Director/Business Owner at Welcome to Travel (Australia)
I did placements with ITV Calendar, BBC Radio Leeds and Football365. I learned a lot about self-discipline, autonomy, accountability and problem solving.
Why I chose to attend Leeds Trinity and my best memories
I chose Leeds Trinity for a few reasons. I was so excited to study Sports Journalism which Leeds Trinity offered. I loved the idea of living in a city like Leeds, with a thriving student scene, as well as a great sports and live music scene.
I also liked the idea of a smaller jump from a college in a small town, to a university where I felt I’d know people and be part of the community, rather than just another face at a huge university.
Valuable placements
I did placements with ITV Calendar, BBC Radio Leeds and Football365. I learned a lot about self-discipline, autonomy, accountability and problem solving. Once you’re out there, you need to solve your own problems and get on with it. If you make a mistake it’s fine, it’s better to do it, make the mistakes and then do better next time by learning from them, rather than constantly waiting for help/putting it off because you’re scared about getting something wrong. Being wrong is a good thing.
What I enjoyed most about studying Sports Journalism
My course included a lot of people who were passionate about a big part of our society, which provided a lot of healthy debate, as well as laughs. I also enjoyed working with lecturers with fantastic practical experience in a world that I wanted to get in to.
I loved my Radio modules, as it meant that I could bring my love for radio as a child and young adult to life.
Leaving University with new skills
Similarly to the skills learned while on placements, I learned a lot about being independent.
Putting yourself out there and getting out of your comfort zone was a common part of university, and that experience meant I was happy to do so afterwards. It allowed me to go travelling all over the world and not be as afraid about situations as I had experience of being self-sufficient.
My career since graduating
After university, I had confidence that I didn’t before, and I embarked on a six-month backpacking trip to South Africa, Thailand and Australia. After my backpacking experience in 2010, I’m still in Australia after founding a company with another graduate from Trinity and All Saints College (TASC).
The company is called Welcome to Travel and helps people like me in 2010, settle in to Australia, by giving them life-changing experiences, introducing them to other like-minded people and organising all of their admin. Think of it as a student support service but on the other side of the world.
I love that although our travelers arrive nervous as if it’s the first day of university, by the end of the eight-day tour with us, they grow as much as someone does in their three years at university. I always say it’s like watching them go from the first day to graduation within eight days. That’s the best thing to watch happen.
My advice to prospective students thinking about doing a similar course
Say yes to things. That could be a scary, last minute placement opportunity, a chance to present at something or even a night out with people you don’t really know. We don’t regret many things we do, but often the things we don’t do.
I’d also say to learn from things I think I could have improved on. I wish that I gave myself more of a structure, plan and foundation to succeed with things like a good exercise routine, regular wakeup times regardless of when my lectures were and set times to do work.
Such discipline can only set you up well for when you go into the working world, and general adult life, where you become more and more time poor as you gain more and more responsibilities.