Carrie's Rooouuuund-uuuup / Get to know me

(You just have to read it in the 'Woody's Rouuuund-uuuuup' tune, if you don't know what it is, get on Google and shake your head at yourself)

I've decided to start doing a bit of a monthly round-up of what I've been up to.. Although this month's is going to be a bit of a round-up of my life recently so that you guys can get to know me a bit better! I'll try to keep it as short and sweet as possible, honest!

Education
I've very recently completed my 3 year degree, studying Design for Digital Media at the University of Salford. I'm graduating with a First!!! I'm graduating in July and I'm so excited! I've absolutely loved university. I never wanted to go, as I never knew what I wanted to do. School and Sixth Form were pretty rubbish at helping us out with such huge decisions, and so after Sixth Form, all my friends went off to University and I went to College.

(Filming The Buzzcocks!)

I studied Foundation Art and Design with Media for a year, and it was really good, we filmed a lot of bands (including Edwyn Collins of Orange Juice, with Paul Cook of the Sex Pistols, and even The Charlatans!), worked back-stage at a festival as a film crew with Terry Christian among many other things.. However, I didn't want to work in the TV industry, no matter how much I enjoyed being a part of a film crew. I searched for university courses, and found Design for Digital Media, I knew straight away that I wanted to go on the course. Unfortunately, my college tutors tried to advise me against it. However, I absolutely knew that they were wrong, and that I was making the right decision. I'm so so so glad that I stuck to my gut instinct, otherwise I would have ended up on a TV and Radio course, which I know I would have absolutely hated (I love filming, I HATE anything to do with ideas for TV, like script writing!).

And so I spent 3 years working as hard as I possibly could, and it's 100% been worth it!


Home Life
Lucky for me, my boyfriend found a course that he loved the sound of at the University of Salford too! We'd been together for 2 years, and he practically lived at my parents, so there was no question about us moving in together. It seemed like the normal thing to do. Neither of us wanted to go in halls, it's our idea of hell, and although we didn't' live too far away from the university, we didn't really want to commute. We ended up finding a decent sized, reasonably priced apartment close to the university, and in September 2011 we moved out! It surprisingly wasn't that scary, I think that's because I was moving with someone, and I knew that my family were only a 20minute drive away if I needed them.

We lived in that flat for a year, then moved into a bigger flat in the same block, with Mark's foster brother as he was coming to the same university.

After a year and a few months, (which brings us to January/February 2014!) me and Mark found an amazing house just down the road, and decided to move out on our own again. We had a LOT of hassle with landlords as the house needed some work doing on the boiler, but we weren't told about this, and ended up homeless for 3 days! It was a SUPER stressful time and I never want to rent another place again after this house, luckily our very lovely friends allowed us to stay with them for the 3 days until we could move (they actually lived in the same apartment block as us!). And this is our new home…

Work
Throughout Sixth Form and College I worked in a local pub, for 4 years, I had a love/hate relationship with that job..!
Throughout university I worked in a cinema, for the majority of the time, I loved it! I made some amazing friends and I have so many happy memories of the place. I still go frequently to watch free films with my best friend who still works there whilst she's at university too!

I then got VERY lucky, before university was even over, I somehow managed to bag a 'proper' job! I've been there for 3 months now, I'm a Junior Digital Designer at a marketing agency and I love it. I've learnt soooooo much in the short space of time that I've been there, and it really helps that everyone there is lovely! I also get this amazing view..

… And that brings us up to date with everything I think.. I'm hoping that this 'round-up' becomes a regular thing, where I post monthly round-ups of my life! Sorry about the ridiculously long post, but now we know each other a bit better!