I'm back! | Figuring Out Where I'm Going in Life - The Next Chapter

Hiya Peeps!

I know it's been a super long time since I've been here, but please don't judge me, I've been super busy trying to figure a few things out and now I'm (hopefully) back for good. Setting myself a goal to post on a weekly basis on a certain day and time was obviously something that I wasn't going to be able to stick to, so I'm sorry for that also! 

As you may know, in July this year I graduated from The University of Glamorgan (now The University of South Wales) with a 2:1 in Media Production (I know, I still can't really believe it either!). Throughout the whole of my third year I didn't really think about what I was going to do after graduation, I guess I just focused on the work and holding onto the University lifestyle. I always knew that the time would come when it would all be over and I'd have to start looking for a job, but I tried to block it out. I'm one of those people who haven't figured out what I want to do yet, so actually getting my head down and applying for stuff scared the living wits out of me. 

Since I was able to get my hands on a computer with internet access, I've been a little bit addicted to Social Media. Don't laugh, I was even on Habbo Hotel and Neopets (and if you don't know what those are, I'm judging you!). During my third year at Uni, Social Media really became my thing, and I knew that it was what I wanted to do as a career. The whole Social Media movement excites me and watching how everything and everyone is moving online is fascinating. People use the internet so much in their every day lives and it's an industry that's moving so quickly, I can't see it ever being boring. When I finished Uni, I was lucky enough to land an internship with a Social and Mobile Media Agency in Newport and it completely changed my life. Being there, I learned so much and my passion for the business only grew more. I wanted to work in Community Managment and I wanted to spend all of my time online. 

 

I've since moved home to Essex, and finding a full time job is proving more difficult that I had hoped. Everyone told us it wasn't going to be easy, but I never ever anticipated that it could be this stressful. It's hard because everything you apply for asks for more experience than I have, but how am I ever supposed to get experience when no one will take a chance on me? I know my industry is a difficult one to get into and everyone is in the same boat, but I sometimes question where I'm going wrong. I have a part-time job which has been a lifesaver for me, but I can't help but look at where I am now and see that I'm in exactly the same spot I was in before I acquired my degree. It's really hard to be upbeat about the future when you literally have no clue where you're going in life, or really where you want to be. 

Last week I made the trip back to Cardiff where I studied to catch up with some of my friends and family, and my FMP lecturer from Uni. Going back was one of the strangest things I've ever experienced and being back in The Atrium was even weirder. I drove past where I lived, and went back to the place where I graduated and couldn't help but feel the huge lump in throat that it was all really over. I went back to my University to meet one of good friends who was also my FMP lecturer, Julie, and that was the strangest part. Being back in the building where I studied for three years didn't feel like home anymore. On one hand, I wouldn't have found it strange if my friends had walked in and we'd have gone to lectures, but on the other, I couldn't help but notice that it wasn't my life anymore. There were hundreds of people around me and not one of them knew who I was or that I'd even studied there before. Speaking to Julie, though, has made me feel a lot better about things. First, she gave me a kick up the backside about not blogging (probably why I'm back!) but she also helped me to feel okay about the fact that I'm not sure where I'm going yet. She reassured me that most people are in the same situation and as long as I have dreams and aspirations I'll get there one day soon. Seeing my best friends from Uni really brought it all home to me that most of us really are the same. We spent so long sharing all of our memories and I was so grateful to see them all again, but it was also so nice knowing that we all believe in each other. I think the Uni Glam Class of 2013 are the best yet! 

