Journalism

[lulu_bucket]

My son wants to go to Uni and do Journalism. Ultimately he wants to do Sports Journalism but I have told him he should do a full J course then specialise later in the Sports side which he is happy to do. The main Unis seem to be Sheffield and Cardiff. He didnt seem to like Sheffield and is looking at Cardiff soon. I know Nottingham Trent and Chester do courses but they are not a first rate Uni - do you think this matters. They may suit him better as he is a bit of a home man and both are not that far away. Nottingham Trent is designed to meet the standards of the National Council for the Training of Jouranlists (NCTJ) whereas Chester is not as yet as far as I know - how important is this etc. ANY IDEAS as to the best way to go would be appreciated - thanks.

[Buenchico]

(2-part post):

Firstly, I'd urge your son to look again at Sheffield. It's a fantastic city for students and I'm sure he'd enjoy it there. - I think you can probably guess where I got my degree ;-)

Secondly, forget about the concept that some universities are better than others. While I'd agree that some universities are better for certain subjects, there are no such things as good or bad universities as a whole. (Even Oxford and Cambridge aren't as highly rated as places like Southampton or UMIST for Engineering Sciences. Students wanting to study Environmental Sciences should shun Oxbridge and head for the University of East Anglia, which has a reputation as one of the best universities in the world for this area of study and research).

Next, I'd suggest that, if your son is going to Uni straight from school (or after an interim period based at home), it's essential that he should choose somewhere at least 150 miles from home. (When I was teaching 6th formers, and advising on university choices, I always gave that advice. Many past pupils later returned and thanked me for it). Students need to feel really independent of their parents. Additionally, students who live at home (or who regularly go home at weekends) often end up feeling isolated from their peers because they don't join in with the social life.

[Buenchico]

You mention the possibility of Cardiff. According to the NCTJ website, Cardiff don't offer first degrees in journalism. They only offer a post-graduate course.

Your son should look into the courses offered by Bournemouth, Edge Hill (Ormskirk), Liverpool John Moores, Southampton Solent, Staffordshire, Central Lancashire, Portsmouth, Salford, Sunderland and Teesside:
http://www.nctj.com/course_introduction.php

From those, I'd put Southampton towards the top of any list, simply because it's such a vibrant city for student life.

(if your son is absolutely certain that he wants to go into sports journalism, he might want to check the specialist course at Brighton, which is a wonderful city for young people).

Lastly, although qualifications can help to get a job in journalism, he'll only make progress if his writing is good enough. (Even those who end up in radio or TV studios often start in print journalism). If he's not already started to submit work for publication, it's definitely time he started. (I wrote my first sports report, for a local newspaper, at the age of 14. Over the years I've had quite a lot published, both in newspapers and magazines. I didn't bother getting any qualifications until I was in my forties. They've not made any difference to the amount of writing I get published. Ultimately, it's quality that counts).

Chris