140th Blog Post Week Sixteen - The Christmas Holiday Begins

The Christmas Holiday has begun!

On Monday, the last day of the Christmas Fayre, I was at college to run the stall I was volunteered to run, but it wasn't there.  Whether it was sold out, or it's owner decided to stop selling stuff, I don't know because nobody told me.  Thankfully, there one stall left, and I helped run it.

On Wednesday, for Events, I printed off my portfolio for the class and handed it in.

On Thursday, I continued on with my storyboard in Understanding the Creative Process.  In Intro to the Media Industry, we were double checking which outcomes were done and handed in.  In Photography, we were doing interior shots, then making sure that our work is all getting together.

This morning, we were just in for Advertising, which finished at 11, and the holidays started when the class finished, despite Iain's jokes that it was not quite.

I hope that we enjoy Christmas and all goes well for our last couple of weeks of Semester one after we get back.

Wish us all luck.

Week Fifteen - The Christmas Fayre

The Christmas Fayre is here at Inverness College.

On Monday, we were setting up the tables for the event, with Tuesday as the opening day.  I helped manage the food and drinks table and one of the stalls.  We had a raffle for the charity Cash for Kids, raising nearly £90, and even Tracy our lecturer was impressed.

At the Events class on Wednesday, all we did was write up our evaluations of ourselves and how we thought we did as a group, and updating our evidence for our event's portfolio.  Tracy will then evaluate how she thinks we did.

On Thursday, in Understand the Creative Process, I continued my work on the storyboards Lorraine asked for.  Allison our lecturer for the Intro to the Media Industry seems to have gone off work, and won't be back till January, and nobody seems to know why.  In Photography, we were updating or logbooks and planned for interior photos for next week.

On Friday, Advertising went by quietly, with Ken talking about press adverts.  In the Basic Website Development, I worked on my website, having learnt that all the work I've done so far is a pass.  I have finished the Communications class having passed all the work I have submitted and done my talk for the class.

On Monday next week I have to help run the Christmas Fayre on its last day.  Then we have Wednesday, Thursday and until 1pm on Friday, then we are on holiday for Christmas.

I hope that next week goes well for all of us.

Wish us all luck.

Week Fourteen

This week has been another quick week, only this one has a snowy end to it.

On Wednesday, the final plans for the Christmas Fair was worked with a rota for us all drafted out.

In Understand the Creative Process class on Wednesday morning, I worked on the class project, making a second storyboard about underaged drinking.  In the Intro to Media Industry class, the report I sent was passed, so I made an effort on the side project, a minute and a half film trailer.  In Photography, we were asked to get our work together in a portfolio which we will hand in when Iain asks for it.

Today, we had seven of us all, about half of the course, in this morning due to snow, and during Advertising, we could see the snow come and go every few minutes or so.  The glass roof of the course is just white with snow.  Our PAT Rebecca is stepping down from being our PAT so she can finish on her PhD on literature, and I wish her the best of luck.  By the time of the second class, Basic Web Design with Iain, there had been an announcement on the college loudspeakers asking for students who have travelled from far places such Invergorden and Grantown-on-Spey to report to the reception, which I've heard was busy, so they can get home before the weather grew worse, that left just three of us, then two.  Our last class, Communications, was cancelled, so we finished early and headed home.

I hope that the Christmas Fair goes well next week and we will do well.

Wish us all luck.

Week Thirteen - College Work Starting To Gather Pace

This week has gone by quickly, and December has started.

In Events, we created Cancelled Poster in case we have to cancel our event.  We got our main posters today (Friday) and we were asked to find places to put them up.  Just two Tuesdays left before the event starts.

In Understanding the Creative Process class on Thursday morning, we were using the photos from last week to create a storyboard that would bring awareness of underaged drinking.  In the Intro to Media Industry, I worked on with my report about the media industry by writing about a film company (Disney), which is now all done and handed in, just need to wait for Allison's review.  I Photography, we got our photos from the Big Sing event last Friday, here's a link for the newsletter about the event with our photos.

In Advertising, we doubled checked who needed to hand in their analysis of adverts before looking at next task for the task.  Web Design went very quickly, to make up for the Communications class from last week, making a start on what we're to put into our website's pages.

This week went well for us, I hope that next week goes well for us.

Wish us all luck.

Week 12 - First Snow of Winter

This week went by very quickly, and we've had our first snow of winter at college on Thursday.

On Wednesday we were finishing up on our posters for the event.

