Writing and Communications - Solent University

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Writing and Communications - Solent University
Writing and
Communications
Writing and Communications - Solent University
Writing
     \ ˈrī-tiŋ \ noun

     1 the act or process of one who writes: such as a the act
     or art of forming visible letters or characters; specifically:
     handwriting b the act or practice of literary or musical
     composition 2 something written: such as a letters or
     characters that serve as visible signs of ideas, words, or
     symbols b a letter, note, or notice used to communicate
     or record c a written composition d inscription 3 a style
     or form of composition 4 the occupation of a writer;
     especially : the profession of authorship

Communications
     \ kə-ˌmyü-nə-ˈkā-shəns \ noun

     1 the imparting or exchanging of information, signals,
     or messages as by speaking, gestures, or writing
     2 communications plural in form but singular or
     plural in construction a a technique for expressing
     ideas effectively (as in speech) b the technology of
     the transmission of information (as by print, web, or
     telecommunication) 3 an act or instance of transmitting
Writing and Communications - Solent University
You can communicate and create.

Your writing is excellent and you have
a story to tell.

You’re itching to hone your craft, get out
there and make writing your career.
_

It’s a great move. There’s a plethora of           You’ll develop a solid understanding of the
opportunities in writing and communications,       way organisations build their brand and
and our industry-focused courses will              communicate with the public, putting you
make you highly employable in this                 ahead in the multidisciplinary world of
stimulating sector.                                advertising, public relations and marketing.
                                                   And we’ll help you to sell your own work,
Nail your narrative, develop your critical         so you can set yourself up as a freelancer.
awareness and build on your creative flair
through our hugely popular English with creative   You’ll use industry-standard facilities in
writing degree – number 1 in the UK and scored     a friendly, highly skilled and dynamic learning
100% overall satisfaction in the latest National   environment. Our team is rich in academics
Student Survey.                                    and industry experts. Our reputation and
                                                   networks draw guest speakers from the
We’ll add realism to your writing and              top of their professions. Recent speakers
communications ambitions, ensuring your            have included former Kerrang! editor
energies are channeled into unrivalled             James McMahon, and professionals from
opportunities, keeping you focused on your         Work-Club, Saatchi and Saatchi, and AKQA.
future. You’ll get to work on live briefs with     You’ll get to work on live projects with the
real-world clients, blending business acumen       UK’s top creative firms and agencies.
with industry-ready skills and your own            We also offer international study trips
cool creativity.                                   and opportunities to study abroad.
Writing and Communications - Solent University
NORWICH

                                                                CARDIFF
2                                                                              BIRMINGHAM

                                                                             LONDON

                                                                          SOUTHAMPTON

                  Why
                                                        P LY M O U T H

_                 Southampton
                  _
£1.6 billion
of new city
investment
committed
or under way
                                                                _
                                                                180+ pubs,
                                                                bars and
Southampton is a thriving                                       nightclubs
dockland city with a rich
heritage, renowned for its
culture, music and sport.
                                               _
                                                                Southampton has a thriving
                                               The home of      music scene, ranging from
                                               world-famous     emerging bands to live DJs,
                                               Premier          stadium acts and festivals.
                                               League team      Music journalists flock to
                                               Southampton      The Joiners, voted the UK’s
                                               FC               top small venue for live music
                                                                by the NME. Whatever you
                                                                like to listen to, there’s a home
                                                                for it in Southammpton.

                             It’s a great place for writers,
                             hosting an annual poetry
                             and spoken word festival and
                             enjoying the buzz of Premier
                             League football, international
                             cricket and world-class sailing.

                             _
                             International
_
                             cricket at
Over 46,000                  Hampshire
students, with               County Cricket
a population of              Club’s home
over 250,000                 ground
Writing and Communications - Solent University
Writing and Communications | www.solent.ac.uk   3

                                                                                     _
                                                 _
                                                                                     Perfectly placed
Media companies thrive in                        Southampton                         for access to
our region. We have great                        is the cruise                       locations across
relationships with Ericcson,                     capital of the                      the south:
Arquiva and the BBC. Big name                    UK and home                         Bournemouth,
advertising, marketing and PR                    to one of the                       Portsmouth
firms based in the area include                  UK’s biggest                        and the New
Lawtons, Carswell Gould and                      boat shows.                         Forest
MediaQuest. B&Q, Carnival
and Old Mutual Wealth also
have specialist PR departments.
                                                                                     _
                                                                                     Less than two
                                                                                     hours from
                                                                                     London by train
                                                                    _
                                                                    Features one
                                                                    of the UK’s
                                                                    top shopping
                                                                    centres

                                                                    Southampton is the home of
                                                                    NewsQuest, a prolific media
                                                                    group with many newspaper
                                                                    and magazine titles.

