Student voice - tale of two international journalism students

Two students standing over my shoulder as we were talking TV and Online, so I decided why not let them talk about what they've been up to and the experience of being here 1000s of miles away from home.
first up


Parishmita:
I am from the far northeast part of India, - these are seven small states - which is always in news for the wrong and the most happening reason i.e Terrorism. But there is more to North east than militants. To start with there is Tea (the famous Assam tea), beautiful lakes, river and mountains. I went to Maharani Gayatri Devi School Girl's public school in Jaipur (Pink city) in Rajasthan (land of desert)

David says:
( is this your intro ??) She's saying I can't do this.. ~Not here. she say's everyone will be reading. She says I'm being mean. We're having an interactive moment here. She wants to change this now.. the intro. Chinaka the other student says she shouldn't. She says I did not give her much time and that she'll look foolish (long sigh)...... [ all a bit of harmless fun] :)


Chinaka:
And I am from Nigeria...and South Africa...and Angola...one word...African. After doing an undergraduate course specialising in Publication Design, the desire to incorporate deign, photography and Film in one became very apparent. I arrived and found there was so much more to Journalism...

Parishmita:
Indeed, Chinaka. I was a journalist in India for three years but just a couple of months in the University of Westminster and it's like i have found the key to Pandora's box! The most enriching experience so far has been TV and radio. For more go here

I had no clue about film making but now i am out filming a current affairs piece with my colleagues. Phew! so far very taxing but i am enjoying every moment especially playing with the camera and practicing the 3:6:9 (David got these numbers in our brains so much that I dream of it at night).

David:
I have vowed not to edit anything out, irrespective of what they say.. Yeah even insults!!
[they're all now musing loudly how they could have put one to me]

Parishmita:
We have been continuously put under pressure and trust me, I worked in an actual newsroom in India but I never felt the pressure as much as I feel when I am working with David but that is the fun. David push you hard and you take it as a challenge and push yourself harder to show [ show him.. show him] YES you can do it.

I understand the divide between a print, tv and online journalist is narrowing down and the course that I am doing aims to churn the multimedia journalists, which is the need of the hour.

But if you really want to know about it ASK David! sometimes I wonder if times is moving fast or David's speed is faster than time. All in all, it's a privilege to get lessons from David and of course the rest of the faculty. The time, energy and ofcourse Money that i have invested in this course is after all worth it.
(I am not being nice to you David. I am just being truthful)

David:
I told her not to be nice, to be frank about her aims.

Chinaka:
Okay so I literally have like 2 seconds to briefly give an account of my experience so far here in London, studying at the University of Westminster.

I am doing an MA in International Journalism. I will not go into detail as to what the international in the name stands for, except perhaps the fact that there is not a single soul in my class of 40 from the UK. I

I remember the first time I arrived, during orientation, we have a lunch with the staff that would be teaching and guiding us for the next couple of months. I remember Gyimah asking me, “What do you want to get out of this course?”

One thing I have come to understand is that to be a journalist today, is to be a multiskilled journalist: I am currently, with a degree in Publication design, I am learning to make current affairs, TV news and features (pre prod, prod and post prod- final cut pro), radio news and features, Online journalism (learning the importance of blogging, creating websites with Flash, Dreamweaver, while incorporating design softwares such as Photoshop, Illustrator.

Due to the intensive nature of the course, you learn to understand the ways of the industry…well just a sneak preview but the hardest thing is ensure that I have not lost focus on what I want to get out of this whole experience.

It has been quite interesting to watch myself grasp information and do things that I did not think I could do. And also just being in London has given me a totally different perspective as a journalist.

A journalist can be an artist, and educator, story-teller, and I want to take this skill one day and contribute to the media industry in my country and continent as a whole.

I will continue my account in my blog...

David says I'll either trawl em back to talk more or ping you to their own blogs - if they have them running.. just joshing.. they say they want a right to reply. should I?