Hey Girl: why us women need to start empowering eachother

As I'm writing, I'm listening to Lady Gaga's new album Joanne. One track that really stands out for me is Hey Girl. Not only does it feature lovely vocals from Lady Gaga and Florence Welch (where has she been recently?!), it also sends a nice message of female empowerment. It has the two ladies singing the lyrics:

Hey girl, hey girl 

We can make it easy if we lift each other 

Hey girl, hey girl 

We don't need to keep on one-in' up another 

Hey girl, hey girl 

Hey girl, hey girl 

If you lose your way J

just know that I got you 

Just know that I got you

I personally love this song and I think it's great that two female artists are singing about helping each other, rather than fighting over a man or who is the most attractive. It's nice to see this theme expressed instead of female rivalry which is often depicted in popular culture. One recent rivalry between two female celebrities that springs to mind is Katy Perry and Taylor Swift. There is literally THOUSANDS of column inches DEDICATED to writing about how much they hate each other. It is undeniable that in society, we are totally conditioned by the media to believe that women should be rivals to each other. We are constantly trying to one-up each other, whether it's in our careers or education, how we look and what possessions we own. It's also not a nice message to send out to young audiences. As a young woman, I know all too well how competitive we can be and it's not a nice environment to be in. We should be happy for the achievements we achieve, rather than tearing one another down out of pure jealousy. Wouldn't it be cool to see Katy and Taylor collaborate on a song about female empowerment, rather than tweeting indirectly about each other? Hmm...

Out of my own experience, I've found that some women can't help to be a bit bitchy, and that is myself included. However, I believe that society has gotten to the point where we can't be happy for other people. Why can't we be happy if a friend gets a promotion, a great grade at university or how their love life is going? I've always found us girls to be in constant competition with each other. We look down our noses at other women's choices in life, whether it's a career choice, choice of relationship, right down to really superficial things such as appearance and fashion. In school and university, it was always the battle of who was the smartest, most fashionable and the most attractive to males. Those were the most sought-after attributes to have. Frankly, it was exhausting trying to live up to the rules and expectations we as women set each other. I guess I'm just at the stage of my life where I'm done with the competition. I understand it can be hard to see people do well in life, but I think we forget we're meant to be happy for our friends and their achievements. If we loosened up a bit and just accept ourselves for who we are and STOP comparing ourselves with others, we'd be in much happier places in life. As for the media encouraging women to hate each other, I'm glad to see singers such as Lady Gaga and Florence Welch (who I love SOOO much) break this mould, it is so refreshing and encouraging to see.

Thanks for reading.
Niamh x

Reflecting On My Time at Uni: Thoughts and Opinions

Prior to September 2013, the  year I went to university, I wanted nothing more than to move away for uni to England or Scotland. I had always visualised myself living an amazing student life in a big city. However, things weren't meant to be. I ended up going to Northumbria uni in Newcastle, doing media and journalism, thinking it was for sure the city for me. That didn't last - after 2 months I ended up transferring back to  Coleraine which is conveniently home to a Ulster University campus, to study english.

Looking back - I think I made the right decision for myself at that time. I was 19 and quite naive and innocent. I had spent five years of high school in a tiny country school and two years at college, studying a BTEC in media. College opened my eyes up but not enough for university. Why on earth I chose to go to Newcastle is well beyond me - its famed crazy student lifestyle of binge drinking and partying wasn't really in tune with who I was then. Yes, I loved going out and having a laugh but I honestly couldn't cope with going out every night and I did feel a little pressured to fit in.

Three years on and with a degree in english, do I regret coming back home? I think if I was able to rewind time, I probably would've stuck it out in Newcastle. It would've made me grow up and I probably would have had a better student experience. I also know for a fact I would have had better career opportunities if I had stayed in Newcastle. Northern Ireland has very poor employment rates and in terms of journalism, you are incredibly lucky if a newspaper or organisation like the BBC takes you on.

However, I seriously worried about the costs of studying in Newcastle. Newcastle is a really cheap and student friendly city. But what really worried me was the course fees. At 9k a year, I couldn't really justify paying that for my journalism and media degree. It wasn't NCTJ or BJTC accredited so I couldn't really justify paying so much for it, knowing that I could transfer home and pay 3k a year in Northern Ireland. And also not to forget to mention the fact I was completely emptying my bank account going shopping. I spent a crazy amount of money on clothes and makeup and looking back, I cannot believe how stupid I was! I probably would've been super skint all the time, back then I was TERRIBLE at managing money.

