I can’t quite believe that already I’m nearing the end of my time at Bournemouth University. The next couple of months are going to be extremely busy as I focus on my Master’s project: a 30 minute radio documentary which is due at the beginning of August and will be the last ever piece of coursework I submit. Scary to think, but also very exciting.

This of course means that I have to start thinking about life after university. I came to BU straight from my undergrad degree with the goal of improving my employment prospects, and I definitely feel that this course has helped me do that. At this moment, it’s difficult to know exactly where I’ll be in September, but I can see so many more options in front of me now than I could before starting my MA (and I’ve never been the most optimistic person, so that’s saying something!).

Needless to say, the documentary is going to take up most of my time this summer. When it’s done, there’s the possibility of pitching it to a network like the BBC, which would be a fantastic way to get started in the industry. In the meantime, I plan on keeping my eyes peeled for any interesting opportunities that may come along, and fingers crossed there’ll be a job out there for me in a few months’ time.

I’ve had to think about whether I’d like to stay here in the UK or go back to Ireland, and I would love to stay if I can. As the UK is a much bigger place, there are obviously far more radio and media jobs in general, so I’d like to take advantage of this. But I’m also very lucky that the two countries are so close together, so even if I do have to go back home for a while, I can easily return to the UK if the right job comes along.

Prior to starting this course, all of my radio experience had been music-related. While that’s still a big interest for me, it’s been great to explore other areas as well. Although I would be perfectly happy to work in music radio, I’m hoping to be involved in documentary and feature-making on some level professionally. Fortunately there are lots of independent production companies out there, and many producers are now also working freelance, so I’m leaving myself open to a number of possibilities.

Whatever happens in the next few months, I know that I’ll be leaving BU with a wealth of new skills and a lot more confidence, which should serve me well in the future.

By Sarah Stacey