I've been thinking a lot recently about what the next step is for me. It's hard knowing that my University life is over, but that's not then end of my story. I've got so much more that I want to achieve and so many things that I want to see that I'm not giving up on. While a career is so extremely important to me, I've also decided that I might want to travel a bit. If you know me well, you'll know that I've always said I was born on the wrong side of the pond. My heart belongs to America, and even though I've only been there twice, I cannot wait to get back. I've decided that I NEED to go back. I want to spend part of next summer in Los Angeles, but that all depends on what I'm doing career wise at the point. I'm still applying for Social Media and PR & Marketing jobs every day in the hope that something will come along real soon. I guess I don't have a finalised goal of where I want to be. I don't know if I'll stay here in the UK or if I will make it to the US, who knows?! All I know is that I have great people around me, a degree that I'm proud of and the power to be whoever I want to be. I have no limits. I'm lucky enough to have the most supportive family and friends out there, and I know they'll be there for me whatever I do in life. 

I guess this is really a post for anyone who's in the same position as me, or for someone at Uni or someone who's thinking about going. It's a post for my family and friends, but it's also a post for me. It's good to talk about what you're going through and hopefully this way I'll find even more people that can relate to my experience. 

I know this is kind of a serious post but I do also want to keep this blog light-hearted and fun to be a part of. I'm going to keep blogging about life after University, but I also want to keep the Beauty and Tag theme around. What do you want to see me talk about next time? Pleaseee give me suggestions because they're really helpful at moments of severe writers block, but I also want to write stuff that you want to read! Just tweet me @amyjcollins or comment any ideas that you have! There are plenty of other Social Media sites where you can grab me as well, links are all in the sidebar. I hope you're still enjoying my blog and I'll see you very soon! 

Thanks so much for stopping by, all the love in the world,

Take care, stay beautiful and dream big!

@amyjcollins

xox

I think I might have just passed University... With a 2:1!

Hiya Peeps!

Firstly, aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!

This is just a really brief (and late) post but I cannot breathe right now and the first thing I thought about doing once I got my result was blogging. I'VE JUST PASSED UNIVERSITY WITH A 2:1! How on earth has this happened?! I honestly never thought in my wildest dreams that I'd ever get anywhere close to a 2:1, let alone actually get one! This is a huge milestone for me, and I'm still looking at my computer screen all teary eyed and mouth wide open in complete shock. 

Thank you to every single person, inside of Uni and out who've been utterly fantastic throughout my degree. This is for everyone who's believed in me over the past three years. And here's a big fat poke in the eye to everyone who said I couldn't do it. Who's laughing now, eh?! 

I'm going to keep it short and sweet but I'm so proud of all of my friends and classmates on what we've all achieved. I'm so lucky to have spent the past three years with all of you and I couldn't have got to where I am without your help. I cannot wait to see each and every one of you at Graduation and we can all celebrate together!

I am the happiest human being in the world right now, I cannot even comprehend the smile on my face and the CRAAAY amount of weird butterfly things in my stomach.

Thank you, thank you, thank you!

Take care, stay beautiful and DREAM BIG! 

I love you all to the moon and back.

@amyjcollins <3

P.S asdfghjklasdfghjklasdfghjklaaaaaaaah!

I'm an intern... Whaaaat?!

Hiya Peeps! 

On a Wednesday morning, a very nervous and slightly over dressed 20 year old called Amy Collins (that’s me!) got on the train at Cardiff Central and headed to Newport for her first day as an intern at Coup Media. 

I didn’t think it was physically possible to be so nervous and so excited about something at once, but apparently it is! When I arrived at the office, I literally had no idea what to expect. I knew the team was small so that made me feel a little more relaxed as there would be less people to impress and, more importantly, less people for me to be scared of! As it happens, the people here aren’t scary at all and I feel like I fit in well. 

I’ve been doing a bunch of different tasks since I got here and I’m really enjoying learning new things and working alongside a team who are as passionate about Social Media as I am. I’ve mainly been supporting the guys in the office and helping them out with extra jobs that need doing. 