Don't get me wrong, I made great friends at uni and had a good time at Ulster. I loved aspects of my english degree and it definitely expanded my mind and made me a better writer. However, I definitely didn't get a proper student experience in terms of socialising. I was living at home, travelling 15 minutes to uni and went home after lectures. Yes, I had lots of friends but struggled in the beginning as my class was very introverted. Luckily, the friends I made were from the same town so we did go out to clubs and bars the odd time.

Coleraine campus of UU

Now to be a bit controversial, I think studying english was a bit of a waste of time for me. It was a great degree with really interesting modules, especially those on gender theory and women's writing. But upon graduating, to really succeed, you need to follow it up with a masters or postgraduate type course, which I'm doing now. Whether its teaching, journalism, PR or marketing, I found employers weren't really interested or cared much for my degree when I applied for graduate jobs. Basically, it didn't really make me qualified or employable, which led me on to do an NCTJ diploma in the hopes of getting employed as a journalist sometime (soon, plz) in the future. Looking back, I think I should have chosen an NCTJ/BJTC accredited undergraduate course that would've got me fully qualified in three years, as opposed to four.

I'm nearly three months into my NCTJ course in Derry and I am loving it so far. The course content is great, my lecturers are super supportive and I'm in a brilliant class full of like-minded people. It is very much focused on getting you employed by the end of it which is exactly what I want. Having an NCTJ qualification is crucial if you want to work in newspapers in the UK, so it definitely was the right postgraduate course for me. Also the fact the course is free is AMAZING!!! I saved around £5,000, which is the cost of an NCTJ accredited journalism masters course at Ulster. I would've had to fund that myself, with no help from student finance. (RIP student loan, am lost without u) Things are looking pretty good journalistically, I'm an NUS student journalist, writing 2 articles a month (paid!!!!!) and work one day a week on placement at Local Women Magazine, which is Northern Ireland's leading women's magazine.

So overall, I think with any degree, its important to work your hardest and have a clear career plan. This is harsh but I honestly don't think you should go to uni and study any old subject without having an idea of what you actually want to do with it. I know so many people who went to uni and regret their degree subject because they couldn't get a good graduate job with it. Studying english was enjoyable - but I've had to top up my degree to make me employable. Overall, I'm feeling really positive with my career and I'm working so hard to make a career in journalism a reality!

Niamh x

If you're in the middle of applying for university, check out Northumbria University's website for a full run down of undergraduate and postgraduate courses on offer: https://www.northumbria.ac.uk/study-at-northumbria/

The Art of Trying to Stay Positive in Life

I think it is fair to say that 2016 has been one hellish year. Between politics going absolutely bonkers with Brexit and Trump getting elected, to humanitarian crises in the Middle East and Europe, to Brad and Angelina breaking up, I'm not sure humanity can't take much more!

Personally, 2016 has been an incredibly negative year for me. Between graduating university, getting rejected from a masters course, employment problems to huge falling outs with friends, I am so excited to see the back of 2016. However, because I've gone through so much, my coping mechanisms have improved. Through all my stresses and disappointments, I have learned to manage my emotions and anxiety so much better than I ever did before. I know myself that I can be a massive pessimist and definitely see the world through some very cynical glasses, but it is important to not focus on the bad and try to at least, see things from a positive point of view.

Here are a few things to remember and to possibly consider when you're feeling down and out.

1. Always breathe 
2. If something shocks me or if I get really bad news, I always need to sit down and breathe very slowly and deeply. I usually panic and get much worse if I don't sit and calm down. By breathing deeply, it allows your mind to process things while giving your body a rest.  

Stop trying to be perfect 

One bad thing I will admit about myself is that I strive to have it all. I want the job, the relationship, the friends, the house etc. We put so much stress on ourselves to be perfect, we get so unhappy if we don't meet expectations we force upon us. We need to stop trying to be perfect and try and be happy with who we are. It's ok to make mistakes. 