                _
                300+ acres
                of managed
                woodland and
                                                 _
                open space at
                Southampton                      Five city-centre
                Common                           parks right
                                                 on Solent’s
                                                 doorstep

                The city boasts top theatres
                and cinemas, including the
                luxurious new Showcase,
                as well as a diverse and buzzy
                Cultural Quarter for the arts.
Writing and Communications - Solent University
4   Writing and Communications | www.solent.ac.uk

                                 Charlotte
                                 Holmes
                                 _
                                 BA (Hons) Marketing
                                 _
                                 Student
Writing and Communications - Solent University
Writing and Communications | www.solent.ac.uk    5

Briefly describe a typical         Best and worst bits                 How is Solent helping you
day on your course.                of the course?                      prepare for a career?
I live outside the city so         My timetable allows me to           When I applied for university,
commuting takes time –             make time for extracurricular       I was still uncertain what path
on a normal day I will arrive      subjects and societies,             I would choose, and even
to my first lecture/seminar        alongside spending time in          had my applications for
with breakfast in hand. I find     the city with friends. The city     apprenticeships all lined up
that using my laptop for           boasts so many sights and           – I am the type of person who
notes is helpful as I can follow   activities to keep students busy.   engages better in a practical
the lecturer’s presentation                                            environment. Solent Creatives
notes online.                      Many of the lecturers that          really helped me make the
                                   teach on the course are             decision – with the opportunity
Depending on the week’s            industry professionals – it has     to work on live client briefs
workload, I will often use free    been great to hear about their      I was able to test my own
periods for catching up on         careers, and their guidance         abilities and put theory into
assignments and meeting for        has been invaluable for gaining     practice. The units during
group projects – the University    contacts and building up a          the marketing course allow
has great resource centres         platform for myself.                me to be graded upon these
that remain open late into the                                         experiences, providing me with
evening, so working up to the      The workload in the final year      the power to tailor the degree
deadline is not as stressful as    is quite intimidating – the         around my own learning style
it could be!                       first few weeks have been           and preferences.
                                   very intense. But already
                                   my lecturers have been very         Solent highlight so far?
                                   reassuring.                         The highlight of my time at
                                                                       Solent was being part of a
                                   What has surprised you              digital fundraising campaign
                                   about the course?                   which was successful in raising
                                   Keeping in contact with tutors      £1,000. Our team created the
                                   has been so easy – emails are       campaign ‘Paws4Bagdad’ from
                                   responded to very quickly           scratch, forming a brand image
                                   and one-to-one meetings are         and concept, and reaching
                                   accommodated, providing time        an audience.
                                   for feedback and support.
                                                                       What is marketing?
                                                                       Marketing is the study of
                                                                       consumer needs and the
                                                                       approach to business activity
                                                                       that aids successful sales.

“This course is for you if you have

an interest in the relationship

between business and the consumer.

You will gain an understanding of

the influences that affect a sale and

a knowledge of how businesses adapt

to meet the needs of their market.”
Writing and Communications - Solent University
Image courtesy of Une Herzer DOP @lighthackers.com

                                                                                How did university prepare
                                                                                you for your career?
                                                                                This course provided me
                                                                                with an excellent foundation
                                                                                to build on at the start of
                                                                                my journalism career by
                                                                                helping me to make a confident
                                                                                and impressive transition into
                                                                                a real newsroom environment.

                                                                                My current position at Sky
                                                                                is one of the most diverse
                                                                                in the newsroom: not only
                                                                                do I produce, but I also report
                                                                                and present. Being able
                                                                                to combine all of these
                                                                                roles is also thanks to the
                                                                                excellent tuition I received
                                                                                in these areas to prepare
                                                                                me for my career.

                                                                                Favourite Solent memory?
                                                                                My favourite Solent memory
                                                                                was in my final year of the
                                                                                course. At this stage, all the

                                             Angela
                                                                                skills had come together
                                                                                and we were all tasked with
                                                                                producing and reporting
                                                                                a piece of content under

                                             Barnes
                                                                                a deadline for a live evening
                                                                                news bulletin.

                                                                                I found a story I wanted

                                             _
                                                                                to cover with Stop The
                                                                                War Coalition in London
                                                                                and travelled to interview
                                                                                protesters outside Downing
                                                                                Street and film my story.
                                             BA (Hons) Journalism               I remember self-shooting
                                             See MA Journalism and Multimedia   my own piece-to-camera
                                                                                and really enjoyed being
                                             Communications
                                             _                                  on a breaking news story
                                                                                that other news outlets were
                                             Graduated 2008                     there covering. I returned
                                             _                                  to university with all my
                                                                                footage and really enjoyed
                                             Sky News Reporter,                 the process of putting it
                                                                                all together and getting it
                                             Producer and Presenter             ready for the news bulletin
                                                                                with the rest of the team.
Writing and Communications - Solent University
Writing and Communications | www.solent.ac.uk      7

