Friday 26 November 2010

How did I get here?

Seeing as I am going to be writing about PR and about being a PR student I figured it might be a good idea to explain briefly how I got to where I am in life.

At the age of 16, doing my best Ron Weasly impression, I was pretty ambitious and thought that seeing I was good at science I wanted to be a doctor. So for A levels I made the massive mistake of taking Biology, Chemistry and Physics. Half way through my first year I realised that the last thing I wanted was another 8 years of studying this stuff and decided to withdraw my UCAS application and take a gap year after A levels.



So in the summer of 2007 A level results came out and I hadn't done as well as I had hoped (I knew I would do bad in physics though). I realised that I didn't have any money and couldn't go travelling like I had wanted to. So in my panic I went through clearing looking for a university course (unfortunately my A level subjects left me limited to science based courses). In October I found myself starting a degree in Pharmacology at Southampton University. 

For the first year I loved it. The course wasn't too hard (all exams were multiple choice) and I loved my housemates and the social life. 1st year went by quickly and smoothly. Then in second year it all hit the fan. I found I couldn't take any more science. Pharmacology is all about how the body works, but I couldn't help thinking: you know what, it works. Why question it?

Anyway by the time January exams came around I bit the dust and told my parents I wanted to drop out. I thought they would go mental after having given me so much money over the past 2 years. I was lucky enough to have their support, as well as that of my girlfriend and my housemates.

I spent the next few weeks thinking about what to do with my life. I had always had an interest in the media industry so started looking into courses such as advertising and marketing. I had my girlfriend and all my friends in Southampton and really didn't want to leave them so I started looking at courses at Southampton Solent University (2 years on and I still haven't heard the end of it from my Southampton uni friends). 

I eventually found PR and Comms and after reading into it and doing some internet research I thought it was right up my street. So I phoned Solent Uni to explain the situation and they offered me a place straight away.

This was definitely the best decision I have ever made. I am enjoying every aspect of the PR course (apart from Mark Farwells philosophy unit in first year - this is meant to be a PR course) and am finally heading in the right direction.

I can't wait to graduate in 2012, 2 years older than most of the others with £30,000 of debt. Its a good life. 

Hard work never killed anyone. But why risk it?

This blog has been born out of colossal procrastination. I have two large assignments due in just over a week which I had hoped to make an early start on. However, I find it hard to...find the motivation to work unless its the night before hand in. I could have put the TV on or just gone and had a nap, but that would have made me feel like a failure as I knew that if I want a good degree and a good job I would have to work hard for it.

After pissing some time away on Facebook I remembered that as part of our 3rd year we are required to write a blog. Brilliant. I realised that this way I wouldn't have to get stuck into my assignment but could feel good by telling myself that I'm preparing for next year. By the time I had finished choosing a design and layout I liked it was already 7pm. Brilliant.

I then spent the rest of the evening trying to familiarise myself with other social networking tools which will apparently be vital for a life in PR.

I still don't get the point of Twitter.

No-one else I know uses Four-square.

And I'm pretty sure Diggit was the name of a children's Saturday morning show I used to watch when I was 7....

About Me

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Tom Westgate
I am 21 and currently in my second year of a Public Relations and Communications degree at Southampton Solent University and it is awesome. I love hanging out with my friends and I enjoy playing football and rugby and I go surfing with my friends every year! I know when I'm older I definitely want to work in a big city, preferably somewhere hot and on the coast! But before I think about getting a job I want to go travelling. I just want to make the most of my life and see the world! In short...it's allll goood!
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