UniBlog: Let's Juggle!

Alright! Mornin' Mornin'! I hope you are all doing well, I'm doing plenty fine Thank You! So! Let's get into it!

Tuesday 27th October 2020

Weird to think that this was only yesterday, usually I'd have to go back at least a year (I joke, obviously)

The most interesting part about yesterday was the fact that it wasn't actually on campus, instead, because it was all about the assignment it was held online.

The Lecture - The Assignment (Representing The Real)

Today I found out that the Representing The Real Module is not just for Multimedia Journalism Students, but students on other courses as well - meaning it's a massive "crossover" point for students that'd never usually cross paths/meet. The only thing I don't know however, is if they are doing any other lectures/modules aside from Representing The Real, like a Media course or something. The lecture itself started off with a small re-cap over the past couple of weeks/what the module is about, before going onto the assignment

The Assignment

The Assignment is split into two - Assignment 1 and Assignment 2 (just like Newswriting).

The first is an 800 (+/- 10%) word proposal,with 25% of your grade, the second of which being a whopping 2,500 essay on a question that you "ask yourself".

An example of this would be using the question "how are journalists presented in documentaries versus films" In the first assignment you'd state that this is the question you will use and why, and in the second you ask it and have a "discussion" with yourself - talking about how journalists are presented in one, then the other, then perhaps similarities/differences and the good/bad points of both of these, before a conclusion summing it all up.

Myself? The plan is to do a comparison between SENNA and RUSH and how individuals in both movies are presented - and how the media has represented/reflected them.

It's about Motorsport, so of course, there's going to be quite some passion behind the words and as SENNA was a documentary film, and RUSH was more of a "theatrical" release it'll be incredibly interesting to look at the back and forth battle between facts/keeping it true to real life and making the film interesting enough to keep viewers attention and make a good, exciting movie.

The Hunt VS Lauda battle was already exciting as is...but did the directors/producers really need to present the two drivers as fierce rivals and hating each-other?

ROBIN STOP! THIS IS A BLOG! NOT YOUR ASSIGNMENT! SAVE THE WORD COUNT! SAVE YOUR POOR READER(S) FROM YOUR RAMBLES!!

But as you can see there's the grounds for quite the essay/self-debate.

The lecture ended on the note of referencing which I'm still a little unsure of.

Having only had breakfast on Monday (had no hot food in the fridge) and not wanting to feel shit again, in addition to the fact that it was already dark outside (not going out into WLV after sunset!) I asked Jya if he could whip me up something very quickly - and at 7pm I was called into the kitchen and....

We made a vegetarian stir-fry together using a bag of mixed veg and vegetarian sausages - which surprisingly tasted very, very "realistic" and meat-like - the texture and everything!

The 27th October would also mark the 2 Year Anniversary of this absolute gem being uploaded.

Wednesday 28th October

After finishing the previous blog, I went to sleep - knowing that I didn't have any lectures, I knew I was going to have a lazy day (and went to sleep late)

Wednesday really brought to light how much I was juggling - three modules with two massive assignments each, all due for either December or January. Also important are both my physical and mental health, as is sleep, money and resisting the deepest urge to come home and race - or drive a truck. I've already completely filled up two notebooks of notes (useless and useful) and I definitely need another before the end of term whilst also re-reading the old to make sure the information stays fresh in the mind.

Andy Jones, Kabort's current Team Principal had some words of wisdom for me - which I'll be sticking on my wall....when I have some blu-tak!

expect to get lost at some point. It's quite normal.

So my degree was maths, 10 week term. After about week 5 in EVERY term, and EVERY course, I'd start to get a bit puffed out, after week 8 I'd just be taking the lecture notes without really following. Results after 3yrs ? Easy 1st.

Week 6, half way through the first semester will be next week - and I think I'm just mainly concerned about the due date and how much I'll be able to write.

I believe it's a little like skiing - when you're stationary it's a little bit awkward and "clunky" to get started, but once you're moving from the side-lines and in the boots it looks & feels effortless, mainly because you've got a huge advantage - momentum - the same goes for the blogs. I don't write a script - I don't know what I want to say in each blog. I pretty much free-style it, with the exception of lecture notes which I copy from a paper page, condense it by tenfold, and then slap it in the blog.

In terms of homesickness - Passenger perfectly sums up my current feelings with their song "Let Her Go" - "Only miss the sun when it starts to snow" - since I've started uni I've been really missing the sensation of slinking into the rig, booting up either Euro Truck Simulator 2 or iRacing and just going driving.

The feel of the wheel in my hands, the weight and the vibration of the roar of the engine. I miss it.

Weirdly enough - and a line I don't know why I can relate to - I also "only hate the road when you're missing home" - I don't actively miss home per se, but the long and expensive (fuelwise) journey down there can be a little difficult. In particular, when it (home) is bought up, or when I do go down to Surrey, that's when I miss it.

At 3pm today, I went food shopping and managed to get a good, wide variety of foods - having missed cooked food on Monday and Wednesday this week (oops), It'll be nice to have a weeks-worth of hot food in my stomach every night.

This evening (or last evening by the time this blog comes out) I watched every bit of the 54 minute road-trip down the Calais to Duisburg road that myself and Jack Brannon did on the 27th October 2019 - and it really made me miss my old self - of just making a trucking video with a mate as absolutely anarchy goes on all around me...this gave me the thought of doing a Euro Truck Simulator Road Trip this Christmas when I return back home to the family for the holidays...but I'll tell you more much closer to the date - sheesh it's not even halloween yet! I think it's also to do with the fact that myself, my girlfriend (And one other) watched a Glee Christmas Special tonight/last night, so my mind's in a rather festive mood. As I flick back in my Academic Calendar 2020-2021 - I am also reminded that I wanted to discuss Writing Association Society.

I've probably mentioned it before, but I missed the one and only session introducing the Writing Association Club back in September.

Since then I've heard nothing from them, no emails, no conferences, nought. So weather this was just in preparation for us coming coming back on campus, or is still going on to this day - this was something I was incredibly interested in - but as with the meditation sessions, it might have just been a welcome week "gimmick" - but should we be allowed on campus for more than just lessons, then I will be the first to sign up and join haha! To finish up, it's really interesting to flick back through the Academic Calendar 2020-21. I don't use it as a calendar as such (nothing really to write in it) but more as an on-going notepad. The most Interesting thing, I believe is seeing the different things cross my mind - and watching things come and fade over time.

One clear example of the this is Automobilista 2. When it was released/announced I was truly pumped/hyped when it came out - buzzing in fact.

The combination of me not being able to afford it, being hesitant to buy it - and the final realisation that I've got both Assetto Corsa Competizioni and iRacing for my GT Racing needs...made me realize that this game couldn't offer anything particularly "new" - iRacing was a HUGE part of my life - both online, on track and in general - and it'd take a game like BeamNG.Drive with GT Cars for my mind to be swayed or for me to buy another GT racing title.

Alas, sorry about the ramble, it's 1:15am on Thursday, thank you for reading, sorry for the sudden ending, and I will see all of you beautiful people on Thursday!! - RT