Final Project

For my final project I would like to take a look at the pros and cons of making the switch to off-campus life. I think it is something that almost every student at UNH thinks about and or does in their four years at UNH. I think the relevancy of this story is high because, again, it is process everyone considers. It is the type of story that may not be super flashy, but a story that will always have importance and meaning.

For video, stills and audio I will use a combination of both on campus and off campus living. Since I live off campus, I will have that portion of the project handled easily. Using photos video and audio of my own apartment as well as other friends will not be an issue. I will also use my landlord as a source of both stills/audio and information. I will then use the department of housing and dorms as the other sources for my project to help make my comparisons. Cost will obviously be a main factor in my project, but I think there are many other factors that students should consider when making the switch. Life skills would be one of those factors, and that would mean living even more independently than in the dorms, having to cook and clean on one's own. There are also bills for utilities and even more time management that one has to deal with. Like I said, I think a lot of the build up of living off campus is the freedom, but that freedom certainly comes with a price.

Again, this is a project that a think hold an everlasting relevancy. It is something I am passionate about because I decided to make the switch my senior year and, to be honest, has been a lot more difficult than I would have every imagined. I think it is important to get the message and the facts out there to students who may be unsure about their housing futures.

My photos were pretty subpar...

I'm not going to lie... I don't really consider myself a very artistic person. I am not against art or show ignorance towards it, I just don't really think I've ever exercised my mind in an artistic manner' I love music, that's art, isn't it?

But for the pictures that I did take and decide to publish...

The theme I decided to pursue was the idea of college life, but more specifically college life as a Senior and living off of campus. Having my own place this past summer and now into the Fall and Spring has really been a life-altering experience. Working full-time to pay my own way has really helped me develop as a person. Paying bills, putting food on the table and all the stuff adults do is something I (obviously) had never really done before. Yes, I know, when kids go off to college it is the beginning of their independent lifestyle, but I think there is another step to the process when one decides to move off campus and live on their own. I lived here in Madbury all summer and have really gotten accustomed to life as an adult. At times it was difficult to balance my priorities (and this wasn't made any easier when school started) but overall I think I made the right choice living off of campus.

I guess you could say its practice for the real world (which, sadly, is now less than a year away for me). But I digress.

My photos are simple. This is my home. This is my life now. This is college meets real world. That's all I guess.

Until next time...

So this is Multimedia?

I must admit that after our first class, I'm really optimistic and excited to be taking Multimedia. I think that these days any and every writer has to be comfortable with the new technologies we are being introduced to. Whether its blogging, or being equipped with a camera and video camera at all times, or being able to capture and edit live news, we all must adjust to this new age of journalism.

If there is one thing I have learned since switching into Journalism, its that you really do have to create your own brand. Dana Jennings told my colleagues and I this last Spring, and it is the one thing that has stuck with me since. And in order to create a brand that is original and your own, you have to be comfortable being a multidimensional writer and more importantly a multidimensional person. You have to take risks and try some things you may have never thought you were capable of.

Overall, I think and hope that this course will mold me into a multidimensional writer. I am truly excited to learn and try out new things. Professor Marsters and I had a conversation last Spring when I was on the fence about taking either this course or the sportswriting course (722, I think). We both decided that if I took the sportswriting course I would be taking the easy way out. I could write about sports all day, yes, but what would I learn from that? Stepping outside of one's comfort zone is really the only way to grow and I hope to do so this semester as both a writer and a person.