Fed up with being a kitchen table bloger, YouTube ranter and disillusioned retail worker I started a course at Exeter college. As well as a student I'm also a single mum. I know my life will involve juggling and being skint for the next three years, but I'm up for new experiences and I have to make tomorrow better or die trying.
I spent some of the summer reading, as well as texts on the reading list I've read "Chavs" by Owen Jones. This is a really important book about divisions in society. Single mums are deionized, this is something I would like to write about. I'm only half joking when I tell people I don't spend my child benefit on Vodka and I know who the father of both of my children is! Owen Jones got there first but he helps make me realise what sort of journalist I would like to be. The book outlines the way some sectors of society are written about because of the background they come from. People do believe what they read in the papers about people they have never met. Flat Earth News was recommended reading. While in the park with my kids I studiously make notes. It makes me cynical about the business I want to be part of. I'm not hugely into cash so I think free lance is the way to go.
The first few weeks were a blur of introductions to introductions. It's great to meet new people, all the time I'm aware of being the old lady of the group. I do have dubstep on my YouTube channel but I'm not 19! Amal was one of the first girls I got to know. It's fun to have girls to go around Primark with. One of our first assignments is to write about another student. Through doing this I get to Know Lottie Fox. I admire her calmness and maturity, at nearly 40 I can't manage that sort of thing.
We get let out of our classroom and go to Crealy, a childrens' animal and adventure park. We go by bus armed with radio equipment, packed lunch and some background information. This man takes those cute pictures of animals doing human stuff. I have to ask him, how to get a pig in wellies We also think up some questions about animal rights. I'm pleased to be in the radio group. I grew up with radio 4 and John Peel. We find there's more to this man than cutesy pictures. He has lots to say about how the newspaper industry is changing and a brilliant picture of a hunt.Then for the bunnies pushing a shopping trolley with baby furry creatures, ahh. Merlin and I spend the next day editing three hours of material into 2 minutes. I realise how techno old school I really am. We also have editorial decisions to make, cute animals or controversy? We go for the cute animals, I regret that about five minutes later!