Exercise 

I cannot stress how beneficial this is. By simply going out for a walk can hugely improve your mental health and mindset. If bad things happen to me, I grab the dog and go on a long walk to improve my mood. Exercise releases chemicals called endorphins that improve your mood which is definitely useful when you're feeling down and lost about things. 

Accept and find solutions 

A lot of us are resistant to change. We hate change! Whether good or bad, changes inevitably happen all throughout our lives and it's important to be able to adjust and work with changing circumstances. The last year I have had to adjust to MANY changes such as finishing university, changing jobs and realising that friends change and move on. I have had to accept changes and find solutions. Negative changes can throw us off even worse, but when our brains are conditioned to stay positive in negative situations, we are able to cope so much better. With the power of positive thinking, we can learn to put negative situations in perspective and be able to deal with them.

Talk to friends and family 

I always find talking to a close friend or family member hugely beneficial. I am a worrier but find solutions in airing out my problems by talking about them for hours (quite literally!) There is something very cathartic by releasing your inner thoughts and emotions and getting another persons take on things. It is always important to listen to advice, as our own decision making isn't always the best thing to do depending on a current mindset. 

Remember everything is temporary 

Every time there is a dark cloud, it eventually moves on. Every time you get hurt you heal. As cliche as it sounds, after darkness, there is always light - meaning nothing lasts for forever, happiness will come along soon enough. When I was going through a tough time, I honestly believed nothing was ever going to get better or change. But it did. Just because life is horrible for a moment, doesn't mean it'll last forever. 

To whoever is reading this, just remember bad things pass. It is hard to remain positive but life constantly changes and moves on, everything is temporary.

Niamh x

Does Public Transport Do Enough For Students?

Hi there! I thought I'd post an article I wrote for the National Union of Students on my blog just for everyone to see before it's published. It is definitely a topic that not only annoys me, but seriously effects students throughout Northern Ireland.

Does public transport do enough for students?

It’s the question that always plagues your day as you step outside. Will my bus turn up on time? Will the train be delayed? Is there engineering works on the line? The answer to a lot of these questions is yes and here in Northern Ireland, it is a single company that will decide whether you get to university or not.

Translink, who operate both the trains and the buses in Northern Ireland are often reliable within Belfast and Derry as well as major towns, but unfortunately for those who live in rural areas or further afield, it can be far more difficult.

Jonny, a journalism student at Ulster University at Coleraine, lives in Dromore, a small village outside Lisburn, says:

"One issue is the apparent lack of communication. If a train is delayed, the trains that people could get are rarely held back to accommodate them. Travelling up and down the country is hardly ideal and between that and a lack of being notified in regards to problems on the line mean that it's possible to get stuck somewhere for an hour without a way home. With one railway track between our two major cities, that says all you need to know."

But it’s not just the problems with the train itself. Lectures at Ulster University where Jonny studies end on the hour, which means a mad ten-minute dash to get down for the train back to Belfast.

"The lack of communication is really frustrating with lectures ending on the hour or slightly after, leaving students running for the train constantly. While that is no fault of Translink, the university should be changing their teaching schedule."

 However, it isn’t just the trains that cause students difficult. The buses have their fair share of problems too. This is mainly down to scheduling with a limited service during weekdays.

Maddie who lives in Derry, currently has a placement for her journalism course in the town of Omagh. With no rail links in County Tyrone, she must rely on the bus service to take her the 66 mile round trip one day per week, with only one service per hour.

She says: “I found that travelling to college the buses were often late and basically left me in a lurch, because if I got an earlier one I’d be there far too early.

“I'd say the nature of relying on public transportation forces you to be organised and on time. This isn’t a bad life skill to learn even the hard way.

“But for me, it appears for Northern Ireland that it's a bigger issue of lack of investment”.

Of course, with many students living within travelling distance of home, many often go back for the weekend, but cannot purchase open returns with no fixed return date. With only single day returns available on the buses and trains, quite the cost can be racked up. A single from the university town of Coleraine to Belfast off-peak still stands at £11.50.

We are always told, save the hassle of driving, no insurance needed for the bus, to just sit back and relax. But with all the above in mind, it is time to ask ourselves, is it all worth it? 

Does Public Transport Do Enough For Students?