The majority of my role had been emailing people and researching. I spent some time working with Steve on the Oi! Conference and emailing people who might be interested in attending, as well as doing some of my own research to find local businesses and bloggers who might benefit from the event. As well as Oi!, I’ve been working with Sadie and helping her with both the KMS and the Internacionale accounts. I’ve been talking to some beauty bloggers about their reviews of the KMS Frizz Fighter Kit and I’ve even had the chance to read a few! I’ve also been doing a lot of work on the Internacionale Pinterest account which I’ve really enjoyed. As well as adding to the boards that they already had, I also added some of my own which made me feel (stupidly) important! I also posted a couple of pictures on their Instagram last week and I got really excited when people started to ‘like‘ them! I’ve also learned quite a bit about Social Bookmarking sites since I got here. I used to go on Stumble Upon quite regularly, but I never realised how and why sites like it are used; I just ‘stumbled’ looking for cute cats or dinner ideas! Because users can tailor what they see, sites like Stumble Upon and Delicious are a great way to get your content out there and seen by a wider audience. All in all, it’s been a great experience so far, and my face has even appeared on the Coup website (gulp!). 

I was also lucky enough to attend the Oi! Conference at the Marriott hotel earlier this week. The day was really great for networking and getting to know people in the industry. I learned so much from all of the speakers, but also from people I met at the event; I even gained a new follower on Twitter! I found the talk from Mark Schaefer most inspiring as he spoke a lot about blogging and how to create spectacular content. As I'm new to blogging, his tips really helped me and I couldn't wait to get home and start writing. 

I’ve found being here at Coup straight after University really beneficial. I’ve not really had time to stop working which has meant I’m in a much better mindset. My brain is still in ‘work mode’ and because I haven’t had a massive break, it doesn’t feel like a struggle doing work, especially when it’s work I’m really enjoying. 

So after 8 cans & 5 bottles of Diet Coke, 16 train journeys and a new addiction Blogger, Pinterest and Stumble Upon, I’ve completed three weeks of an internship at Coup! 

Remember, take care, stay beautiful and dream big! <3.
Thanks for stopping by,
@amyjcollins

Things I'm Loving At The Moment...

Hiya Peeps!

So I've moved over to 'Blogger' and it's really hard to get used to, but I am really liking it. I love that it's linked with Google+ which means I can try and get a bit more savvy at that as well. I know a lot of bloggers are using this platform to post so I thought I'd give it a whirl!

I just wanted to do a little post about 'Things I'm loving at the moment'. It's not necessarily just going to be products or items of clothing that I'm enjoying; I'm going to include things that I'm doing and maybe some people (because I'm massively cheeky!).

Something I'm really loving at the moment is working. Now, I know this sounds completely insane coming from me as I moaned the whole way through my degree about the heavy work load and how much I hated it. I'm currently doing an internship with a Social and Mobile media company (more in Big Life Updates post!) and it's honestly so much fun. I really feel like all the work I did in Uni is starting to pay off and I'm absolutely loving learning more about an industry I think I'd really like to work in. I like the routine of going to work and it keeps me in a much healthier mindset meaning I'm much more motivated to do other things and to actually get up in the morning. I feel important on this internship and feel like my ideas and opinions are being heard. It's a great feeling having a team of people that believe in me and who I really enjoying going to work with! I will be writing a blog / series of blogs about my time with Coup so stay tuned for those if you want to find out what I've been getting up to and any tips I have for those of you looking for internships or who are about to embark on your first internship!

Moving very swiftly on to the rest of the things I've been loving recently. Like I said before, it's a bunch of different types of things and I'm just going to list them and talk about them a bit. Ok, here they are.

I recently came across this really UH-MAZING singer on YouTube called Lewis Mokler. When I first heard him singing it was in the back of another video and I thought it was a new Ed Sheeran track. I went a bit crazy and started Googling lyrics and Shazam-ing the video so I could find out what it was. I can't actually remember how / when I found out who he was, but he's my 'favvy musician of the moment' (that could be a thing?!). If you've got a few spare £££'s, jump onto iTunes NOW and buy some of his music. My favvy's are Pieces, Nutella and The Traveller. He's got a bunch of stuff on YouTube as well so make sure you check him out! https://www.youtube.com/user/LewisMokler?feature=watch

At the moment, I'm really ill and there's literally nothing that makes me happier when I've got a cold than a mug of hot squash. I know what you're thinking... 'Amy, that's so weird', 'OMG, that's so gross, what's wrong with you?!', 'Can't you just have a coffee or something?!'. My response is that yes, it is weird and it's not the norm but it's literally so comforting. I don't like tea, coffee, hot chocolate or any other warm drink that may exist, but sometimes you just need something to soothe your throat when it's all gross and gravelly and a mug of hot blackcurrant sorts me right out. Plus, it reminds me of Brownie Camp when I was younger, and I like that.

