which makes a fair and simple
application process.
3. Sunderland University – Radio,
Audio and Podcasting
What does the course entail?
◦ This course is offered at Sunderland University and has a start date in September 2024. This course will introduce me to the world
of audio recording, radio and podcasting, it will also allow me to use their professional grade equipment and facilities. The course is
integrated with the Universities award winning radio station ‘Spark Sunderland’ which will allow me to gain real world experience
and practical experience in a work environment. I will Leaning about station production, Presentation and Management in my
practical work and may be creating podcasts for clients. During the course, I will be trained in how to use industry standard editing
tools for radio broadcast and podcasting as well as receiving my own copy of ‘SADiE6’ which is a high-end digital editing
software, this subscription will last the duration of the course. A final benefit for this course is the industry contacts that
Sunderland University can provide, the likes of the BBC, the royal television society and many others. These contacts can provide
major help when trying to get into the industry, so it is a great opportunity getting to work with such organisations. Overall, I think
that this course is a great option for me as it is part of the growing radio sector in the media industry and would help me to build
skills I would need in this field as well as getting my foot in the door with some big companies in the media and TV sector.
4. Newcastle University –
Journalism, Media and culture
◦ This is a 3-year course that will prepare me for a career in Journalism and media in general, the content of the course will develop my skills
in written and verbal communication, editing both audio and video as well as skills in journalistic production. In the course I will be taught
in 3 stages over the 3 years, with my coursework being 100% responsible for my final grade. The content of the first stage includes
information on how journalism impacts our society and how in the past it has affected our history, while the second stage will be more
practical where I can create pieces of content that I have full control of and can choose the subject of. Most of the work will be completed
in independent study time which will allow for a more flexible work schedule and that appeals to me greatly. With this course comes
opportunities for work placement and to study abroad, the work placement scheme extends your degree by a year and allows you to get a
work placement for 9 to 12 months, it would take place between stages 2 and 3 in my studies and can be with any organisation of my
choice. The study abroad scheme would allow me to spend part of my second year studying in a different country in a student exchange
programme, this would allow me to make global connections, experience a new culture and further develop my skills in a different
environment. Overall, I think this course looks very enticing to someone looking into the journalism sector but less so to someone who is
more interested in media like me, however it is still a good option to have.
5. Sunderland University –
Media Production (Film and
TV)
◦ This 1-year course will help me improve my skills in every aspect of film and television production, it will allow me to use the
Universities World class facilities and industry standard equipment to practice and produce projects of my own for my course. I will
also have the option to obtain industry-recognised certifications in avid software. This course will be more practical than the other two
with opportunities to work on group and individual productions to develop a wider set of skills that include camera work, sound,
editing (audio and video), lighting, directing etc.. This course is a great fit for my interests and future aspirations as it is very practical,
and production based rather than being research heavy. Some benefits of this course is the Avid certification is included in the tuition
fee so it wouldn’t cost extra. I would also have the opportunity to work with steadi-cam rigs and become familiar with the equipment
they have on offer for student use. The biggest opportunity that I have noticed with this course is the potential to gain a BAFTA
scholarship which is a very rare and great opportunity to get into the industry with one of the most well-known and Important
companies in the field. Overall, I think that this course poses some excellent opportunities for learning and development within the
industry and could provide a direct pathway to a brilliant future in the field. Out of the 3 selected course, I would say that this is the
best one for my future career and would be of a great interest and help for me in my future.
6. Evaluation
◦ Overall, after reviewing my options, I still don’t think that I will be attending university as none of the
course's appeal too greatly to me and I am still undecided about my long-term career goals so it would be a
major risk to invest a significant amount of money into studies that may end up being of no use to me.
However, if I do decide to attend university, It would likely be at Sunderland as it’s a local university and has
top class facilities for film, TV and radio which would likely lead me to choose the last of the 3 options if I
were to go to university as it most suits my interests and would lead me down a path that I find quite
intriguing. Instead of going to university It may be beneficial to investigate apprentices near me that are
involved in the media industry.
