When the time comes to decide which universities you’re going to apply for, it can be hard work. Where will the best nightlife be? Where will I meet loads of new friends? How far do I want to be from home? Personally, I was concerned about the above, but at the top of my checklist was which city will accommodate for my career the best. Liverpool was the answer.
Why Liverpool?
Before I started first year back in 2013, I was already a regular visitor to the city of Liverpool. This was for many reasons; the lifestyle, the shopping, friendly scousers and the fashion. So, when it came down to deciding which university I wanted to go to, I had a pretty good idea that living in a city like Liverpool would be perfect for me.
However, I was concerned about, in terms of journalism, the opportunities I would have. I attended a number of open days with my mum, who was a great help throughout the whole process, some of which were a waste of time. But when the day for the Liverpool John Moores open day came about, I was overwhelmed. Yes, most universities now have state of the art buildings, just like the Redmonds Building I spend most of my days in, but the lecturers knew exactly what they were talking about. This might sound silly because you would expect them to know their field of study inside out, but the LJMU lecturers had me hooked from the beginning.
The present
Two years later, they still do. (Well, most of them). They’re all so passionate about what they’re teaching and also sharing with us. They treat us like adults with respect which is awesome. They’ve really helped with the transition between high school and uni.
Journalistic opportunities
Getting onto the more journalism side of things, Liverpool has so many chances to get stories. There’s always something new happening, and with it being the city of culture, there are so many different news angles for articles. A mixture of people is always good as well, and with the current population standing at over 460,000, there is definitely a chance you’ll meet people from all walks of life. These give great interviews and quotes.
The university itself has close links with the Liverpool Echo – a nationally recognized newspaper – plus Radio Merseyside, the BBC and many more. I was aware that in final year (oh the stress of deadlines and dissertation I’m currently experiencing), we would have to undergo three to four weeks of work experience. I am very grateful that I’ve been given the opportunity to work for the Liverpool Echo in January, and feel that if I were to go anywhere else, I wouldn’t have been able to do so.
Of course, I have sorted my own work experience out – a two week placement at Lancaster City Council’s PR department, but having the Echo on my CV will be one of my proudest thing to share with people.
There’s always the likelihood you’ll bump into someone famous. I saw Keith Lemon run down the Albert Dock on my very first week studying here. This year, I was given the chance to meet Steph Pratt, a MIC reality star – the intention was to interview her for the uni website. Unfortunately, she couldn’t make her appearance, but I did get to meet co-star Proudlock which was awesome!
Any journalism students’ dream
In relation to the equipment available, LJMU has great newsrooms in which third years take part in a newsday every week to run the student website – jmu.journalism.org.uk and the paper – Liverpool Life. These are full of plasma screens which we watch throughout the day, keeping up-to-date with the news. We also have editing suites which are awesome for radio and broadcast. Although I’m still a little shaky in this area when it comes to editing, I know that I’m extremely lucky to be able to use the software as it has given me the opportunity to develop my multimedia journalistic skills, which more and more employers are looking for.
Throughout my two years studying here, I’ve been able to go to my first LFC football match, go on the wheel, visit the Albert Docks, meet Proudlock and much more.
So, for any of you out there are considering starting uni and taking a degree in journalism, Liverpool is definitely a place to consider. It really does open many doors and is the start of new beginnings. Liverpool offers so much more to you than other universities do.
P.S. – the nightlife is BOSS!
For more information on the journalism course at Liverpool John Moores, head to our journalism course search.
