Picture it: A giant flight of steep stairs, chattering professional voices coming from the top of them, and me struggling to breathe deeply from nerves before I even attempt them. I was about to embark on a new experience, undenounced…

Yet to begin my placement, I had a period to prepare myself to work as a Music and Sound Assistant for the company known as “Score Draw Music.” In short, the function of this company is to compose music for…

Work-based learning Tamara White My placement is at the radio station Juice 1038. I have always felt like I would want to work on a radio station as I have good communication skills and energy, therefore I started looking for…

Crashing out of my comfort zone into a place of confidence The comfort zone is a behavioural state within which a person operates in an anxiety-neutral condition, using a limited set of behaviours to deliver a steady level of performance, usually without a sense…

Covering the events of finding a placement to being halfway through it now, this blog will use the Gibbs reflective cycle to examine and reflect on my experience, my thoughts and feelings and a consideration of what I could have…

Summer, a time to relax and gather your thoughts in order to prepare yourself for the upcoming academic year. Or in my case, a chance to overload your schedule and make finding a placement much harder than it need be.…

Ah, the joys of live video shoots, having to think fast and reflect later about what went wrong – not stressful at all! The concept of live streaming is not new to me having completed a live television programme, but…

Have you ever wondered what the letters CV stand for? The answer is Curriculum Vitae – which is Latin for “Course of Life,” and it has become an essential role in achieving careers throughout industries worldwide. It’s a detailed document…

American motivational writer William Arthur Ward once said that ‘A mediocre music teacher tells. A good music teacher explains. A superior music teacher demonstrates. A great music teacher inspires’. With such responsibility placed on the role of an educator, I felt…

The Covid-19 virus consumed over a hundred international locations, forcing the World Health Organisation to implement a global pandemic. Day to day life was disrupted by extraordinary lockdowns, strict journey bans and social distancing. For students this looked like disruption…

– Idle fingers dance to police siren song across a patterned polymer bridge; bathed in synthetic light their sharp rhythmic movements seem almost ritualistic. That is, until it is done. The work complete they finally find rest, peace in this…

My very first experience with my placement was not a reflection of a typical day. It was an evening meeting where I assigned the classes I would be teaching, what time each class was and was filled in on anything…

Everyone starts somewhere.  This concept, integral to every ‘inspirational’ anecdote about rising through the ranks from the ground is often an opener, a cliché the storyteller uses as a hook.  Well, I am nothing if not self-aware, and you, dear…

Finding a placement for anyone in any field has lately been difficult on account of the lingering effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. I found it incredibly tough to persuade any potential placement providers to consider taking me on – my…

Who’s Gibbs? Sometimes when we use systems or structures we like to hide them, but for the purposes of this blog post I’d like to draw attention to the model of reflection I’ll be using to reflect on how I…

While sitting down to write this journal/blog, and looking over the materials that had been provided as examples of exemplar work, it dawned on me that I was somewhat expected to begin with my interview process. Well I never had…

When I started thinking about placement options back in spring 2021, my initial thought was to do my placement in a theatre company. As a Film and Theatre Making student, I wanted to focus more on the drama side of…

Initially the thought of taking on two work placements at the same time didn’t sound like a daunting task. Prior to obtaining both my work placements with Cinemagic and Profile Tree, I have had a few jobs with similar companies.…

Will I be stuck wrapping cables for the rest of my life? Is the entire world I thought I knew a lie? and Is this resting heart rate normal? All of these questions and more answered on my first day…

Blog Post One As an avid lover of Music Production, including stage production, sound engineering, and lighting design I began to source a work placement that would satisfy these areas of the music industry. Upon my extensive research I found…

Applying for a job, it’s something everyone must do at some point in their lives. There are book on it, videos on it, even courses about it, yet the process doesn’t get any less daunting. When I was applying for…

I started off my work-based learning module in the summer before term started by applying to multiple production companies in the hope that someone would take me on and into the ‘real world’ of work. However, before I could start…

Last January, as a 2nd year student, intending to take on the work placement module in 3rd year, I decided I would start early in my search. Using Gibbs reflective learning cycle, I will attempt to show how I personally went into…

“So Miss…why do you want to be a music teacher?” Hearing the title “Miss” directed to me for the first time was an exciting feeling; I felt respected as I pondered an answer for the young pupil, who asked a…

