THIS PAST MONTH: FEBRUARY 2016

2016 has had a serious lack of ‘This Past Week’ posts. You know the ones, a quick rundown of my week that goes up on a Sunday. But let’s face it, towards the end of last year I was doing well if I got the post up by Wednesday. Towards the end of January I decided that I did not want to continue my Sunday summary style posts. The reason being that I really struggle to write them, at first I loved it but as I wrote more, the enjoyment was dwindling. More often than not, my week doesn’t contain all that many things to write about. There are only so many posts I can write about nights out and roast dinner cravings.  I also want my blog to have more of a film and media focus and when I restrict myself to writing a personal post every week I don’t have as much time as I’d like to write film related content. Instead of posting about what I’ve been up to at the end of every week I’ve decided to write a post at the end of every month running through the important stuff from the last 30/31 days. So here we go, starting a new series of monthly posts. I hope you enjoy.

February was the month that University properly started again, it might officially start in mid-January but it’s in February when the module introductions stop and you remember that you actually have to do some work at University. One of the biggest things I am working on is an ongoing placement search. Next year I will be leaving the safety of campus for a year in industry and I never anticipated the search would be so hard. It’s well known that finding a job is a job within itself and the same should be said about looking for placements. The idea of having a year out of university to get industry experience is very exciting and I can’t wait until I have it sorted. I know a few people who have given up on finding a placement after small amounts of searching but I will not give up. It’s tough and stressful now but I’m determined to find the placements to fill the sandwich year of my degree.

At the beginning of February something quite crazy happened. While out recording vox pops for a TV News module my friend and I were approached by a lady who asked us what we were filming. We explained that we were media students and we were filming for our coursework, she then asked if we would like to come to her choir group to film for them. The next week we filmed the singing and over the course of the rest of the month, edited together the footage to create a promotional video package. From this I unveil ‘BG Productions’, a company name that we have created, with which we will be doing freelance video production.

What does BG stand for you may ask… it comes from my second name which is Blair and the G to my B is my friend Lucy Gilbert who I mention on here all the time. You can also read her blog here. On the very last day of February we filmed a band in Leeds, a particularly gruelling 12 hour studio shoot but the end product is going to be great. As you can imagine we are both very excited about the prospect of having our own small production company, we’re currently working on an online portfolio which will be found here.

Finally, I have loved how much good TV there is at the moment. The early months of the year are the perfect time to binge on much loved shows or try something new. Not only have TV shows come back for new seasons or after mid-season breaks (Suits, Girls, New Girl) but I have found new additions to my watch list. Over a weekend I caught up on the first season of BBC’s Happy Valley, it’s some seriously gripping stuff and I really need to watch more of series two.

What was a highlight of your February?

THE YEAR AHEAD: 2016

New Year creates a mix of feelings; Christmas is over for another year, January is only just beginning and summer seems all too far away. While it can conjure up some bitter-sweet feelings, the beginning of another year holds exciting possibilities and I’ve been thinking of some things I would like to do in 2016. Don’t worry, no resolutions that I won’t stick to ahead. This is more of a to-do list as it were. A putting-in-writing of some things, big and small, that I want to make happen in the year ahead.

Secure work for my Placement Year

Unlike the others on the list, this isn’t so much a goal but a must. As part of my degree I have chosen to do placement year that will begin in the summer. In this time I want to get as much PR experience as possible.

Save money for travelling                                   

Explains itself really, I have wanted to travel for a long time and in 2017 I hope to go travelling after I complete my placement year. Travelling is mighty expensive so I need to do some serious saving if I’m going to make it past the airport.

Write something for the University Magazine

Between the years of writing for essays, coursework and assignments writing has felt like a chore. Writing about what interests me on my blog rather than what will get the grade has let me enjoy it again. Now I want to write something for my university's magazine. I got in touch with the editor of the magazine before Christmas who told me that they’re always looking for contributions so I hope to actually write something for them in the near future.

Keep on top of my skin

Probably the vainest of all of my 2016 goals but 2015 was the year that I really got sick of my troublesome skin. While my festive diet hasn’t had the best effect on my complexion my obsession with skincare is ever increasing and I am continuing to work with my doctor to tackle pesky break outs, from the inside and out.

De-clutter

A clear out has been long overdue for a while now but it wasn’t until I was trying to put away the things I’d received at Christmas that I realised that I am hoarding so many unnecessary things. It’s the same in my room in my university room. I have papers stuffed everywhere, clothes I never wear and products I never use, this is the year that I show them the door (or charity shop).

Stay organised

The bigger work load of second year has had one positive effect, and that is that I’m forced to be more organised. By that I mean I write everything in my diary and a new to-do list notebook fills me with all sorts of glee. 2016 is going to be an important and busy year and I need to be organised. Any excuse to buy new stationery…

Continue blogging…

My blog isn’t even half a year old but I am looking to the year ahead. Working on and then uploading a blog post is so satisfying and when I have the time between university work I really enjoy blogging. I won’t put any dates or figure on it but I’m excited to document the next year on my little internet space. 

“For last year’s words belong to last year’s language and next year’s words await another voice”

Here's to 2016!

THIS PAST YEAR: 2015

I hope you have all had a very Merry Christmas and are set to have a Happy New Year. Although I had a pile of university work hanging over my head I managed to have a very good Christmas and as another year rounds up I’m looking back at the where-did-it-go year that was 2015. I have also included a handful of my favourite photos from the year; if you want to see more selfies, dog pics or pitiful attempts at photography you can follow me on Instagram here. 
 

Every year has highs and lows but on the whole I have had a really great year. When I think about my year I can’t help but compare it to 2014. 2014 was a weird year, I started it feeling thoroughly miserable, within a month I had decided to leave university, spent months feeling completely purposeless and confused before starting a fresh in a new city and new university. I began this year knowing exactly what I was doing and I love doing it. 

