My experience at the University of Lincoln (so far!)

I first came to the University in 2017 on one of the numerous open days held by every university and was immediately impressed. The quiet and picturesque city of Lincoln seemed like the perfect place to study for the next three years.

The course I chose was Politics and International Relations, (although I was told to refer to it as IR in the first lecture). After recovering from the crazy jam-packed week that is Freshers, I went to one of the societies and sports fayres that are held at the Engine Shed (inside the Student Union building) every year.

There was a much wider variety of societies on offer than I imagined, and I found that my eye was drawn to an unexpected one. I ended the fayre by signing up to be a presenter on Brayford Radio  (the online radio station run exclusively by students)  having no clue what I would talk about. I assumed the job would involve sitting behind a desk and playing my favourite music… oh, how wrong I was!

After the initial sign up of over fifty people at the fayre, just three people turned up to the meeting about rules and regulations on air. Of those three, I and another first year student were studying Politics and IR, the other was a journalism student.

We were told what we should and should not talk about, who ran the different positions on the radio, some information on the equipment, and most importantly all the swear words we COULD NOT utter on air!

All of a sudden, the easy hobby I was expecting to do once a week on a Wednesday seemed to get more complicated… this was just the tip of the iceberg.

After my first show on Brayford Radio, I realised that just turning up was not good enough. I had to plan. I needed to start writing scripts, finding news stories and weather information that could be used in my show, as well as working out what time I wanted the show to live in future.

After a process of trial and error, I am now happy with where the show is, I often interview other students and talk about relevant issues and stories.

I enjoy being able to rant, talk and express my views, never knowing whether anyone is listening or not! It’s great being able to play my choice of music and select the songs I like to hear. It can be a little bit lonely though, and it’s great when people text or message comments in, especially when I’m on air.

What is the moral of the story?

Try new things, especially things you would not normally go for. If that activity does not work out straight away, keep at it.

Work on the things that make you uncomfortable and build on your weaknesses. I never imagined when I arrived in Lincoln that I’d end up on the radio! But here I am, Lincoln’s Rhythms, on a Wednesday night. Give me a listen and let me know what you think!