Reflection Within the newly changed world due to the difficulties brought by the COVID 19 pandemic, my efforts to secure work placement was a massive struggle. After getting rejection after rejection, I decided to pick up the phone and call…

I began my placement with the SARC Media Team on the 7th October this year. My role entailed responsibility of live streaming the lunchtime concerts that occur in the Queen’s University Music Building. The work experience so far has been fun. Through my placement, I have got to meet a lot of interesting…

Provisionally in June 2022, I will be Assistant Director for a Theatre Performance exploring American soldiers in World War 2. While this opportunity will hopefully be very beneficial, it raises an important question, how do I self-reflect on a practice…

Whenever you think of a kid in a candy shop, I guarantee the image of a twenty-three-year-old music student with a mullet is not what usually comes to mind, however when I first set foot in the recently renovated Stoney…

The organisation I have chosen for my work placement is Kabosh Theatre. I work in their office, where the company manages its funding and advertising. In this blog entry, I will reflect on my experience of working with them on…

“Learning in the work context is crucial for organisational success“ — Ian Cunningham[1] As Cunningham discussed, work-based learning has become more widely used and accepted in education as it accustoms young people to the world outside academia. Entering the final…

During my third shift at the Black Box, I was given the opportunity to mix my first live gig. This was an incredibly useful learning experience. During this blog post I am going to use Gibbs’ Reflective Cycle[1] to recount…

Everyone knows that feeling of getting ghosted online. whether it’s from that special someone, an angry relative or potential employers, there’s nothing worse than being left without a reply. Well, I can undoubtedly say I know this feeling all too…

As society slowly but surely tries to get back on track after a national lockdown, finding a work placement just after this wasn’t as easy as I first thought. Throughout this blog, I will use Gibb’s Reflective Cycle to evaluate…

There are very few things that feel more unnatural to me than writing a C.V. This necessary process was a source of deep and sometimes painful introspection last summer, as I reflected on the reason why selling myself to an…

”Sure it’s only May, I have the whole Summer to get this thing sorted.” Oh, Brian do you ever learn? It was the middle of April and we had been given the lowdown on what this work-based learning module would…

This blog will take look back on my early experiences on my work placement with Matt Weir using the Gibb’s Reflective Model to structure my analysis of my experiences.  On October 4, the first official day of my placement, I…

Introduction I have really enjoyed starting my role as a teaching assistant (TA) at the QUB’s Junior Academy of Music (JAM). In August, JAM director Juliana Licinic explained what my role would entail, answered any questions I had and provided…

Throughout this post, I will be using Borton’s model of reflection. This will allow me to look back on my journey to find a placement, and then my first few months of doing placement at ProfileTree, before analysing what I…

‘People learn from things as they happen’[1]. Self-learning and gathering expertise from others go hand in hand with the process of work experience. By this I mean that no one truly prepares you for it. If you don’t start you…

Using the Gibb’s Reflective Cycle (Gibbs) and How to improve your critical thinking & reflective skills (McMillan, Weyers) I’ll be doing some critical thinking, so sit back and enjoy the ride! Getting Started So, my initial experiences of my placement…

As the second semester of my second year of study came to a close, my attention was focused on the year ahead and the list of objectives that would come with it. It was at this time that I began…

As I sat in a café, nervously waiting for my first initial meeting with Una, publisher of View magazine, I became aware of the humbling fact that I had no idea what would be asked of me. Who would I…

After emailing Cahoots NI[1] regarding a placement, I received a response from the Creative Engagement Manager, Emma, who suggested a zoom interview on July 2nd at 3pm. The zoom meeting was only about an hour long, and after initial introductions,…

“Ah teaching, it seems like a walk in the park, so I’ll give it a go.” The brave words of a naïve girl going into her final year of undergraduate study who saw the seemingly endless possibilities of the notorious…

“You can be anything you wanna be, you can go anywhere you wanna see. A little hard work and you can do it, faith will get you through it, so many possibilities”. – Finding Neverland, Musical (Barlow and Kennedy, 2014).…

Confidence is key. This statement is something I have heard plenty of times growing up, yet it continues to be something I struggle with. When beginning the Work-Based Learning module, I felt frightened but excited about what it could lead…

