First week gone.

I say gone as what we learnt last week, we won't be going over again. Homework is essential during this fast track Journalism course at Journalist Works in Brighton but weirdly after a day of learning, I look forward to going home and reading over my notes and studying for another few hours (Rebecca Frew, did you actually just say that?!)

Even after 6 hours of shorthand on Friday, I still went home and got excited to go over and drill what I had learnt, but when you are doing something that you enjoy it's not really hard at all. (Right, where is Becky and what have you done with her?) 

Though I'm sure not everyone will share my enthusiasm for studying. Blossom Hill will be the most hard hit, I'm sure their profits will dramatically decline as my nights out with the girls will be replaced with nights in and begging friends to say random words so I can practice my shorthand. 

Also ITVbe will see their viewer numbers have one less than before on a daily basis. My real housewives of Miami/Orange County/Cheshire marathons are out of the window as I've replaced pointless TV with reading as many papers as I can in a day. 

As a budding journalist, it will be shocking to read that politics has never really been of any interest to me. Like a lot of people I find it incredibly hard to understand and didn't think that I could actually make a difference -but how wrong I was. 

After a visit from Myfanwy Nixon of MySociety, she showed me that is easier than ever to write to my MP Peter Bottomley and keep up to date with his comments in parliament on debates. 

While I still have a long way to go before I think about running for Prime Minister, I have found myself getting excited when I receive an email telling me about his day in parliament. 

If you had said to me a mere week ago that I would be getting giddy about politics, I would have laughed and told you to get another bottle of wine and 2 LARGE glasses. This course is opening up my eyes. 

This afternoon I went to vox pox, which is basically asking random people a question and getting a quote from them on their view of the question asked. I had actually done it before in Australia but the thought of doing it again made me a bit queasy. 

In Australia eight years ago, I briefly worked at a TV station and we interviewed people about a whole manner of things. When it came to my turn, I asked the public on the streets of Perth about drugs. 

I can't remember my exact question, but I do remember at the end of one particular day when we were wrapping up filming, I saw a group of young people and went up to them to ask about their views on drugs. 

They mainly said they loved them and it was all a bit sad really. The camera was then turned off as bigging up drugs was not the angle that we were going for, but I wasn't finished with the teens. 

I kept pushing them asking them to explain why they liked drugs, why they took them, did they not worry about the  consequences? Then just as I was giving up hope, one girl finally answered me honestly. 

Again, this was eight years ago so I can't remember exactly what she said, all I remember is the cameraman recording again and the producer smiling out of the corner of my eye at the turn of events.

There is a random fact for you, I've been on Australian TV. 

Anyway, so this afternoon I went to a soft play centre in Worthing to ask the public's opinion on a topic that is in the news right now. 

Basically, I chose the noisiest, most disruptive place to talk to people because I (must) like a challenge. 

I sat for half an hour going over my question while summoning up the courage to talk to strangers. I needed five good quotes so I was aiming to speak to ten people. 

I scanned the room and zoned in on the people I wanted to talk to, I then sat in my seat for a further 20 minutes taking deep breaths. 

Going up to people and asking their opinion on something is not natural, not for me anyway. Though I knew I would probably never see people I spoke to again, my stomach was still in knots

It took me a while to get out of my seat but once I got going and actually spoke to people, I really enjoyed it. 

It would have been easier if I had known more shorthand as scribbling down as they spoke was quite hard, but I got there in the end. 

It's good to be pushed out of your comfort zone sometimes. When I need to vox pox again, I feel confident that I will shift my butt quicker and get the job done. 

My only concern it that the opinions are a bit one sided, but I couldn't find anyone who thought what I was asking their opinion on was a good idea. That may be  something that I have to work on when interviewing people, trying to get them to see the other side that they may not have thought of. 

I'm looking forward to week two beginning tomorrow, but for now I must get back to my shorthand homework and drill, drill, DRILL!