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 just graduated... What did you do today?!

Hiya Peeps!

Another University related post, I do apologise! I am trying to change things up a little bit by doing other posts for those of you who aren't interested in me constantly waffling on about Uni life and how much I miss it, so you can just skip over this one if you like! 

I thought I'd write a quick post about Graduation but I'm going to keep it short and sweet because Ill probably end up crying the whole way through! I'm going to chuck in a few photos as well, but don't laugh at me in a weird hat and my 127367202047 chins.

Graduation day was one of the best, yet hardest days of my life. It was so amazing getting to be back with all my friends and laughing & smiling and having a catch up with brilliant people. There was so much pride and love in the University on the morning of the ceremony and it made me feel so good about myself and everyone else. I still can't believe I actually got there and managed to complete three years and I was honoured and overwhelmed to be graduating with some of the incredible people I've met over the past 3 years. As much as I had the best day, it was also so difficult for me. As most of you know, I am EXTREMELY emotional and goodbyes are the hardest thing ever. The reality hit me quite soon after I arrived at the Uni that a lot of the people that I was sharing the day with, I probably wouldn't see for a really long time, if ever again. I've made some really good friends at Uni and some people that I honestly will never forget. The phrase of the day soon became 'it's not goobye, it's just a see you later' and I'm really going to try and hold on to that. 

^^ My amazing course friends / Exposure colleagues ^^

The ceremony was actually totally different to what I expected and I really enjoyed it. I got to sit next to one of the funniest guys on my module (he probably won't see this, so can someone else let Alex know haha) and he made me laugh the whole way through. I know it's not supposed to be an event that's funny, but you know when you get in one of those giggling fits in completely the wrong environment...? Well that happened to us quite a few times. 

^^ The beautiful Emily Sandall and I ^^

The hardest part of the day for me though, was all the photo taking after the ceremony. It was the seeing of everyone's families, the saying goodbyes, the chucking of the caps, the talking about the old times that threw me over the edge though. It really bought it back to me that the University chapter of my life was coming to an end, and I'm just not sure I'm ready.

 ^^ My best friends in the whole world. I couldn't have got through the past three years without them, I love them! Ellie & Emma ^^

I've had the most amazing support from so many people and I know I say it all the time, but honestly, thank you so much. I hope a lot of my friends will read this and they know who they are when I say it. I couldn't possibly list everyone here because I'm a forgetful chap and I wouldn't want to offend anyone. I'm just gonna add some photos from Graduation day so not everyone will be included (sorry) but fear not, I'm working on a 'University in Picutres' post so I'm sure you'll feature in there!

^^ The fantastic four, and the ones that I owe everything to. Thank you Emma, Ellie and Chris. You're amazing humans ^^

^^ Neech and I obviously found something hilar! Love this diamond ^^

^^ Best friends and Beverages! Sophie, Emily and Neech. ^^

^^ My favourite Irish woman, Jayne Tennyson <3 ^^

^^ I have the best friends I could ever ask for. Jayne, Sophia and Dan ^^

^^ Mr Saville and I looking exceptionally beautiful. I have slightly edited my face before anyone gets agg and calls me out on it. ^^

^^ Bestest boy in life. Chris Willsdon, you have been a gem! ^^

^^ Class of 2013, I love you ^^
Emily, Sophia, Gwyneth, Joe, Julie, Jack, Emma and Sophie

I love you all so much, thank you for everything.

Take care, stay beautiful and dream big! 

@amyjcollins

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.

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

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

Exposure TV: The home of fun, tears and new friendships.

02.05.21013

Hiya Peeps!

Who knew a University project could change a person so much?!

On 15th April 2013, me and a bunch of my University classmates embarked on our biggest project to date; Exposure TV. It was the most petrified I've even been in my life, because I have no idea how to Produce, Direct, Vision Mix and Floor Manage amongst other things and actually be good at it.

It turns out, projects like this actually DO change people. And I'm one of those people. I literally had no idea how I was going to cope during the two weeks and I probably spent at least 60% of the time crying. But during the other 40% of the project, a new 'me' was emerging, and it's a new 'me' that I'm kind of excited about. There's this little thing inside of me that's telling me that I can do things, and I can achieve and I'm actually quite good at some of the things I'm doing.

There's this other great thing about Exposure, too. I haven't just met new colleagues from the Uni through this project, but I've met some new friends who I hope will stick with me for life. When we started working on this thing, never did I think that I'd leave with a whole round of new friends and for that I'm hugely grateful. I also came out of it with stronger bonds with some of my friends and classmates, and built on those relationships that already meant the world to me.

Exposure TV was the most fun I've had in ages, and to think that it's been an academic University project is NUTS. I know I whinged and moaned and cried the whole way through, I can honestly say I loved every minute. I learned things about the industry and achieved things in a working environment that I never thought I could, but I also learned more about myself than I ever thought possible. This experience will stick with me for life, and is something that I know I'll look back on and have absolutely no regrets and memories of fun, laughter and friendship.

Take care, stay beautiful and dream big!
Lots of love,
@amyjcollins <3.