On Thursday, first class, Understanding the Creative Process, had me, Alex, Robert and Kieran taking photos for a storyboard about underage drinking.  In Intro to Media Industry, I was writing part of the 1500 word report about film companies, so far I've written about 10 key job roles and the restrictions of making making, just need a film company to write about.  In Photography, the last class, we were planning for the outing today.

First class of today had us finishing up on analysing adverts, TV, radio and press.  Our Web Design and Communication classes didn't happen as we were doing our Photography outing trip.  It was a singing at East Church in Inverness and we had, as a course, been asked photograph and film the event.  Doing photography in my spare time, I took photos quicker than expected, so I had to delete some that didn't look good to take more.  I think that we had a great time, and we were allowed to go as we pleased after the event was done.  Next week, we'll get our photos sorted.

I hope that next week goes well for all of us.

Wish us all luck.

135th Blog Post - Review of Week 11

This week has gone by very quickly.

The Event Organisation class was quick, we had another look at the location the event is to take place and plan where the tables are going.

On Thursday, in Understand the Creative Process we looked at some Acts that s person hoping to get a show commissioned must consider before the show is commissioned.  In Intro to Media Industry, we made sure that our work was up to date, and I've begun to look at one task we've been given in which we are to write a script for minute and a half long trailer, sounds like fun.  In Photography, we went back to East Church in town to do more photos and some video recording of the place, with the event next week, and I look forward to telling about it.

Today, we were looking at radio adverts in Advertising.  In Basic Web Design, we completed a rough plan of our websites, complete with sitemaps and wireframes of the webpages.  My Communications project almost complete.

I hope that net week goes well for all os us.

Wish us all luck.

Week 10

This week has gone by very quickly.

In Event Organisation, we made sure that our portfolio was up to date and started working on the event's poster.

In Intro to Media Industry, we started one of our assessments.  Last week, I became part of a group that was going to do a video on MGM, but this week, we've decided to write our own reports about other film companies, 10 key jobs int he companies and restrictions of the film companies, which we've all started working on.  In Photography, I got my photos sorted.

Today was different.  In Advertising class, we started to look at our TV favourite adverts and write a review of them.  We didn't have Web Design class, as we went out for Photography, we've been asked to photograph an event in a couple of weeks, and we went to see the place where the event is, and take photos of where the best place to take the photos will be.

I hope that next week goes well for all of us.

Wish us all luck.

Review of Weeks 8 and 9

Week 8 was mostly about getting back to college.

Week 9 had some fun.  On Thursday, in Photography we went out doing landscape photos, just the downloading took what seemed forever.  For Friday, half of the course wasn't at college, but for the Basic Website Development class, we began to have a better understanding of what projects we can do for our sites.

I hope that this week goes well for all of us.

Wish us all luck.

The October Holiday is on!

Last week went by and it was very fast.  Not a lot really happened, other than just waiting for the holidays to begin.

In Photography, we went out and took photos around the college.  Alison MacBean, one of our lecturers, was ill, so we had another lecturer supervising us.

Today, the remains of Hurricane Ophelia has brought red clouds and red glow that has caused me to switch lights on inside my home.

I hope that we will have nice week off before we go back to college.  We've got an assessment on Web Design with Iain when we get back.

Wish us all luck.

Review of Week 6 and Last Week before the October holiday

Last week seems to have sped by very quickly and my memory of the week seems to have left me.

But I do remember that in Photography we've been planning on taking the photos, and in Intro to Media Industry, I was asked to amend a report on media consumption for Alison, which I have done today, and passed.

Today in Event Organisation, we have been going over about filming the event and making a film promoting the event.  Tomorrow I'll need to double check the opening times for the library and the study area one the October holiday.

Next week we will have a week off college, hopefully I'll be able to recharge my batteries.

I hope that all goes well for us this week.

Wish us all luck.

130th Blog Post - Review of Week 5

Last week went by very quickly.  Wednesday began well by having a fire drill.

In the Event Organisation class, I suggested as suggestion my aunt made the night before about asking shop donating food for our event.  Tracy has told us that the drama students wish to act characters from Charles Dickens's most famous story A Christmas Carol, and I think that it would a great idea as I have played Bob Cratchit last December in a drama group at Eden Court, it was great fun.

In Intro to Media Studies, we've been given a task of making an advert targeted to young people about underage drinking.  The group I'm in have made a couple of storyboards.

For Photography, being a nice sunny day, we went and around the campus taking photos with the cameras Iain provided for us.  I think most of my photos were of the swans and ducks (I don't think one swan liked me taking a photo of it).  Just need to double check what sort of cameras to use.