Hi there! I thought I'd post an article I wrote for the National Union of Students on my blog just for everyone to see before it's published. It is definitely a topic that not only annoys me, but seriously effects students throughout Northern Ireland.

Does public transport do enough for students?

It’s the question that always plagues your day as you step outside. Will my bus turn up on time? Will the train be delayed? Is there engineering works on the line? The answer to a lot of these questions is yes and here in Northern Ireland, it is a single company that will decide whether you get to university or not.

Translink, who operate both the trains and the buses in Northern Ireland are often reliable within Belfast and Derry as well as major towns, but unfortunately for those who live in rural areas or further afield, it can be far more difficult.

Jonny, a journalism student at Ulster University at Coleraine, lives in Dromore, a small village outside Lisburn, says:

"One issue is the apparent lack of communication. If a train is delayed, the trains that people could get are rarely held back to accommodate them. Travelling up and down the country is hardly ideal and between that and a lack of being notified in regards to problems on the line mean that it's possible to get stuck somewhere for an hour without a way home. With one railway track between our two major cities, that says all you need to know."

But it’s not just the problems with the train itself. Lectures at Ulster University where Jonny studies end on the hour, which means a mad ten-minute dash to get down for the train back to Belfast.

"The lack of communication is really frustrating with lectures ending on the hour or slightly after, leaving students running for the train constantly. While that is no fault of Translink, the university should be changing their teaching schedule."

 However, it isn’t just the trains that cause students difficult. The buses have their fair share of problems too. This is mainly down to scheduling with a limited service during weekdays.

Maddie who lives in Derry, currently has a placement for her journalism course in the town of Omagh. With no rail links in County Tyrone, she must rely on the bus service to take her the 66 mile round trip one day per week, with only one service per hour.

She says: “I found that travelling to college the buses were often late and basically left me in a lurch, because if I got an earlier one I’d be there far too early.

“I'd say the nature of relying on public transportation forces you to be organised and on time. This isn’t a bad life skill to learn even the hard way.

“But for me, it appears for Northern Ireland that it's a bigger issue of lack of investment”.

Of course, with many students living within travelling distance of home, many often go back for the weekend, but cannot purchase open returns with no fixed return date. With only single day returns available on the buses and trains, quite the cost can be racked up. A single from the university town of Coleraine to Belfast off-peak still stands at £11.50.

We are always told, save the hassle of driving, no insurance needed for the bus, to just sit back and relax. But with all the above in mind, it is time to ask ourselves, is it all worth it? 

I, Daniel Blake Review

I, Daniel Blake (15)

Starring: Dave Johns, Hayley Squires

Director: Ken Loach

Ken Loach produces yet another incredibly thought provoking film with I, Daniel Blake, which casts a hugely critical eye over the benefits system in the United Kingdom.

The film, which focuses on a joiner from Newcastle upon Tyne who finds himself unemployed and unable to work, provides a scathing outlook on the state and those in poverty. Blake, who has a heart attack, finds frustration in his inability to come to terms with the rigorous and harsh procedures in his attempts to obtain Employment and Support Allowance.

After being knocked back by the Job Centre, his only option is to go on Job Seekers Allowance, waiting for his appeal to be assessed. In this time, he meets Katie, a young single mother from London, who with her two young children moves to the North East after being offered a house from her local council authority. Daniel and Katie form a strong bond and the stereotypical Geordie friendlessness is portrayed in a poignant and poetic way as Katie struggles to make ends meet, buying necessities such as food, toiletries and school uniform for her kids.

Perhaps the most harrowing scene of the film is when Katie is forced to have to use a food bank to provide for her family, in which she ravishes a can of food after not eating for so long. Despite the dramatics, the scene is all too familiar with many working class towns around the country, with thousands of people now having to resort to abhorrent means, just to stay afloat.

The film comes to a head after Blake decides to spray graffiti outside the Job Centre in order to get his point across, in a picture that clearly outlines Loach’s desire to highlight how those on benefits are not listened to and cast aside as social pariahs. The politically charged message strikes a note, with the sense a raw belief that this could be someone living at the bottom of your street. It has already struck a chord with many left-wing politicians in Parliament, including SNP member Mhairi Black, who went on to deliver a five-minute speech in Holyrood and urged members of the house to go and see the film.

Despite being panned as “propaganda” by many, Ken Loach has produced something truly moving and heartfelt, with a sense of something that is not only close to home, but raises so many questions about welfare. Having watched the picture at Queen’s Film Theatre in Belfast, I can assure you there wasn’t a dry eye in the house. If you don’t go and see anything else this year, make sure you at least see I,Daniel Blake.

I am now a student journalist for the National Union of Journalists!

Last week, I was absolutely over the moon to discover that I had been chosen to be a paid student journalist with the NUS! I had to pick what type of journalism out of their list I'd like to cover which was Student Perspective - which was all about how society/current affairs/politics affect students and their perspective.  I have to write two articles per month and I cannot wait to get started.

Obligatory airport Starbucks

On Wednesday I had to travel to London to attend an induction which was all about the role, what being employed by the NUS is like and the history of the organisation. I met some really cool people and we were all chuffed we were all women involved in journalism - which of course is a traditionally male-dominated profession. I'm really looking forward to working with my team, they seem like a great group of girls.  The induction itself was on Thursday so I had a full day to myself to wander around London. I absolutely love London so really, it was the perfect day to explore the city all by myself. It was somehow really therapeutic to be by yourself, doing the things you want to do without being held back by anyone. I went ALL OVER the city from Westminster, Buckingham Palace, Trafalgar Square, to Covent Garden and St Pauls cathedral. I even found the restaurant that Channel 4's TV show First Dates is set in which my boyfriend and I watch... definitely not sad at all!

On Wednesday it was a beautiful autumn day, London looked absolutely beautiful. I hadn't visited for 3 years so it was great to see sites I didn't get the chance to see before. Also, I absolutely LOVE the London Underground, you can get from one end of London to another so quickly.

At the induction, we had speakers from the National Union of Journalists (which I get a free membership for a year through the role - YAY!) and Press Associates. It was really cool having industry specialists come in and talk to us. I love going to events like this because it really pushes me to become a proper journalist. London is an amazing city with so much going on. If it wasn't for the high cost of living I'd definitely move over. London is such a catch-22 city, yes it is the centre for so many industries and has loads of job opportunities, it just happens to be one of the most expensive cities to live in the entire world. It is also great to be working for the NUS and having a contact in London. I just hope it all works out for me and that it will help me get my break in journalism. I'm so excited to get started!

Why the glamorisation of dangerous men needs to stop

BBC2’s Northern Irish series The Fall concluded last Thursday night and to say that Jamie Dornan’s performance as Paul Spector was nothing short of scary and manipulative is an understatement. If you’re not aware, Jamie Dornan plays a murderous psychopath nicknamed “The Belfast Strangler” – who rapes and murders women around Belfast. His acting is genuinely impressive and completely captivating – he does a great job of playing an evil, woman-hating man. However, as I watched the gruesome scenes of the series finale, I couldn’t help but think of the roles Dornan has chosen to play in the past. I’ve noticed a pattern. His most high profile roles all happen to be abusive men treating women badly. In Fifty Shades of Grey he plays billionaire and S&M obsessed Christian Grey, who controls, sexually exploits and emotionally abuses his interest Anastasia Steele. Between Christian and Paul – they’re all brooding characters that women for some reason, can’t help but find attractive. Yes, Jamie Dornan is a very good looking man but I can’t help but feel a bit uncomfortable knowing people fancy his character in The Fall.

At university, I studied an English module called “From the Vote to the Pill” which was all about female writing and trends throughout the 20^th and 21^st century in literature and society. Towards the end, we learned how massive sellers had male love interests that were actually dangerous to women and created harmful expectations of relationships to readers. Twilight and Fifty Shades were on the syllabus and as a former Twilight and Robert Pattinson fan, I can no longer look at the series in the same light again. It totally sets the wrong expectations of love and relationships. All these contemporary book series glamourize dangerous and abusive relationships which is not ok, especially to young, impressionable readers.

Perhaps it’s the case of Jamie Dornan being pigeonholed in these roles or that he simply enjoys playing emotionally broken men, no one can say for sure. He does play these characters fairly well – I just hope he realises that he is helping push this idea that men who manipulate, stalk and harm women are somehow considered desirable and sexy.