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!

Leaving Cardiff Sucks!

Hiya Peeps!

So after three of the most crazy years of my life, today I packed my things and left my house in Cardiff for the last time. I'll be honest with you, for the longest time this is something I thought I'd be completely ecstatic about but leaving today has sort of killed me. My third year at Uni wasn't really the same as my first and second. I got quite tired of the work, the living in student housing and my anxiety also got pretty bad. When it got to Christmas of my final year, I couldn't wait for it all to be over. I couldn't handle the stresses of being a 3rd year student and I was gradually crumbling under the pressure. I definitely couldn't have got through my final year without the support of some amazing friends and lecturers.

It wasn't all bad though. In my final year, the relationships I'd already built got a lot stronger, and I became closer to a huge bunch of new people. Towards the end of the year, my panic attacks became less frequent and I really started to have much more fun! As you'll have probably read in some of my previous blogs, I had an amazing time on Exposure TV and it was such a learning curve for me. I became a lot more confident in myself and realised I could achieve things if I really put my mind to it. Uni got a lot better for me towards the end of the year which I suppose has made leaving a lot tougher than I'd expected. I spent an amazing four weeks doing an internship at a Social Media agency and spent most of my evenings hanging out with friends watching movies, playing parlour games or going to pub quizzes.

I've met some incredible people at Uni, and that's what I'm going to miss the most. Knowing that everyone lives pretty far away from me means that I definitely won't see them as often as I'd like to and it's going to be really hard to adjust to not having them around. 

My mum told me before I went to Uni that the friends I make there will be my friends for life and she was right. I've been really lucky to meet the people that I have, and I hope they stick around for a really long time!

So really I just want to say a big thank you to everyone who has made my three years at Uni so incredible. I know I've probably moaned to each and everyone of you about it, but I'm so upset that it's over and I can't wait to see everyone at Graduation and have a hugeeee party! 

So for now, take care, stay beautiful and dream big. 

Thank you so much for reading; all the love in the world! 

@amyjcollins <3.

Well, I’ve graduated (almost)... Now what?!

Hiya Peeps!

For me, finishing Uni feels like the most daunting thing EVER and I have no idea what I’m going to do with my life. With graduation fast approaching, it feels like everything has come around so quickly and I feel very out of my depth. This is the time for my peers and I to be making some big decisions about our futures, and I’m just not sure if I’m ready yet! 

I’ve been hearing all over the place that, ‘we need a break after uni!’ and ‘this is going to be the best summer’, and people are probably right, but is this really the best thing for us in terms of finding work? While our minds are still in ‘work mode’ I think now is the best time to be proactive and start applying for those all important internships and graduate schemes. 

And if you manage to land a placement or job straight out of University, then you’re one of the lucky ones. Finding work at the best of times is tough, so being a graduate with little experience makes the process even harder. Going straight into work means everything that you’ve spent the last three years learning will be fresh in your brain and you’ll be raring to go! I’ve been lucky enough to land an internship at a Social and Mobile Media agency and I’m loving being back in work so soon after finishing my degree as I feel motivated to work and am ready to move onto the next chapter of my life! 

Like I said before, though, finding work off of the back of University isn’t easy. Here’s a few of my tips of what to do after you’ve graduated...

1. Get Networking! - Having contacts in your field is absolutely key! They’re not only useful for when it comes to finding work and applying for jobs, but they’re also great for advice and motivation while you’re searching for the perfect placement. I made a lot of contacts while at University and the reason I was able to land my internship was thanks to one of my lecturers.
2. Be Proactive! -    Work opportunities won’t just fall into your lap; you’ll have to be actively looking for a job if you want to be employed. Websites like LinkedIn advertise entry level jobs and internships for recent graduates so they’re a great place to start! If you have a clear idea of the industry you want to work in, find details of companies you’d like to work for and contact them direct. They’ll appreciate your enthusiasm and it’ll show your interest.
3. Take Advantage of Opportunities! - If you’re offered a job or information about a work opportunity, TAKE IT! No matter how big or small, at this level, any experience is good experience! If you’re anything like me, you’re not 100% sure where your talent lays, so any work experience will help you to establish this. Any chance at this stage of your career is great because it all adds to the CV, and the fuller your CV, the better.
4. Keep Learning! - Even though you’re not studying anymore, that doesn’t mean that you need to stop learning. Regularly reading things and generally keeping up to date with news in your field will really help you out. It’s good to keep your brain active and regular research will help it!
5. Use your time wisely! - If you do decide you want a break to relax or maybe travel, make sure you use the opportunity to your advantage. While you’re abroad or at home chilling, why not take some time out for a bit of voluntary work. It’s a really good way to stay active and feel like you’re doing something of worth with your time, as well as it looking great on your CV. If you’re taking time off, try to use your evenings and weekends for a part time job while you job hunt as it’ll keep money coming in to tide you over until you find something you want to do long term. 

So whether you’re already doing your dream internship, spending your days searching for a graduate placement or chilling on a beach somewhere, remember that your future starts NOW. 

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

Last Ever Lecture... Say What?!

03.05.2013

Hiya Peeps!

How on earth was yesterday my last lecture of Uni, EVER?! It literally feels like I arrived in Cardiff yesterday and now it's almost time to leave. It's true what they say that time flies when you're having fun.
The past three years has been a multitude of different emotions, dramas, friendships and late nights and I wouldn't change any of it for the world. I've probably spent 50% of my Uni career laughing, 30% crying and 20% losing my mind with stress about work and deadlines and the sheer panic that hits when you realise a deadline is 9am, not 4pm.

University has taught me a lot about myself, especially in the last few months. In my third year I've worked in a completely different way and I've realised a lot about the career path I want to take. I've loved my degree and it's taught me skills in so many different fields, and I've found that music and social media are where my talent and passion lays. When I came to Uni, I wanted to be Fearne Cotton and spend my mornings in a radio studio in my pyjamas. But now, I feel like I'll succeed better tweeting or vlogging or managing talent or floor managing or being a PA or working in PR. (What that last little sentence has taught me is that I kind of have no idea what I want to do with my life, oops!).

I've met some people that've changed my life, and that I hope will stick by me forever. And there are still new people coming into my life, even now we're so close to the end. Before I came to Uni, my Mom told me, 'University is where you'll meet your life long friends, remember that', and it'll stick with me forever. I more than likely laughed at her when she told me first time around, but she wasn't wrong. There are people here that I can't wait to meet up with in 5 years and still be able to act like a complete fool with and reminisce about the good old days!
I want to thank everyone who's been a part of my University life, and I feel like this is just and easier way to do (and a way that means I won't be crying on literally every person I've mentioned in this post). Whether anyone ever sees this or not doesn't matter. It's for me so I never forget what I learned or achieved during my time here and will always remember the people and the times that made me smile. 

So thank you, The University of Glamorgan (or as it's now known, The University of South Wales), it's been a pleasure, and I'll be honoured if I get to graduate as part of the final Class of Uni Glam. Honestly, thank you to every single person I've met on this journey, you've made me a better, stronger, quieter, happier, more confident, kinder, more proactive, funnier and more positive human being, and for that I'm ever grateful.

THE UNIVERSITY OF GLAMORGAN - CLASS OF 2013 <3.

Take care, stay beautiful and dream big!
All the love in the world,
@amyjcollins <3