Welcome to the BIG World!

Big day today! Handed in my final piece of coursework for my 3rd year at UWS! 1 exam to go, but that should be a degree of BA Business with Management pretty much wrapped up (providing I pass my coursework!). Not much more I can do now, but sit back and hope for the best!

(University of the West of Scotland, Paisley)

 



Not 100% on the chance of me returning to UWS for my honours year. I would like to do it, chances are I will need it to get any kind of job anyway; but I want to genuinely get a career job before next term, thats the GOAL!

Welcome to the BIG world, its a scary place! Looking at Job titles and descriptions and its daunting. I have spent 3 years at UWS, years I've worked hard and did my best to learn. There is always that fear of; "Will I know what I'm doing? Am I capable of doing a job in the field that I studied?" I would hate to turn up at a job and not know what I was supposed to do, thats the fear that I need to overcome!

Job descriptions and responsibilities state that the candidate would be involved in blah and blah. When reading it all I can make out is blah and blah sometimes, because a lot of the words go in and fly straight back out, I haven't heard of half of the things that you would be required to do, is this just me or is it the same for everyone?

I question job descriptions, will I actually do these things, or will I turn up and be given help to get me going. DO I really need to know the things that are written down, or is something I already know from my own business knowledge, just worded different?


These are some of the barriers I will face in the next few months I reckon, anybody who has been here before me, if you have advice, that would be nice haha.


I'm looking at getting involved in Project Management or Business Development. These seem to be the areas that interest me, I believe I would make a good project manager. I'm generally creative and well organised and on the whole I'm able to take lead/charge of tasks I'm involved in.

If any employer ever reads this, you know how to contact me! ;) (gkfraser92@gmail.com)


Ach well, if it doesn't work out, theres always Costa hot chocolates to comfort us eh!

Thanks Folks





G x

Where have all the Staples Gone?

Today's been a GREAT day! I know what your thinking, "no way! Grant's not moaning about something. What!?", but today was full of good news for me today!

Started off hunting for the Real Radio Renegade! Scottish Radio Station's Renegade was out, and Noel Gallagher, the whaler and myself were on the look out, £1000 at stake, why wouldn't we look about, we thought he was in Paisley (near our University) but he ended up in Dunfermline (Over 2 hours away!) Haha!

So thanks to this, I was 10mins late to my 9am lecture! Walked in to the class, everybody is quiet all writing on pieces of paper, I thought straight away something was up. Normally I avoid the glance from my lecturer for being late, but I couldn't here, he came straight up to me in a mood and handed me a module review survey! Haha, his face and mine! Anyway, left the lecture upbeat knowing what lies ahead for the exam in May and went to the labs in the university campus to put together and complete the Social Marketing group report due for Friday 26th (Today). Had a bit of banter with DJ Nick and the whaler, Noel Gallagher made a cameo appearance. Smashed the report together in a matter of hours, submitted to the plagiarism checker site Turnitin UK. Then to make the day even better, I managed to get the whaler and Noel to come out for lunch at KFC, unheard of in these parts! Haha. Chicken and banter, where nicknames for the blog were finalised (Noel and the whaler etc :) )

Went home to find I had been awarded 67% (a solid B1) grade for a previous group report, great result! This ties in with 90% for a class test, which I was awarded on Tuesday. All in all, its been a good wek for the efforts I've been putting in at university this trimester. Then I checked the submitted report from earlier to get the originality mark, "4% similarity", this is a great score, so I know I referenced the report properly, happy Grant!

Since then, I've sat happily watching TV and videos, currently sitting with NFL Game Pass hooked up to the TV while I right this blog! Got to keep updated with the NFL Draft 2013! 1st Pick this year has to be an O-Lineman!

Although one panic moment! Report is due tomorrow, I printed it all off after cutting down on word count, found 2 staplers, but NOT ONE STAPLE!

Absolute panic, needed to staple the report together, a feeling of closure would be brought from this! I wanted a staple badly! Hunted through drawers and boxes, no sign! :(

Made the informed decision to drive out to ASDA Linwood, drove miles wasted petrol, just to get a STAPLE, I must be obsessed! Haha, job done but and now a HAPPY GRANT!

P.s. Staples are poor quality and now the report has numerous holes punched through it where failed stapleage attempts remain! :( oh dear


(Thanks Scott and Iain, the whaler and Noel G!)



Thanks folks



G x

Student Life. University Stress and life...

Its that time of year for me! University courseworks piling up, constant panic that I don't know what I'm doing, I get stressed, I don't work as much and I'm on edge. This year though, I've been fairly chilled/relaxed, I mean, I've always approached things in a laid back way, but not during submission days. When it comes to group work, I'm fairly relaxed, this gets right under some university group members skin though, but its my way, I've never let a group down, my work is in before deadline and is always immaculate, well presented, articulated and organised. This may sound arrogant, but if I'm in a group of yours for any project, you should count yourself lucky, I usually raise standards.

My stress levels only increase from working WITH others (in university), when I see another persons work I cannot help but rearrange, spell check and 're-grammatise' (i know this isn't a word) their work! I like things doen a specific way, again arrogantly, the right way, my way. It's the FEAR of someonelses poor work bringing down my grade, after all the effort I put in!

