Welcome!
Hello everyone, and welcome to the course. You've had a strange two years, and unlike almost every student in history, you're coming to sixth form without having completed GCSE exams. We hope you're ready for the challenges ahead, and ready to push yourself harder than you ever have before (in a good way!)
Expectations
We have the following expectation of A-level media studies students:
- To have a genuine passion for media. You should be watching TV, listening to music and using the internet in various ways each and every day!
- To email your media teacher if you are going to be late. Obviously try not to be late though.
- Try your best at everything, regardless of whether you think you’ll do well. One thing you will discover quite quickly is that A-level is MUCH harder than GCSE. However, we do not expect you to succeed at everything. Remember that failure is an essential part of getting good at something.
What you need
Every subject requires you to get a few things, and media is no different. You must get the following, please:
A memory stick.
About 32gb would be perfect. I recommend getting one from a supermarket, as there are loads of pirate copies online. Good brands include Sandisk and Seagate. Aim to spend about a tenner. You can get cheaper memory sticks, but they're more likely to fail
You'll be using a memory stick to back up your work and transfer files. It's a good investment for all of your subjects!
Headphones, with a 1/8" jack.
They don't need to be good. You've probably got a pair of these hanging around your house
You'll be using headphones for some video editing projects. Bluetooth is blocked on college computers for security reasons
Starting your blog
As an A-level media student, you will be completing all of your work, taking all of your notes and submitting all of your coursework through a blog. In A-level media, we'll be using Blogger.
Making a blog is a bit of a faff first time, but you only need to do it once. You can find instructions by clicking here. Please skip step five and six. It'll save time.
Suspense sequence
All of the above may be completed in your first lesson. In your second week (the week starting 13th September), you will plan, film and edit a short film sequence. It's likely to be absolutely awful, but you will learn so much about how and why media products are made.