Hey there! Please do excuse my username on here, I’ve just stumbled across this topic and had to post a comment, it’s the first thing that popped in to my head.
Plus, I live in the North West, more specifically I live around the Burnley area and there aren’t as many choices up here in the North West for such subjects as TV Production. Yes. There may be UCLAN, Grimsby (I think), and Bradford, but I wanted more choices. I know that the BBC is moving a lot of its departments up to Salford, which coincidentally, I was hanging around the building the other month because I went to go and see Hamlet performed in the theatre opposite it, for my English A Level, but that’s a different story.
Yes. There is a HUGE benefit for the BBC moving up to Salford, hopefully more placements and courses, but this could be wishful thinking I am still a little tempted, admittedly, to taking a gap year out, but I feel insecure about this as Salford/Manchester may not offer the course I want… and so on. But if you’re thinking of this, Manchester is a great place to be! Salford isn’t too bad either, but Manchester is much better. The shopping, nightlife, entertainment, M.E.N. Arena seems to be the place I spend most of my nights at now - Gaga. Best gig. Amazing!
In the end I applied to do Television Production at Gloustershire (becoming my first choice), Middlesex (seconds choice), Bradford, Bedfordshire and Southampton. I thought it may be useful for some of the users on here to listen to my opinions of the places, just coz, you’know, us teen’s like to help each other out…
First off I’ll begin with Southampton. The University actually organised an interview with me, as I live in the North West and the informed me I think it was about a week before hand of this interview I was unable to attend so I asked to change it. Yes. They did change it, but I received the phone call telling me when it was the day before. Impossible to get there you see. When I (tried to be calm) spoke to them, explaining the situation to them, they weren’t exactly co-operative and in the end I withdrew my application.
Bedfordshire. Fantastic course in my opinion. Luton however… Since I practically live in Burnley, thankfully the nice area where no crime seems to reach it, I thought ‘Oh, Luton. Can’t be too bad”. My word. If anyone has a negative view of Burnley imagine that and x10 worse. The accommodation in second/ third year out of halls would make you feel incredibly insecure. The speaker at the University, the talk in the morning, explained most students lived at home and travelled in to Luton each day. Quite a problem for me. In fact, that very same week, I discovered this after the talk as a parent brought it up in the questions at the end, that there was a mistaken identity of some drug dealers or something, and the attackers had beaten up two students. The wrong people. Yeah….
Bradford. Cheapest accommodation for students. And you can tell why. With the other Universities I had chosen they had studios, all this fancy beneficial technology. Bradford has nothing. Yes, it’s meant to be like, really good for its media, but even its lecturers didn’t excite this. It seemed like the course was just, sorry, but just a piss take for its Television Production and various other media related courses.
Middlesex is lovely! The area isn’t too bad, great links with industry as they spoke of recent student going abroad to work on projects that had been paid for by industries… Only downside with this course is that it doesn’t include light, editing, sound etc, just directing producing and management. Even though I know I’d rather focus on directing, I think it’s nice to have just that more variety in the first and seconds year, as I do quite enjoy editing and camera operation too.
Gloucester, what can I say?! Lovely place- beautiful. The only doubt I have with it is the links, but as because of where I live up here in the North West I have ITV and BBC Manchester and Salford on my plate; I’d hope that with the Universities help I’d be able to get experience here (hope being the important word here), as I have applied to therefore the past 3 years though the website and post, contacts and so on, and have had limited success. Although, I did get to shadow the BBC at my Dad’s work place in Burnley, as they were filming Antiques Master there, hung around for a week, had a dabble, you’know, good stuff! Glouster is also benefited by the area, other industry establishments are near by, Cardiff, Birmingham, Gloucester has is own radio and student TV channel that the students run, and the elements of the course are what I do like.
Although, I am still dithering a little bit. The best course for me is at Bedfordshire, probably benefited by the links and opportunities with London, Middlesex, really like, but I wouldn’t be happy with the course, but the best area is Gloucester with the benefit of an enjoyable course. Its really where your gonna be happy with at the end of the day, so this is only my waffled, and quite lengthy (MY GOD! HOW MUCH HAVE I TYPED?!) post, but I hope this gave an insight in some way…
If anyone has any questions I’m happy to answer any!
(Oh, and if anyone want information about student support regarding dyslexia, dyspraxia (which I have), Gloucester seems to be very supportive and Middlesex seem to be the most ‘supportive’)