What motivated you to pursue postgraduate study?
As an individual deeply interested in journalism, I wanted to learn more from experts and practitioners in this field.
Having experience in Film, TV and Radio Production I also wanted to advance my skills to broaden my employability. Moreover, my desire was also to meet a plethora of new people from around the world.
What were you doing before applying for a postgraduate degree?
I studied Film and Television Journalism at the University of York. I worked and still do work as a journalist for a local radio station, one of the biggest Polish sports websites and have also my own one about local sport in my city.
Were there any challenges affecting your decision to study a postgraduate degree? If so, how did you overcome them?
Probably the biggest challenge was uncertainty about the pandemic and how it would affect the course. I think that City coped with this problem very well, giving their students an option to continue courses from their homes.
Why did you choose City?
I wanted to broaden my skills in journalism and City, University of London is thought to be the best place to do it in the United Kingdom. My supervisor from my previous university also suggested that it would be a very good option for me.
How are you funding your studies – did you secure any financial support?
I was lucky to be still eligible as an EU student to receive a student loan to cover the financial side of my studies.
How are you finding studying in the UK – either in person or remotely?
I have already studied in the UK, so it is not new experience for me. However, what is totally new for me is doing my course only remotely. I find this is sometimes challenging but also develops experience.
The system of British universities prioritises students and puts emphasis on practical tasks which is an excellent warm-up before entering the job market.
What does a typical week at university look like for you?
It all depends on the term of the year as the intensity of the course varies. However, apart from lectures, workshops, and practical sessions my time was filled with interviews that I conducted for the course, and my part-time jobs (both for City and also for media).
During the first two terms I also undertook a German language course. Finally, every week I also do a lot of sports, including cycling, playing football or swimming.
What has been your favourite module or aspect of your course so far?
As a person crazy about sport, I obviously enjoyed very much the Sports Specialism that I did in my second term. But my favourite modules were probably Broadcast Journalism and Production as we really engaged with the rest of my group and spent a lot of time together.
However, I also liked other group projects that I did with my amazing course mates during the other modules.
What knowledge and skills has your course helped you develop?
The course definitely helped me to broaden my independent work skills. Although we had to do many projects and assessments with other course mates, we also needed to do a lot of individual work - for instance interviews.
I believe the skills that I gained during this year will help me in the future as a journalist.
What opportunities and experiences has City offered you so far?
City offers very good language classes. I took a German course which I found very interesting. Although I did not have a lot of experience in learning this language, our tutor was very helpful and made the course accessible for people with less skills in German.
City also offers a variety of interesting meetings with people from a variety of backgrounds. For me it was always nice to have a chance to speak to renowned journalists from around the world during these sessions.
What are your career plans and how has City prepared you for them?
I would really like to pursue my career in journalism. City is an amazing place for it as it helped me to advance my skills in this field. It also gives you multiple options for networking which could be very helpful when looking for my next job.
What advice would you give to someone considering a postgraduate degree?
You need think about what you would really like to do after the course, and whether this course would be suitable for you.
However, I believe that you should always try to study something that really interests you. You cannot undertake a course only because it can be useful for you. It is essential for you to also enjoy it.