Tell us a little about your         I work with a cameraman              What is journalism?
career story so far.                on location, advising of the         Journalism is delivering the
During my final year at             footage we need – we work            news fairly, succinctly and as
university, I started freelance     together to capture the story.       accessibly as one possibly can.
writing for the business section    Afterwards, back at our main
of the Daily Echo, gaining          studio in London, I then watch       What tips would you give
weekly by-lines. In my third        through the footage, write           to someone wanting a career
year, I also gained freelance       up my report and work with           in your industry?
work at the Evening Standard        an editor to get it ready for        I would advise lots of work
newspaper, achieving my first       broadcast.                           experience – this often leads
national front page by-line                                              to your first job, as it did
on a mayoral election               Most recently, I was in Paris,       for me. Impress during your
campaign story.                     reporting on how it is trying to     placements and always have
                                    draw tech talent over from the       ideas, be creative, be confident
Upon graduation, I was              UK post-Brexit.                      and be proactive!
accepted onto Sky News’
internship programme, a very        I love the freedom we get to be      Make the most of the
competitive placement to get,       creative and enjoy working on        University’s facilities when you
which lasted three weeks. After     something to fit all the different   are there; film, shoot and edit
impressing them, I was offered      platforms we consume now.            original reports, and practise in
a full-time position at Channel     Every day I work with a really       the studio with the kit available;
5 News, which was then part         encouraging, supportive team         build a portfolio of work when
of Sky. I worked there for a        and get to meet interesting          you have the expertise and
year as an online producer and      people with fascinating stories      tools, to help set you on your
TV reporter. After that, I took     to tell.                             path.
a staff position at Sky News
where I now work – and love         What’s your career highlight         Apply for placements and start
my job!                             so far?                              freelancing as soon as possible
                                    Presenting a programme for the       – find out who books freelance
Tell us about what you are          first time on one of the best        journalists at different media
doing now.                          international news channels          organisations, send them your
Every day at work is different,     was a career highlight for me.       CV and links to your work,
thanks to the variety of skills I                                        and persist.
have – I go between producing,      I also really enjoyed working on
reporting and presenting.           a special report from Iceland,       Also, keep any public social
                                    which I also implemented             media accounts professional –
One of the programmes               and executed – a 30-minute           you never know who looks
I occasionally host and             show where we explored the           at them!
regularly report on is called       impact of another ash cloud
Swipe, Sky News’ weekly             crisis, working with a team
flagship technology show. I’m       of scientists on one of the
tasked with coming up with          country’s most active and            “This course is for you
programme ideas, planning and       dangerous volcanoes.
executing them. I often travel                                           if you want an excellent
around Europe with the show,        I delivered a piece-to-camera
reporting on interesting stories    for TV standing in the crater        up-to-date range of core
on TV and, to accompany my          of the glacier covering Katla –
reports, writing an article for     the volcano on the watch list!       journalistic skills which
online or producing a version       Definitely a career highlight!
for mobile, Snapchat, Facebook                                           can be applied to the
and On Demand, catering to
the different platforms.                                                 different media.”
Writing and Communications - Solent University
8   Writing and Communications | www.solent.ac.uk

Jake
                                                    Briefly describe a typical day
                                                    on your course.
                                                    Lectures and seminar times

Tansley
                                                    vary from day to day but
                                                    usually come in blocks. Having
                                                    back-to-back contact hours
                                                    gives us the chance to discuss

_
                                                    in seminars (where there are
                                                    a lot of group discussions and
                                                    high amounts of guidance from
                                                    the lecturers) the topics that
                                                    were brought up in our lectures,
                                                    where the lecturer gives you
BA (Hons) Marketing with Sport                      all the information you need
_                                                   to know about a given point
                                                    in the topic.
Student
                                                    If our contact hours run over
                                                    lunchtime, then we get an hour
                                                    off, which is great to go and get
                                                    some lunch at the cafe in the
                                                    Spark with your course mates,
                                                    or to get some work done in the
                                                    library as around 50 per cent
                                                    of the coursework is done in a
                                                    group. This means it is easier to
                                                    get to know everyone on your
                                                    course a lot quicker.
Writing and Communications | www.solent.ac.uk   9

“This course is for you if you want a good understanding of business

and marketing in the sporting environment, before heading out

into the industry. If you want to progress further into education,

then Solent is a great place to start as well, offering lots of different

variations on the same study path.”

