Breaking (the) News

Wake up. Look at thesis.  Cry.  Drink.  Write.  Repeat. 

When something is due and you don't know what. 

Heading to my first IRL interview for honours project, only to discover my usual Gorman getup of 'brightly-coloured smock and charmingly off-beat footwear' will not make the cut this time. Time to invest in something that screams "very professional. Such adult. Much responsibility, ethic and style. Wow." I wish there was a pinterest board for that. 

Honours: Where you can get a degree in stalking Searching people to interview like, what up, I've been on your Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, FourSquare and Google+. I know everywhere you've worked in the last ten years. I know where you went to uni, when you graduated, who you graduated with and your grade. I know your phone number. I know it was your mum's birthday last month. I know where you usually get your coffee. I know you're training for the Melbourne marathon.  All this in 25 minutes.  Hey, if I can't score a real journo job, maybe the Australian Secret Intelligence Service will have me? 

When you score a big interview and your honours project looks like it's back on track. 

When a friend, who's just graduated, is looking at a journalism job in the country and her flatmates and family are giving her hell for it. It's a maternity cover position and it sounds like they're offering her cadetship training as part of the deal.  "Something better will come along," they said.  "Just be patient," they said.  Patience ain't gonna pay the rent, honey.  Like most metropolitan first-years, I had a problem with "going bush" or "serving your country" by relocating to a regional town. Thankfully, three years of studying journalism beat that out of me pretty quickly.  INSPIRATIONAL SLOTH SAYS: TAKE THE JOB. TAKE IT. TAKE IT. TAKE IT. 

The feeling when you get paid for a story and it's just enough to cover the weekly grocery bill and some cheap (but not cask) wine.  MADE BANK. 

When your research ethics application is approved

When Fay reminds you about that pesky thesis presentation in a few weeks and you remember there was something else you were supposed to do during the holidays instead of marathoning Breaking Bad.  This feeling is otherwise known as THE MAD PANIC.