I had my second Holiday with two of my best friends. I entered my 20’s and, as it seems to be a part of growing up, I have grown closer to some people and further apart from others. That’s life I suppose. 

I finish this year half way through my second year of University. Although I managed to get very ill three times within less than four months and really felt the pinch of second year responsibilities, on a whole it has gone well. I earned two firsts on my assignments, took advantage of careers help available to improve my CV and cover letters for the ongoing placement search, volunteered for Sheffield Live and discovered an interest in Sport PR. 

Oh and finally, I started this very blog! While I may sometimes let other things get in the way of writing posts I am proud of my little space on the internet and I am very grateful to every single person who takes the time to read it.

Happy New Year!

THIS PAST WEEK #17 HOME COMFORTS

It is three and half weeks since my last 'This Past Week'. Since I started my blog that is longest I have gone without my usual Sunday (more often Wednesday) post. I have missed it. 

Unfortunately this will be another post where I tell you that I haven't blogged because of being ill. Throw in two assignment deadlines and you've hit the no-post-jackpot. 

My old friend tonsillitis came back just over three weeks ago and as I tried to work through an assignment I was getting sicker, even with the prescribed anti biotics, I just wasn’t getting any better. It was one of the worst weeks, assignment stress and my throat being so sore was stopping me from sleeping properly. During that week I felt the lowest I had ever felt during my time at university. I was pretty much on the brink of crying at the smallest thing. After a visit to the walk in centre and another week of antibiotics, I am finally back to health. I would like to stay that way for the rest of 2015 please.

While I’d managed to get myself back to health from the comfort of my student house, I was massively in need of some home comforts. I have few complaints about my student life in Sheffield but sometimes you just need to go home, sleep in your bedroom of five years and eat a Sunday roast. My decision to quickly book a train ticket on Wednesday was definitely a good one.

After a week off from lectures and seminars to allow myself time to get back to health, I don't mind admitting that last week I struggled to fully concentrate on Uni work again. I write this on my way back to Sheffield from my weekend at home while also writing a to-do list of things to complete before I see home again for Christmas. Having time to properly recharge my batteries at home has made feel so much better about the next three weeks which I foresee being very busy. 

I hope you have a great week!

THIS PAST WEEK #16 SOMETHING EVIL'S LURKING IN THE DARK

I hope you all had a spooky Halloween! No matter how you spent it. I spent my Halloween at a ‘Dismayland’ themed club night in Sheffield, dressed at what I decided to call “pollution Ariel”. ‘What the hell is that?!’ you may well ask. It’s something I made up but it consisted of me dressed as a mermaid in a purple vest and a pencil skirt with a cut throat of liquid latex, tissue and fake blood plus accessories made of litter. I had originally planned to wear a shiny scale printed skirt that I’d bought from amazon but it didn’t arrive in time. Note to self: don’t take a risk on delivery between October 20^th and November 9^th if you need it by October 31^st. Luckily my friend, Liz, came to my rescue and let me wear her teal pencil skirt. I also went to a Halloween themed night at the beginning of the week dressed as a zombie. It was a perfect excuse to practice our skills of making fake wounds and skeletal contouring. The picture above shows the finished results.

On Tuesday I went to the Sheffield leg of Steve Backshall’s ‘Wild World’ tour. If you don’t know who Steve is, the easiest way to explain is to say that he is like David Attenborough but more for children. If you’re my age or older you may remember him from CBBC’s ‘Really Wild World’ or you may know him from his more recent TV appearances on ‘Deadly 60’ or ‘Big Blue Live’. In his tour he discussed his recent adventures, talking us through different animals and basically why they’re so amazing. He also showed clips and outtakes from his shows. I only went because my house mate is a fan of Steve Backshall and she asked if I wanted a ticket, but ended up really enjoying it. I was sat in the Crucible theatre surrounded by many of Backshall’s clever young fans, many younger than 12 who probably know more about the ‘wild world’ than I ever will. He ended his talk with a quote by George Mallory that has quickly become one of my favourites:

“People ask me, 'What is the use of climbing Mount Everest?' and my answer must at once be, 'It is of no use. ‘There is not the slightest prospect of any gain whatsoever. Oh, we may learn a little about the behaviour of the human body at high altitudes, and possibly medical men may turn our observation to some account for the purposes of aviation. But otherwise nothing will come of it. We shall not bring back a single bit of gold or silver, not a gem, nor any coal or iron... If you cannot understand that there is something in man which responds to the challenge of this mountain and goes out to meet it, that the struggle is the struggle of life itself upward and forever upward, then you won't see why we go. What we get from this adventure is just sheer joy. And joy is, after all, the end of life. We do not live to eat and make money. We eat and make money to be able to live. That is what life means and what life is for.” 

It perfectly summed up his talk and his attitude towards living life one wild adventure at a time. 

Meeting Steve Backshall at the Crucible

On Thursday evening I went to see ‘Spectre’. I am very busy with assignments at the moment so I don’t know if I will have time to write a review so I will sum up my thoughts now. I am a little unsure on my opinion of it, I’m sure I liked it but I don’t know how much. Since everyone seems to be shouting and raving about how amazing it is, enormous budget, step up from Skyfall, Sam Mendes makes the best bond and all that I entered the cinema with high expectations. Because of this I felt a little disappointed. The opening scene was spectacular, Lea Seydoux made a fabulous Bond girl, Christoph Waltz made a sinister villain and Sam Smith’s ‘Writings on the wall’ is a fitting Bond anthem, but for me Skyfall is still the best Bond film. It’s a tough one to beat.

I hope you’re having a wonderful week!