Best and worst bits of the           What has surprised you              How is Solent helping you
course?                              about the course?                   prepare for a career?
The best part about the course       Honestly, what surprised me         For the second year of the
is the content itself. It is clear   the most was how much I love        course I was able to choose an
that the course leaders really       marketing! I have always been       option for one of my modules.
thought about what we would          into sports and focused on the      Solent offers a Curriculum
need to know in real-world           more practical side of it, not      Plus module where you can
situations – and also what           really knowing what marketing       choose to learn a language.
we would find interesting –          was even about. I took a            With my ambition to do a
when they were designing this        gamble with going into sport        master’s degree in some
course. Having great lecturers       marketing and it really paid off    aspect of Chinese business/
delivering the course to us          for me. The sport to marketing      marketing, the language option
helps as well. It is not the same    ratio is balanced brilliantly       gave me the opportunity to
as school where the teachers         and if you like both of those       start to learn Mandarin in the
may not be taking a class that       subjects, then I doubt you will     coming year. The marketing
they really love. The lecturers      find this course uninteresting.     department also offers tuition
show a true passion for what                                             for CIM qualification and, with
they are teaching.                   Solent highlight so far?            the high price of education
                                     Although the course is brilliant,   these days, the University
You really have to be prepared       Solent University is about more     may be able to offer bursaries
to govern your own learning          than just academics. Solent         for certain modules as well
and come up with your own            offers a wide range of clubs        (I’m still working on it).
motivation. At school, if you        and societies to join and I play
aren’t finishing your work then      for the University rugby team.      In one sentence, what is your
you get punished and made            Having a different dimension        area of study to you?
to finish it. At university, you     to university life has allowed      Sport marketing is fun,
can go out seven nights a week       me to make some great friends.      fascinating and a great area
and turn up to two lectures;         And not only that, but playing      to start a blossoming career.
your lecturer will have a word       rugby week in and week out
with you, but ultimately if          to win the league with them
you aren’t prepared to put the       and be promoted is beyond
effort in then you will just fail    description.
and not be able to continue
with the course.
Hollie
Ward
_
BA (Hons) English
See BA (Hons) English
and Creative Writing
_
Graduated 2017
_
Marketing and
Communications
Assistant,
Radian Group

                “This course is

                for you if you love

                reading! Also, if you

                want lecturers who

                are really passionate

                about their subject.”
Writing and Communications | www.solent.ac.uk   11

How did university prepare           It’s a fantastic concept, and       the writer in residence for
you for your career?                 really linked into my degree.       Southampton Libraries. We
By giving me a whole range of        I am supporting the festival        had a great initial meeting,
opportunities to work and gain       again this year, helping to         where we brought together
skills. In my first two years,       rebrand the event, as well          our different experiences and
I acted as course representative,    as creating its website, and        areas of expertise to come up
which mostly meant going to          marketing the different sessions    with sessions themed to either
meetings and helping to make         via social media. This also         Wicked: The Musical or The
decisions about the future of        linked closely with my work         Wizard of Oz for learners aged
the course, as well as giving        for ArtfulScribe, supporting        4-14, and then got the chance
feedback about how the               with the delivery of events         to travel all over Hampshire
students were feeling about life     such as poetry slams, writing       and Dorset delivering these
at Solent. In my second year,        workshops and showcases in          sessions. The students got to do
the English team came up with        the local community.                everything from storytelling to
the Quill Society, and I was                                             drama, crafts and finally creative
elected as president. This was       I decided to try out events         writing. Their pieces were then
all about making contacts in         management on a larger scale        submitted to the Mayflower, and
industry and allowing students       and did this by working at          the best displayed in the theatre
to network.                          Solent as a graduate intern         during performances of Wicked.
                                     events assistant for one year.
Favourite Solent memory?             This was a fantastic experience     It was great to be so actively
I got tweeted by John Green!         for me. I got to work with          involved with this project, going
I wrote an article, applying         people like Ed Miliband MP and      into schools and working with
Roland Barthes’ ‘death of the        the Princess Royal, organising      children who had never been to
author’ theory to The Fault          events like campus launches         a theatre, or never heard of The
in Our Stars. This was part of       and public lectures. I then         Wizard of Oz, and seeing what
the publishing unit that you         changed role and became a           they could figure out about the
do in your second year of            communications assistant            story with the resources we
English at Solent. I was writing     within the same team,               gave them. When they were
for OntheScene, a student            supporting with everything          asked to explain what they
magazine in Southampton,             from internal communications        thought the plot of Wicked
and shared the article on            to alumni events. The staff         might be, they came up with
Twitter. Next thing I know,          at Solent are amazing, and          ideas that were better than
John Green had read it and           incredibly supportive. I would      the actual script! I really hope
responded! My article got over       highly recommend the graduate       that they get to come and see
1,000 views! It was wonderful        internship programme for any        the show, because it’s truly
and crazy.                           Solent graduates.                   inspiring.

Tell us a little about your          My current role as a marketing      What tips would you give to
career story so far                  and communications assistant        someone wanting a career in
When I started at Solent,            for Radian Group involves           your industry?
teaching really interested           everything from branding to         You’ve picked a fantastic
me. So I decided to get more         social media and stakeholder        subject. It’s so versatile, and
classroom experience and             engagement. It’s great to be        valuable to any sector. Just take
started working as a student         doing something completely          advantage of the opportunities
ambassador. I have picked up         different, as most of my work       that people are giving you now
a lot of freelance work along        experience relates to education.    – make sure your voice gets
the way, including events                                                heard and that people know
management, teaching and             What’s your career highlight        who you are/what you can do.
photography.                         so far?                             Pick up all of the experience
                                     Working on the Wicked-              that you can, listen to the
Immediately after graduating,        themed outreach project             feedback people give you and
I worked for Southampton             with the Mayflower Theatre.         don’t ever be afraid to ask
Festivals, writing all of the copy   I co-facilitated the sessions       questions!
for the SO: To Speak Festival.       with Nazneen Ahmed,
12      Writing and Communications | www.solent.ac.uk

     S olent students and               We have a multi-
      graduates have won                 million-pound media
      awards from YCN,                   complex, including
      D&AD and other                     a fully equipped
      creative organisations.            newsroom.