“It is not sufficient simply to have an experience in order to learn. Without reflecting upon this experience, it may quickly be forgotten, or its learning potential lost.” (Boud, Keogh & Walker, 19).  Before beginning placement it was important for…

Working on a project with a high workforce turnover has both its benefits and challenges. A team can build on the success and progress of the team that came before them with a good insight into the problems that lie…

This blog post considers my initial thoughts on beginning my placement, focusing specifically upon the experience and the knowledge I gained surrounding inclusive education. Belvoir Park Primary School provides an exemparly education for children from all social backgrounds and for…

Creating a CV: This academic year, as part of my third-year studies I decided to take the work placement module. In order to aid my career aspirations after graduation. Fortunately, over the summer months of 2021 I saw that the…

Since I was young, I’ve always had a love for media and the broadcasting industry. There wasn’t one aspect in particular I was attracted to. I’d known I wanted to be involved in story telling through media. I was delighted when…

Since I was young, I haven’t really fitted the educational ‘norm’.  I’ve always been a square peg in a round hole. In school I came alive in the drama classroom. I had fun, I made friends, I could be who…

It’s safe to say that COVID-19 disrupted our plans for 2020 and beyond. For students, these devastating consequences denied us the typical university experience which ordinarily encourages socialisation and interaction. But forget the social life coming to a halt- what…

The idea of leaving university to head out into the real world was something that was extremely daunting to me as it occurred to me at some point over the summer that it would be my first time outside of…

1st Blog For my work experience I aimed to gain knowledge with a theatre production company; luckily NI Opera took me under their wing. The experience this role is vital to my progression through this industry as I have had…

To say that securing this placement was an arduous task would be an understatement. Not necessarily to do with the dialogue between myself and Linda of Big Telly, but to do with a conflict of schedules. I was drawn to…

Well, anxiety, my dear old friend. Funny how I thought I had finally started to overcome the issues you have caused me, but oh how I was wrong. Whilst in my personal life, I have overcome the fears of making…

The six month COVID “summer” was coming to an end and it was time to start my placement at Edmund Rice College, Glengormley. After a phone call with the head of English, my fate was sealed. Edmund Rice is a…

Becoming a teacher has been a lifelong ambition of mine, a career in education provides me with the chance to positively influence future generations lives every day. Gaining hands-on classroom experience is an essential stage of a teacher’s development that…

Prior to my placement, my interest in radio and radio production had grown greatly during my second year (particularly through the “Radio and Podcast” module) and the three months I have spent with both Blast 106/IUR FM and the SARC…

In getting the career I want the best thing I can do is get credible experience and make a name for myself in a positive way. A way to do that is by gaining a work experience placement. Not only…

For most of my life, I have always seen myself going on in life to become an English teacher, with a special interest in Drama, and so I have spent the last few years gaining as much experience as I could around this, tutoring…

“Music therapy is an evidence and art-based health profession which uses musical experiences within a therapeutic relationship to address clients’ physical, emotional, cognitive, and social needs.”[1] Music therapy is a process that can help people in so many ways from…

As the second-year summer semester came to an end, I decided to get ahead of the game and begin my search for my work placement. As I skimmed through the excel sheet of companies, nervously editing my cover letter specifically…

How work placement in The Mac helped me overcome creative and self-inflicted obstacles Over the past two years theatre doors have been shut, instead we were introduced to a new scope of theatre, a new lens through the medium of…

My work placement in St. James’s Primary School is more than beneficial to my long-term goal of being a teacher, however this is not to say it was a smooth experience. Throughout this blog, I will use Gibb’s Reflective Cycle to…

By Ethan Tohill For as long as I can remember, I knew that my interest in television went beyond the act of simply viewing programmes for enjoyment. I always found myself wondering how the programmes themselves were made, be they…

At the beginning of the summer, there was a meeting for everyone taking AEL3001. In this meeting we were told we needed to secure our placement for the end of August. This was not what I wanted to hear. I…

“You’ll learn to think on your feet in this place!” Only an hour in the classroom and I was already beginning to understand what the teacher meant when she quoted the above to me. A small Primary 3 class of…

Day one: “We do not learn from experience, we learn from reflecting on experience.” (Dewey 2003: 78) Day one on placement did not quite go as expected… Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt…

Day one Day one on placement did not quite go as expected… Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco…