1) What are you studying here and what year are you in?
I am in my third year of a BA Film and Media Studies degree course
2) What did you study at Long Road and what results did you get?
I got a B in Media Studies, a B in English Language and a B in History. And I got a C in General Studies
3) Did you start uni straight away?
Yes, I knew what I wanted to do so I didn’t want to waste any time, I just wanted to get on with it.
4) How would you describe your experiences so far?
Up and down I would say. Uni is a sheltered environment in which to grow up, the Student Loan gives you financial stability for a time and so it is like you’ve got training wheels on for a while until you know how to cope with it all. The staff are all really helpful and the people I’ve met are amazing.
5) What do you like most about the course?
The opportunity to study film and see films I would never have seen otherwise. I didn’t take film at Long Road so I enjoy that aspect of my course. Media Studies focuses on engaging with the world around you, for example looking at advertising and public perception. One of my favourite modules so far has been music, media and culture; we study old rockers which is great! The teacher clearly really cares about the subject so it makes me care. It is much easier to learn if you are interested in the subject.
6) How similar is the course to the media course at Long Road?
I think it is very different to Long Road, there is a lot less practical work here and the content is different. But I would definitely say that Long Road gave me a good grounding because we looked at lots of different aspects of the media and we learnt a lot of cinematic terms which helped me when I first got here.
7) How well did your time at Long Road prepare you for University life?
I don’t think every Long Road student would be ready for it. There is a lot of extra work, if you want to go to uni you have to be aware of the fact you need to put the work in. You have about 12-14 hours a week of lectures and obviously you need to put in the same amount of time outside of lessons.
8) What opportunities have you had to make industry links?
The department regularly get sent e-mails from various different organisations that are offering opportunities to get involved in things, for example in my first year I wrote reviews for the Cambridge Film Festival Daily. Then this year I got an internship at the Film Festival which was a fantastic opportunity. I was the Online Intern so I was in charge of uploading and updating the content on the web, I also wrote for the brochure and was in charge of the festival’s Facebook and Twitter accounts. I also managed some Diploma students from LongRoad who came in to do some work for us. It was a great experience.
9) What do you think of the quality of teaching and the facilities here, rate them out of 10.
I would probably give the facilities a 7 as I think they need more equipment but this is being addressed right now so it will improve. I would give the teaching an 8 to 9, the staff are really knowledgeable. I think Anglia is better than it’s ranking position, you will be pleasantly surprised by it if you just go on the rankings. You can get a good degree here if you apply yourself.
10) How many assignments do you have to do in a semester?
It is about one or two pieces of work per module.
11) On a scale of 1-5 how enjoyable is Uni?
I'd give it a 4, Uni is brilliant
12) On a scale of 1-5 how hard is uni
Probably a 3, it’s as tough as you make it, you get back what you put in. The final year is tough though, especially with the dissertation. But because it is based on continuous assessment you always have an idea of what you’re aiming for. I know that unless I mess up I am on target for a First.
13) Would you recommend this course to other Long Road students?
It depends on what you want to do but I would recommend it. The range of skills you learn here make you very employable because it is such a multi-faceted course, one minute you are studying Freud and the next you’re discussing the Dark Knight.
14) What is the next step for you after Anglia and are you getting support through this process?
I’ve been informally offered paid work at the next Film Festival and I am interested in taking a course in Journalistic writing. But I also really enjoy writing comedy; anything to do with writing is my ultimate aim. There is support here; there is a huge careers department that will help you with your CV and interview preparation etc.
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