Why writing and
communications
_
                                         Fourth in the sector for   Sales of books and
                                         number of graduate         journals reached a record
                                         start-ups – our fourth     £4.8 billion in 2016, after
                                         top-ten year in a row.     a 7 per cent year-on-year
                                         (HE-BCI 2018/19)           increase – the biggest in
                                                                    a decade. (The Publishers
                                                                    Association 2017)

     Many courses are
     professionally accredited
     or recognised.

     There are real-world work                                      Southampton is ranked
     experience opportunities                                       12th out of 25 regional
     at our in-house creative                                       creative locations.
     agency, video production                                       (Southampton City Council
     company and more.                                              2017 / 2018 The Facts
                                                                    Campaign)
Writing and Communications | www.solent.ac.uk   13

 The creative industries         Our advertising-based              Publishing is estimated
 continue to grow and            courses also offer the             to have accounted for
 are estimated to employ         chance to visit London-            193,000 jobs in the UK
 over 1.8 million people         based creative agencies            creative economy in
 in the UK, an increase of       such as D&AD, Young                2016, almost 10 per cent
 5.5 per cent since 2013.        Creative Network (YCN)             of UK creative industries
 (Department for Culture,        and the Institute                  employment. (Creative
 Media & Sport, 2015)            of Direct and Digital              Industries 2016)
                                 Marketing (IDM).

                                 Thanks to our close                BA (Hons) English and
                                 links with industry,               Creative Writing is ranked
                                 many of our writing                number 1 in the UK and
                                 and communications                 scored 100% overall
                                 courses also offer                 satisfaction (National
                                 the opportunity to                 Student Survey 2020)
                                 take part in live
                                 briefs set by industry
                                 professionals. This
                                 enables you to solve real
                                 problems and come up
                                 with creative solutions.
Work experience is a core
element of all our writing
and communications               Throughout your studies you
courses. During the              will have the opportunity to
second and third years of        benefit from guest lectures,
study you will have the          learning valuable industry
opportunity to undertake         insight. Recent speakers have
a work placement year.           included James McMahon
You will also be supported       (former editor of Kerrang!)
and encouraged to gain           and representatives from
work experience during           companies such as Work-
your summer break to             Club, Saatchi and Saatchi,
develop your skills and          AKQA and more.
knowledge further.

Our in-house agency, Solent Creatives, gives                        The Students’ Union
you the chance to work on one-off assignments                       Solent Sparks Society,
and briefs, making you more experienced,                            in partnership with the
connected and employable.                                           National Association of
                                                                    College and University
                                                                    Entrepreneurs, offers
                                                                    entrepreneurship-focused
                                                                    activities, networking,
                                                                    practical help, events
                                                                    and guest speakers.
Joshua
Jones
_
BA (Hons) English and Media
See See BA (Hons) English and Creative Writing
_
Graduated 2018
Writing and Communications | www.solent.ac.uk                                                  15

Briefly describe a typical day on your course.

                                                                                      “This course is for you if you value independence and individuality.”
There was a lot of reading and discussion: you are encouraged to
share your views, no matter how outlandish or far-fetched you may
think they are. You are encouraged to push yourself and to learn
new ways of reading literature, and typically discuss topics such as
feminism, sexuality and existentialism, to name a few.

Best and worst bits of the course?
The level of freedom is a blessing and a curse, depending on
the kind of worker you are. For me, I thrive on the level of
independence, but I am also a very last-minute worker. It can be
difficult to motivate yourself, but there was a lot of time outside
of the classroom to dedicate to reading and research, and also to
pursue projects outside of university.

What has surprised you about the course?
I’ve always had a deep dislike of Shakespeare since secondary
school. I believe that schools don’t teach Shakespeare efficiently
enough, to say the least, and I wasn’t expecting anything different.
Now, I have an awakened appreciation of him as I never saw
myself enjoying Shakespeare’s work. I’ve since learned to read
and study literature outside of predisposed bias and prejudice.
On the media side of the course I learned that I love recording
and designing sound, and about various ways to practise and
experiment with that.

Solent highlight so far?
Putting together On The Water through Solent Creatives, an
anthology of poetry, prose and everything in between. I loved
the entire process and I discovered I had a passion for publishing.

How is Solent helping you prepare for a career?
My course helped me gain confidence and find my voice, think
differently and experiment in terms of creative writing and
expression. I’m a spoken-word poet and I like to perform and
publish poetry. The course encouraged me to do that.

On the media side of the course I learned how to use software
like InDesign (which I have used to create zines), and developed
my skills in Photoshop, Premiere Pro and Lightroom. Media courses
at Solent are very practical and hands-on. I believe the radio and
photography studios and all the equipment (which can also be hired
out for personal use) are really taken for granted: you won’t be able
to use the work spaces and equipment once you’ve graduated.

