two sides to every coin

One of the things I have loved in my years of coming to UoB, were some of the exercises in year 1 and year 2, that helped me to analyse that I read in the media.

Now I've always liked to keep an open mind, and I'm generally suspicious of anything someone tells me is black-and-white. When people get so angry and heated about something they are bound to become blind to another side of the story or, in the case of politicians, are deliberately trying to draw attention away from evidence or incidents.

Welfare Systems (year 2), we had several articles to analyse choice words in the media, how the foreigner is labeled 'the asylum seeker' or' 'benefit scrounger', regardless of their real reason for coming to the UK. The single mum who doesn't work is one of thousands of people living off our hard earned taxes, it doesn't matter if a large percentage of that are acting as carers or genuinely struggling to find a job to balance their child's needs and their local opportunities. And not even that, but how sometimes there never is a right and a wrong, and there isn't always someone to blame.

University I feel has shown me the flip side of the coin in many people’s circumstances, it may not mean that there aren’t elements of truth in some articles published out there, but at least I'm not one of those people adding to the judgment and hatred without at least looking a little deeper into facts and what our perception has distorted.

One particular article I read recently I feel gives credit to the other side of the story is alongside Malala Yousafzai is being formally recognised with a joint-Nobel Peace Prize for her determination and fighting for her rights to getting an education, while those who are not the epitemy of western democracy, are being ignored and lost in the wars that are being waged. Now I may not agree with every word written on this reporting front, but to read articles from difference sources can help to give a perceptive I might not have considered or heard because it is being ignored just like this little girl is.

Welcome Back - to the beginning of the end!

Hello! I'm back! Can't believe it's been 3 months since I blogged last, and I do confess, from beginning of August to October I had nothing of uni on my mind, I was busy getting married! What were you up to over the summer break? I would love to hear it in comments below.

Induction days finally rolled around last days of September/first days of October, and I must say that after 4 months off from university, and even longer from assignment deadlines, it was a welcome sight, marking the beginning of the end, our 3rd and final year, the chance to prove ourselves, and finally take the dissertation "bull by the horns" - or what my peers have been calling "the big D".

I blogged a few weeks ago on my good intentions of the year via UoB's Librarian's Blog, and my practical steps to getting back into the groove, however actions and plans (even when carried through) become difficult when our creativity and writer's block set it. Still, I found new energy in our induction day.

I won't lie and deny that it didn't have its moments of tediousness or wonder if it was a bit inconvenient taking time out of my busy life, but not only did I appreciate having my questions answered from the get go, I also enjoyed and found new inspiration in my peers and the friendly, faith filled faces of lecturers.

As we talked about our summers and each one added their own reason to be excited about the new year, or even talked about their terrors with determined smiles, I felt like I had found that extra strength and spark I was needing to keep going. It makes me wonder if lectures are ever a waste of time, regardless of whether I know the topic or its relevance to me, as I went home to sit down at my desk with renewed determination and looking forward to the challenge.