I remember this module in University (University of the West of Scotland) about Business Globalization. I was in a group of 5, where I was the only British student, the only one who had been through the 3 year process at UWS. I knew how UWS like things done, referencing Harvard style etc, how to format things. I found this module the most difficult of all my 3 years. First of all, the communication barrier was there, but we got the work done, but I just remember telling group members to send me their specific sections to myself, adn I would put it all together and submit it. I ENDED UP DOING THE WHOLE REPORT. A 3000 worder on a subject I struggled with in 2 days, my stress levels were through the roof. I mean, I took their work, re-wrote it to make grammatical sense, to make it readable. It took hours. WHY would the university throw Erasmus students in with 3rd year degree students without choice. In hindsight, whilst understanding the concept of working with new people, from different cultures and the whole 'International' aspect of the task, I just feel it was so unfair! These students were on placement for the year, whereas we FULL-TIME UWS students were in our 3rd and FINAL degree year at the uni. Mixing us with foreign students should have been done in lesser years liek 1st or 2nd year. I just feel this mix hindered my grade and potentially my final degree level, which is still to be attained (Honours). Anyway, I worked tirelessly, with no real help, submitted it and 'we' (Ha!), gained a B2 grade, which to me is liek a fail (I hate getting less than a B1).


Again, I am going through group work at the moment, its proving very testing, struggling to accept standards, I WON'T accept lesser marks anymore, so I'm doing a dictator like thing :/ Sounds bad, but I want my A's!



Stress, Stress and more stress. Life's great, don't think I've looked outside or had a drink with any of my mates in the past month, probably why I've resorted to bloody blogging! Thanks university! Ruining social lifes since 2010! Haha.


I'm kidding, I love it really!





Cheers for allowing me to bore you again!



G x

Hello

Hello, I'm Grant Fraser from Glasgow in Scotland. I am a 20 year old business student currently studying at the University of the West of Scotland, specificaly in my degree year/3rd year aiming for a BA Business Studies with Management. I'm fairly new to blogging in general, something I've never really understood until this year during the course of an e-Marketing or 'Digital' Marketing module/class in which 'us' students created teams of bloggers to which we all created team blogs. The blog I contribute to is known as 'The Glasgow Experience', have a look at our stuff, we review Glasgow as a whole, it's nightclubs, restaurants, hotels, bars and event venues, there really is a lot of information on it.

Now I thought it was time to give my own personal blog a bash, a way of expressing my opinions and experiences, give the old head a good clearing out now and again! God knows we all need to just let everything out once in a while!

So who am I? Well, I'm just a young guy, currently studying and working away for now. I work within one of Scotland's leading sport teamwear companies, I really enjoy what I do at the moment, but I'm reaching that crucial and equally terrifying stage of finishing university. What will I do once I have my degree? I've never thought of myself as a Full-time retail sales assistant, no bashing on these guys, as I know many and they're all great people loving what they do and they're great at it too! I just don't know if I have the strength for it, for the rest of my life. I went to university to reach places, to get a good job, money doesn't drive me, I would much rather a job where I enjoy what I do. I've always had a passion for Business, when I was younger I was always thinking of business ideas, making business plans and such, I even applied for the BBC's first ever season of the 'Young Apprentice', I was pretty chuffed with reaching the 3rd round of auditions as well, they probably just caught a glimpse of me in the video recording audition (round 2) and thought, "this kid's acne won't make it to the boardroom!". What drives me is business, I love the idea of taking something from scratch and building it up to a success. This is possible in business, and has always been my way of thinking. Going through the process of Uni has helped me specify where I want to head, a goal/aim is a great way of setting yourself in the right frame of mind, only in the past year have I thought about a 'career', but since, my university studies have become more important to me, now, I'm really learning and trying my best to put things into practice. I know now that I want to get involved in the football industry, working within the offices of a football club or a footballing organisation or body. Ideally, I believe I would enjoy and prosper in the commercial side of things for football, marketing and business development in particular, seem to be my areas of ambition. So, thats the goal, get into football, or equally any sporting industry like Rugby or similar, just somewhere I can work and really feel that I'm progressing within.

Managed to ramble on, always do it. That's my studies and work ambition, but I'm not all work and no play. I love watching films, in fact I was working in a cinema last summer! Free films and half price food, what more can a film lover ask for! Crimson Tide is a film that I have always enjoyed, its easily on a view count of 1-200 views for myself, the film plays keenly to my film interests, a good war film, intense, great characterisation, some comedy and of course, Big Denzel Washington, an absolute hero!

I mentioned earlier about my involvement in the project blog 'The Glasgow Experience', well that was my idea, it involves a lot of personal experience from all involved. Theres nothing better than a night out on the town on a busy weekend in Glasgow. Its one of the best cities in the world, with the best people, I should know, I'm one of them! Glasgwegian and proud! So as you may have guessed, as well as movies, going out, hanging with close friends and having a good old drink, a dance and a sing song are up there with my interests!

Sports-wise, I've played football (soccer) since I started walking, greatest sport in the world! I support St.Mirren Football Club (Scotland) and Scotland of course. I played for my primary school team, but never really managed to keep going with it, when I moved to high school I changed, my outgoing nature seemed to disappear pretty quickly, no idea why, but to this day I think thats a major reason why I never moved into a proper boys club, otherwise I'd still be playing football 11-a-side to this day, one of my biggest mistakes and regrets.

However, I began playing American football in University for the UWS Pyros, while it may not be as big in the UK, American Football is an amazing sport. Next step is Senior football after University, but money is holding me back big time, I just cant afford to play the sport right now, or do much else! I started off on D-Line/O-Line, but I just didn't enjoy it personally, this year, I moved to Tight End (TE) and Outside Linebacker (OLB), the game took a whole new level of enjoyment, but I had to stop mid-season, back problems and money issues played a part, Chiropractor sessions didn't work, but Physiotherapy sessions, immobilizing the back joints and muscles, 1 session a week for 10 weeks, seems to have really helped me out, thanks to the NHS!


A good old ramble on there don't want to bore anybody :/ Just a good way for me to get stuff out to be honest!



Thanks



Oh, and Will Ferrell is a legend! Obviously