In one sentence, what is your area of study to you?
A platform for artistic and creative expression to gain confidence
and fluency in that expression, in whichever way one decides.
Why did you pick Solent?
                                   As a city Southampton intrigued
                                   me; it had a big football club and

Max
                                   I was hoping I could get involved
                                   through the course! During
                                   the open day at Solent I was
                                   impressed with the radio and TV

Whittle
                                   facilities, and this opened my
                                   eyes to what I truly loved, which
                                   was broadcast. Even if I didn’t
                                   know it at the time!

_
                                   What was the best thing
                                   about your course?
                                   All of the course lecturers
                                   were immediately friendly,
                                   welcoming and honest about
BA (Hons) Sports Journalism        their own careers and how
_                                  they could help us. They had
                                   all worked – or still did work
Graduated 2014                     – in the industry, and their
_                                  willingness to answer questions
                                   about their respective fields
Presenter, Major League Baseball   was always appreciated.

                                   They sent out weekly emails
                                   with work experience
                                   opportunities and potential jobs
                                   from alumni or fellow industry
                                   leaders. They organised regular
                                   guest lectures with big-hitters
                                   such as Matt Le Tissier, and
                                   understood exactly how to
                                   transfer the skills we were
                                   learning into the ‘real world’.

                                   What about the facilities?
                                   The facilities were fantastic, and
                                   from what I see when I go back
                                   to Solent, they’re getting better
                                   year on year. There are multiple
                                   professional studios for radio
                                   and TV – including industry-
                                   standard television galleries
                                   – it makes you feel like you
                                   are already in the industry and
                                   working towards your goals.
Writing and Communications | www.solent.ac.uk    17

“Sports journalism is for you if you are passionate about sport,

and have goals to work with high-profile athletes and cover the

events you always followed as a fan.”

The university also has a radio       I recall presenting a short video   When you walk into the set
station, Radio Sonar, where you       sports show in the newsroom in      and you see everything that
can present your own shows.           front of everyone. It was really    you might have done on work
I co-hosted a Monday night            exciting; now that I am working     experience before, and thought
football show; writing a show         in TV I always think back to        ‘I really want to be in that seat’
format with my coursemate             that moment as being the one        – and now you are – it’s a great
Alex and having total control         where I thought, ‘this is cool,     feeling. It was an honour really,
over what we talked about was         this is what I want to feel more    and I’m super grateful for it.
about the coolest thing I had         often’.                             And can’t wait to do more!
experienced at that point.
                                      What opportunities were             What tips would I provide for
If you want to become a DJ or a       there to get practical              people that want to get into
radio presenter, there is literally   experience?                         this industry?
no better experience than to          We were asked by Hampshire          You never know who you’re
get into the studio, learn how        Cricket Club to go down every       impressing at any point in time!
it feels to sit behind a mic and      week to training and create a       If you’re in a room for a job
edit your own work.                   video segment for their website.    interview, or you’re meeting
                                      It was an honour to know that       someone, or you’re going for a
Do you feel like your studies         our trips to the club and the       screen test… always be on your
helped you prepare for a              relationship we had built with      best game! Prepare as much as
career in the industry? How?          the PR staff there - and our        you can, because even if you
100%. Every core aspect was           performances in this part of        don’t get a role, you might have
covered - writing long-form           the course - had earned us paid     impressed someone in that
features, writing press releases      work for a professional cricket     room – and that will lead to
and news stories, filming and         club while we still studied in      jobs in the future.
editing both video and audio,         our final year. It was invaluable
podcasting, reading bulletins;        preparation, too - interviewing     So be prepared, and be friendly!
you really felt like you had          players, coaches and presenting     Be open-minded, too. This
all the necessary skills upon         links on the Ageas Bowl pitch.      industry will not take you
graduating.                           Cricket was one of my first         where you want to go directly.
                                      loves, so that was extra special.   if you want to be a presenter
In my third year we started                                               on TV, you can go through
News Days, which are now a            What’s your career highlight        so many different steps –
regular portion of the course         so far?                             producing, writing, working
for all years. We would put           My career highlights so far         in radio as I did… there are
together hourly radio packages        absolutely has to be working for    so many ways to get there.
or TV segments, write scripts,        Sky Sports; first as a reporter     Good luck!
book guests and film across the       in January at the Paris game
day as if we were working in          for the NBA, but then hosting
a professional newsroom. The          a studio show on the first
pressure was high; the deadlines      of March this year. It was a
and environments in which we          six-hour show with two NBA
were recording (studios, filming      games to cover and it was just
the general public etc) mirrored      so much fun.
what you do in the industry.
18   Writing and Communications | www.solent.ac.uk

Livi
Wilkes
_                                                    How did university prepare
BA (Hons) Public Relations                           you for your career?
                                                     The BA (Hons) PR and
and Communication                                    Communication degree
                                                     provided me with such a wide
See MA Public Relations and                          variety of assignments, tasks
Multimedia Communications                            and opportunities to gain
_                                                    real-life industry experience
                                                     that I felt fully prepared in my
Graduated 2016                                       PR role as soon as I graduated.
_                                                    Through experience of writing
                                                     press releases and doing
Digital PR Executive, Aira                           presentations to my cohort,
                                                     I gained confidence, skills
                                                     and practical experience that
                                                     would come to be so valuable
                                                     in the real world. The work
                                                     placements between the first
                                                     and second years also gave me
                                                     the opportunity to work in both
                                                     an agency and an in-house
                                                     environment, and to build up
                                                     my CV.

