City of opportunity

Having just finished my final year of a Media Studies degree at ARU, I hope to work in radio or television production. Studying in Cambridge has given me the chance to gain experience in film, radio, publishing and production.

What aspects of your university experience have most inspired you, and why?
Whilst studying at ARU I participated in multiple extracurricular activities, including course-related activities such as The Ruskin Journal and Cam FM. I also undertook voluntary work within the University and beyond. These opportunities have taught me the skills you need to work in the media industry.

I also took the opportunity to engage in sports at ARU and played for the hockey team. It was great way to meet new friends from other courses and enjoy the social side of university life.

What opportunities to engage with industry have there been on the course? In what ways has this helped your development?
Working for Cam FM, the student radio station of both Anglia Ruskin and Cambridge University, I worked on breakfast shows and helped with committee work.

In my first year we had an amazing radio guest lecturer, delivered by Joanna Pinnock (BBC radio presenter). After her classes, she put me in contact with BBC Cambridgeshire. Here I was able to gain an insight into presenting radio breakfast shows: I shadowed Dotty McLeod and her team in the morning and sat in the newsroom later in the day. It was an amazing experience and it really made me realise that production is the strand of media that I want to get into.

What benefits has studying in Cambridge had on your self-development that you might not have experienced elsewhere?
Cambridge has amazing opportunities for media students. The Ruskin Journal is the ARU student newspaper, founded in 2018. The Journal has now grown beyond the media department, in which it was founded, and is open to articles from students university-wide.

As a student I became involved with the one of the many film festivals that the city hosts, Cambridge Film Festival (CFF). I worked as a festival runner and ran the delegates desk. It was an amazing opportunity and it was also great to meet so many interesting people. Film directors spoke about their films and various actors participated in Q&As. There was a variety of opportunities, from working as a volunteer to interning as a social media and marketing coordinator.

Another interesting film festival in Cambridge is Watersprite, which is run by Cambridge University. During Watersprite I attended a talk with David Yates (director of several Harry Potter films) and Evanna Lynch (Luna Lovegood) who talked about their work on Harry Potter; this was a personal highlight for me.

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Merel van Schooten studies BA (Hons) Media Studies at ARU in Cambridge. Discover our film and media courses for yourself: book your place at an Open Day.