The Webpage Design class has been looking at colours for a webpage, and Iain has given more information of what our website is to be like.

I hope that this week goes well for all us of at college.

Wish us all luck.

Review of Weeks 3 & 4

I can't remember that much of the third week, just that in our Events Organisation class, we have been given a budget.  For Communications I have started on the project for the class, making a leaflet for students between 15 and 18 who would think of coming to college, then do a presentation of the project.

This week has gone by very quickly.  During our PAT class, we discussed with Tracy the highs and the lows of the course so far, such as the fact we're not doing as much filming, but Tracy explained that the failed Higher Media last year was not the course as it seemed, but just the class, and the reason behind the less filming this year as perhaps to ease the students more.

In the Event Organisation class, we discussed what the event will be called and even mentioned a tagline for the event.  In our Photography class, we were discussing shutter speeds of the cameras.  One of our classes had us writing a report of our use of media.  In our Web Design, we looked at the footing of the lettering on the webpage.

I hope that next week goes well for all of us.

Wish us all luck.

Review of the first two weeks of NC Media

The first week was mostly introductions about the course's first semester's classes.  Thursday was an interesting day.  Our timetable told us that we had the Photography class from 3 till 5 in the afternoon.  But, during lunch, at about 2.30, our lecturer Iain, found us in the canteen and told us that, according to his timetable the class was from 2 till 4, and the second class of the day, which we already attended to was after the class (4 till 6).  So, there was much explanation of the differences of our timetables, and Iain told us that our timetables looked like last year's timetables.

The second week ran a little smoother.  We got an updated timetable and Thursdays are now sorted.  One of our classes is about media, and we have been discussing about the age ratings for films.  We've used the BBFC website, which shows film ratings, for example Watershed Down, an animated 1978 film about rabbits looking for a new home, is rated a U, but one of us on the course is surprised to this, due to the mild threats and violence.  Another example is Steven Spielberg's infamous 1975 film Jaws, here in the UK, it's rated as a 12, over in America, it's rated a 15 (and I admit, I don't blame them).  For Event Organisation, we were asked to sit in the groups under each task given to each group (and I'm in the Food group) before we were tasked to do research for our tasks.

One class, Communications, I don't need to do as I have already done that level (Level 5) and I don't need to do it again, instead I'll be doing a project for it and just sign in.

I hope that this week goes well for all of us.

Wish us all luck.

First Day of NC Media

Today was our first day of NC Media - and today we got our project for our Event Organisation class.  First we had our PAT session where we filled in forms for our PAT Tracy Kennedy, which will help her understand us as students and what problems we might have, and for us to understand what we can do, and what we can't do, as students.

For Event Organisation, we have visitors from the Art department, who are hoping that we (NC Media) can organise and do an art event near Christmas after the success of Art department's Christmas show last year.  While they had about a month do so (they came up with last year's event in November and had a month to prepare before the event) we've about three months (plenty of time).  Today we looked at making team rules and teams to help organise easier, such as adverting, food for the event and who might greet our visitors.

I met Anne at SkillZone to double-check my ECDL Advanced Presentation, and so far so good, just paper work to fill in, and all shall hopefully be good.

At our PAT class, Tracy had us moving around so we all can get to know each other better.

I hope that the rest of the week goes well for all of us.

Wish us all luck.

Back at College for NC Media

I'm back at Inverness College for NC Media.  I've done it! - I'm on the course!

We had our Induction day today and we were told more of the course for this year.  It looks like we might be doing as such films making as the previous year did, but perhaps more about graphic novels (or comics), which sounds interesting.  Photography is still a possibility.

The course sounds interesting and I can't wait to start.

Wish us all luck.  

125th Blog Post - Summer Holidays has Begun!

I'm now on holiday!

It's hard to believe that the holidays are here.  For me, I'll be visiting Northumberland for a couple of weeks.  Then, I'll be waiting for August for the start of the NC Media course

I've bumped into Donald the day after the General Elections and he showed me the piece of the video I helped him make before he showed me the video as a whole he had been working with the rest of the course.  It was quite good.  I bumped into some students from Culloden Academy today - possible future students.

I have been told that the NC Media course starts towards the end of August.  I'm looking forward to the course starting.  I hope that the course goes well for us.

I hope that next academic year goes well for all of us.

Wish us all luck.

ECDL Advanced Word Completed!

Today has been great - I have passed ECDL Advanced Word!