                                                     Outside of my course, I was
                                                     also a PR blogger which
                                                     provided me with experience
                                                     that I fully believe helped me
                                                     get to where I am now. Because
                                                     of the success of my blog, I
                                                     was asked to do workshops
                                                     and presentations to various
                                                     students on multiple courses,
                                                     which sparked a major passion
                                                     in me for public speaking.
Writing and Communications | www.solent.ac.uk   19

                                     “This course is for you if you’re creative, like to

                                     communicate through writing, speaking and on

                                     digital platforms, and have a passion for seeing

                                     your ideas brought to life. Basically, if you want

                                     to kick-start a successful career in the PR industry,

                                     this course is for you.”

Favourite Solent memory?             Tell us about what you                What’s your career highlight
Being awarded the title of           are doing now and what                so far?
Wessex CIPR Student of the           it involves – a typical               Some of my biggest
Year 2016 when I graduated.          working day.                          achievements to date have
To see my hard work pay              8am – I get into the office,          been landing coverage for
off and my passion for PR            check the news and reply to           my clients in the likes of
acknowledged, and to leave           any emails from journalists           Mail Online, Metro and The
university with this award, was      and editors.                          Telegraph!
simply the icing on the cake
of an incredible three years. A      8.30am – Usually at this time         As part of my job, I also get
close second favourite memory        I’ll outreach to journalists          to attend conferences and
was winning the title of Britain’s   with new content. It’s best to        events around the country
Best PR Student Blogger 2015.        outreach in the morning so as         to hear from some of the
                                     to reach the journalists before       biggest names in the digital
Tell us a little about your          their daily pitch to their editors.   PR industry about their
career story so far.                                                       experiences. Not only are
When I graduated I started           10.30am – I check the                 these events great networking
working as a communications          #journorequest hashtag on             opportunities (I bumped into
assistant at a local charity,        Twitter, to see if there’s any        a friend from my PR course
but I soon realised that the         opportunities for my clients to       at one in London earlier this
environment wasn’t fast-paced        provide comment to the media.         year!), but I’ve also been taught
enough for me, so I started                                                practical tips and tactics that
looking for an agency role.          11am – I’ll do some research          I’ve gone on to implement in
                                     and ideation for new big              my day-to-day tasks.
I soon landed a job at a digital     content ideas.
marketing agency called                                                    In one sentence, what is your
Aira in Milton Keynes, just          12 noon – Lunch!                      area of study to you?
outside London, as a digital                                               To me, the best part of PR is
PR executive – I’ve been here        1pm – I’ll work on creating           being able to make a valuable
for nine months so far and           media lists for upcoming              difference to my clients and
I couldn’t be happier. I did a       content, and find journalists         their business.
digital PR module in my third        who might be interested in
year which taught us all about       the story.                            What tips would you give
the world of SEO and the                                                   to someone wanting a career
difference to traditional PR,        3pm – Write articles and              in your industry?
and it stuck in my mind ever         blog posts. Some days I’ll be         Get experience, be confident,
since – now here I am!               writing about recruitment,            start up a blog, take an interest
                                     some days I could be writing          in the world and know the
                                     about futuristic technology           difference between traditional
                                     – it’s always different!              and digital.

                                     4pm – Home time!
20    Writing and Communications | www.solent.ac.uk

       Daniel
       Sheldon
       _
       BA (Hons) Sport Journalism
       _
       Graduated 2018
       _
       Freelance Journalist

How did university prepare          Tell us a little about your       opportunity to spend my time
you for your career?                career story so far.              covering Bournemouth and
University helped me prepare        My freelance career started at    Southampton in the Premier
for my career by giving me the      the beginning of my second        League for the national
platform to go out and get          year when I started covering      newspapers. To be reporting on
real-life work experience.          Swindon Town’s matches for        Premier League games before
Not only that, the lecturers        M & Y News Agency. That           the start of my final year at
on the course have a plethora       continued throughout the          Solent is something that I am
of contacts who they are            season and I remember seeing      immensely proud of.
more than happy to let you          the course leader at Fratton
use if you ask them. Because        Park for one of Portsmouth’s
of these contacts, I managed        fixtures and saying that
to get myself freelancing           hopefully covering Swindon
opportunities at M & Y              would lead to bigger and better
News Agency.                        things. After proving myself
                                    at Swindon, I was given the
Writing and Communications | www.solent.ac.uk   21

“This course is for you if you have

a passion for sports news and

you want to be given the tools

to learn how to deliver that news

to an audience.”