I also feel that I need to quickly mention Grilled Cheese sandwiches. Yesterday I was 'stumbling' at work, and I came across this amazing image of a gooey, cheesy toasted sandwich thingy that I literally wanted the eat through the screen. It was so delightful looking that I immediately texted my friend to tell her about the delicacy and we decided to make them that evening. They were delish and you should Google how to make them because they're like heaven.

Moving very quickly into the make-up section of life which I know will shock anyone who knows me because I haven't always been a massive lover of the stuff and only recently started wearing it on a regular basis, but yes. I have been lovinggg the Real Techniques make-up brushes. I recently had the 'Core Collection' kit bought for me after I went on about it for weeks on Twitter and I'm so impressed. They're so soft, are great sizes and even come in a cheeky travel case which is extremely handy. My favvy is definitely the 'Buffing Brush' which I've been using for my liquid foundation. (I think it's very similar to their 'Expert Face Brush' which is also supposed to be good for foundation).

I also recently purchased my first eye primer and I went with the Rimmel Exaggerate Undercover Shadow Primer. I'm really impressed with this product because it does exactly what it's supposed to and it doesn't feel weird. It's a really light primer, blends really easily on the eyelid and lasts for blooming ages! It keeps my eye shadow on all day, and I absolutely swear by it!

My final make-up product that I'm loving is the Sleek Contouring and Blush palette. I'd seen a lot of reviews of this one going around and thought I'd give it a go. At £9.99, I was a little skeptical as make-up isn't something I'm used to spending a lot of money on, but when I thought about it I was in effect getting three products for the price of one and bought the thing anyway! I'm really glad I did because it's now part of my 'everyday' make-up and I just love it. It doesn't have a weird smell to it and the bronzer and blusher are super pigmented meaning I'm getting exactly what I paid for and what I can see in the palette, YAY! (Bet you're glad that's over!).

HOLY MOLY, this is a long post. I'm sorry guys!

The final thing I'm really loving at the moment though is really just having time. I know that sounds completely odd and everyone's probably reading this like 'Amy, what you on about man? Everyone's got time. Time isn't a thing that you have, whaaat?!' but it's really true. Now that I've finished Uni, it's meant that I've got so much more time to do things that I want to do and not worry about when my next deadline is or when I've next got to go out filming. Having this extra time has meant that I've been able to take an internship (which is great and I can't stop talking about) and it means that my friends and I can just enjoy spending time with each other without work climbing on top of us. Because most of us are going to be leaving Cardiff soon and going back to our home towns, it's nice to have this time together to just relax before we do all go our separate ways. Having this extra time has also meant that I get to have 'Hollyoaks sessions' with my housemate Verity which are usually extremely vocal and end with us screaming at the TV and eating copious amounts of bad food (banana custard and jam doughnuts). I've also started reading for leisure which I'm really pleased about. When you're studying it's really hard to enjoy a good novel because you're worrying about worm so much. I really like getting lost in a good book so I'm glad I've got the time to do it now! Happy days!

AND BREATHE. So that's finally it, guys. I know it's a long one and I'm sorry (but I'm not sorry if you've enjoyed it!). I'm going to try and blog a lot more regularly so I hope that's something you'd want to see. For me, it's kind of like a little diary that I get to keep online and people read if they fancy it (not me).

Take care, stay beautiful and dream BIG!

Thanks for stopping by <3.

@amyjcollins

xox