Anne from SkillZone is pleased with the result of 91% (apparently, it's the highest percentage for passing) and has given me the book for Powerpoint and hopefully she can help with the enrolment form for the Powerpoint part, I'll look over and have it done by the time I start NC Media.

I hope that all goes well for all of us at college.

Wish us all luck.

Into May & Final Term of the Year

We've been back at college since the 24th last month, the day after St. George's Day, and I've been busy.

Fellow student and friend, Donald, who's doing NC Media this year, asked me to help out on a video project he's doing for the course, and I agreed to help.  Last Friday, Donald and I were in the SkillZone and I acted for his video, however one of the cameras weren't formatted properly, so we did the shots the camera should have done over again.  I bumped into Donald later and he told me that he was happy with the shots and will let  me know for the project.

For my ECDL course, I have been doing sample tests, and I have done well, and Anne and I hope that I might try the real test as early as Monday.  I hope that it will go well.

I hope that all goes well for all of us at college.

Wish us all luck.

The Easter Holidays has begun

The Easter Holidays has begun for us here at College, and we're off for two weeks.

I have done a couple of Practise tests for ECDL Advanced Word, but it will be after the holidays before I will hear anything.  Anne has suggested that I might be able to start the Advanced Presentation part of ECDL and cover it during the Summer holidays before I start on the NC Media course.

At College, we, us students, have received emails about spam or phishing emails.  One of them has a link to the BBC website about how to avoid them.  I think that you might find the link useful.

Donald, who I studied the Digital Media courses with, is doing studying the NC Media course, and is doing a small video for one of the classes, and has asked me to help out.  I think that it would help me understand more of the course I'll be studying next year.

I hope that all goes well for us all at college.

Wish us all luck.

St. Patrick's Day - Easter is Coming

It's St. Patrick's today, a day of holiday in Ireland.  But we still have college, and it's raining.

We have three full weeks before we finish for Easter.  I'm looking forward for a couple of weeks off.  I hope to have, at least try to, completed by ECDL Advanced Word by then.  After that, perhaps make a start on the Presentation part in preparation for NC Media next year as I have accepted an unconditional offer for the course.

I hope that all goes well for us at college.

Wish us all luck.

120th College Blog Post - St. David's Day

Today is St. David's Day.  St. David's Day is celebrated in Wales mainly as St. David is the patron saint for Wales, though the day isn't celebrated throughout the rest of the UK.

My ECDL is getting on well as I have started looking at and experimenting with the Sample Test that comes with the Advanced Word.  Just have to watch the wording of the questions and in the work given.  A question might ask me to replace "Resident"with "Mr" or "Mrs", but the work given might have "Mr." or "Mrs.".  Nasty.

Yesterday I had an interview for next year's NC Media course, and I think that the interview went well.  College was having a Pancake Day too, but I missed it.

I hope that all goes well for all of us at college.

Wish us all luck.

Hope for next year

ECDL is doing well.

My application for next year's NC Media has been acknowledged and I have an interview for the course near the end of the month.  I hope to be ready for the interview.

I hope that all goes well for us all at college.

Wish us all luck.

Robert Burns Day

Today is the birthday of the Scottish poet Robert "Rabbie" Burns.  He is considered one of the greatest poets from Scotland as most of his poems, such as To a Mouse and Tam o' Shanter (his best known works), are written in Scottish.  Perhaps his most famous is the song Auld Lang Syne, which is sung at the end of the year.  (I may know some of the lyrics, but I'd be lost with the lyrics sheet, I must admit.)

Here's a link to a website that can translate English with a Scottish accent.  Great fun.

This week is mostly reading week here at college with the end of the first semester approaching.  Semester two begins either next week or the week after, I'm not sure which.

I hope that the next semester goes well for everyone here at college.

Wish us all luck.

End of first week back

Hard to believe that it's the end of the first week back.  This week seems to have gone by too quickly, I suppose it's because everyone is trying to get back into the "everyday life" of a week they had before Christmas.  On the whole, this week hasn't been too bad.

And it's white here in Inverness.  Gritters are battling to keep roads clear.

I hope that next week goes for all of us here at college.

Wish us all luck.

Christmas Holidays Over - Back at College

Today is the first day back at college after the Christmas Holidays.  Christmas just seemed to go by too fast.  The study area was busy today, possibly a few students getting their work done before the first semester ends towards the end of this month.  I wish them luck.

I hope that you've enjoyed your Christmas and will have a Happy New Year this year.

Wish us all luck.