Tell us about what you               What is your area of study
are doing now and what               to you?
it involves.                         Sport journalism isn’t just
A typical match day involves         watching Premier League
me arriving at the stadium two       football and writing about
hours before the game starts.        it. It’s about being naturally
This gives me time to chat to        inquisitive, having a natural
other journalists, eat some          flair to your writing, having the
lunch and then do any final          confidence to ask questions
preparation for the match if I       and ultimately picking up a
need to. I then watch the match      telephone to ring someone.
at the same time as writing my       As a generation who spend a
report, which is normally sent       lot of their time playing on their
once the referee blows the final     phone, all too often we are too
whistle. After that, I sit down in   scared to use it to call someone.
the press conference to speak
to the managers. I then rewrite      What tips would you give
my match report but base it on       to someone wanting a career
what the managers have said.         in your industry?
From there, I go into the mixed      If I were to give one tip for
zone to try and grab a player        students looking for a career
to interview for a follow-up         in this industry, it would be
piece which will appear in the       to put yourself out there. Had
newspapers on Monday.                I not volunteered at M & Y
                                     News Agency in my first year,
What’s your career highlight         I wouldn’t have been covering
so far?                              Premier League football in my
I have had many pinch-yourself       final year. Don’t just expect
moments so far. Interviewing         opportunities to fall into your
Pep Guardiola, Jose Mourinho         lap – you have to make them
and Jürgen Klopp all stand out.      happen for yourself.
But my current highlight is
having an article published in
The Times. It is my dream to
one day work there, so when
I saw my name written above
the story I had written, it was
a moment I won’t forget.
22    Writing and Communications | www.solent.ac.uk

                                   How to
                                   apply
                                   _
1
                                                         3
Research universities
March – September

                                   2
                                                         Apply online
                                                         via UCAS – by 15 January

                                   Work on your
                                   UCAS application
                                   September – January

www.solent.ac.uk/courses
Writing and Communications | www.solent.ac.uk   23

4
Check UCAS track
                                                        Solent University

                                                        Code name: SOLNT
This is where you’ll see if you have                    UCAS code: S30
an unconditional offer (the place
is yours) or a conditional offer                        www.ucas.com
(based on exam results or other
evidence), or if your application
has been unsuccessful.

                                                                         6
                                                                         Find out if you’ve got
                                                                         your place
                                                                         You’ll see in UCAS track if your
                                                                         place is confirmed. BTEC results
                                                                         are published from July onwards
                                                                         and A-level results will be
                                                                         published in mid-August.

                  5
                  Reply to your offers
                  • Select your firm choice.
                  •	Select your insurance choice –
                     this is a back-up choice in case
                     you don’t meet the conditions
                     for your firm choice.
                  • Decline your other offers.
24   Writing and Communications | www.solent.ac.uk

                                              Extras
                                              _

                                                     Our well-equipped student residences,
                                                     with fantastic study-bedrooms, are right
                                                     in the city centre and only a short walk

 Our student
                                                     from the main campus.

 residences
                                                     For more information, visit
                                                     www.solent.ac.uk/accommodation

                                                     Worried about the cost of going to
                                                     university? There’s plenty of support
                                                     on offer to ensure that financial
                                                     circumstances don’t stop you from

 Fees and
                                                     gaining a higher education.

 finance
                                                     For more information, visit
                                                     www.solent.ac.uk/finance

                                                     Prepare for university in less than
                                                     an hour each week with our tips,
                                                     guides and quizzes.

 52 things
                                                     For more information, visit
                                                     www.solent.ac.uk/52-things
Writing and Communications | www.solent.ac.uk   25

Writing and                                          UCAS           Work            Foundation
                                                     tariff         placement       route
Communications                                       points         opportunity     available

UNDERGR ADUATE COUR SES

BA (Hons) English and Creative Writing               104-120        Y               Y

BA (Hons) Marketing                                  104-120        Y               Y

BSc (Hons) Marketing (Top-up)                        *              Y               -

BA (Hons) Marketing with Advertising                 104-120        Y               Y

BA (Hons) Marketing with Sport                       96-112         Y               Y

BA (Hons) Sports Journalism                          96-112         Y               Y

                                                     *Refer to admissions for entry requirements

POSTGR ADUATE COUR SES

MA Advertising and Multimedia Communications

MA Creative Advertising

MA Journalism and Multimedia Communications

MA Luxury Brand Management

MSc Marketing

MA Public Relations and Multimedia Communications

MA Sports Broadcast Journalism
STARS
                                                  ™

                                  RATING SYSTEM

                           2019

Solent University           solentuniversity
East Park Terrace           @solentuni
Southampton                 @solentuniversity
SO14 0YN                    solentuni

T. +44 (0)23 8201 3000
E. ask@solent.ac.uk      www.solent.ac.uk
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