Here’s how a typical conversation goes when I am meeting new people at Uni:
— “What course do you do?”
— “Business of the Creative Industries, how about you?”
Cue the confused look on said person’s face before they ask me what is that. Business of the Creative Industries (BCI) is a relatively new course here at York, but it is so broad and varied. Here is how a typical week looks for me as a BCI student:
Overall contact hours
The lectures, seminars and workshops that we receive are all known as our contact hours, and these take up most of my week. What I enjoy about BCI is that there is a good balance between contact hours and free time in the timetable. It allows us to have interesting discussions in our seminar groups, as well as time to crack on with our own work that we have to do throughout the term.
On a typical day where I have a 9:30am start, I will wake up around 8am (there’s nothing worse than rushing!!) to have breakfast and get ready before setting off for Uni. Since I live off campus, I get the bus to Campus East, where all of my contact hours take place. I love being located on Campus East, as it is not as busy or big as Campus West, but has all the facilities needed for learning.
Lectures and seminars during the week
Typically, we tend to have around two to three lectures per week, depending on how many modules there are for that term (so in essence, one lecture per week per module). These are usually at the start of the week. This allows us to start the week off with the content we need to know before our seminars take place, usually a day or two later. It is great to be able to discuss our thoughts about topics in the seminars and hear such varied opinions.
We also get guest lecturers coming in to speak to us about careers and certain topics – something so vital in this industry is hearing from professionals themselves, who can share their own personal experiences. What I love most about BCI is the variety it offers in terms of content – no two seminars or lectures are ever the same. One lecture might be about the law and finance, and then the next day you might be learning about how music festivals like Glastonbury are run – the sheer diversity within the topics keeps this course interesting.
This is also helped by the equal balance between both high-level creative and business aspects of the course. The degree offers really insightful modules into the business side of the creative industries, but also creative ones, such as content development (where you get the chance to pitch your own ideas for theatre, film etc) and filmmaking/editing. Again, the freedom of this course allows you to pick modules in 2nd/3rd Year. So, you can choose to focus more on either the creative or business side, depending on what you prefer.
Library time and own study
Another great thing about the course is the fact there are absolutely no exams! This means no stress with revision – but instead, we have a huge variety of assessments. These are also so varied, and include essays, pitches, portfolios and presentations.
Another crucial part of my week is setting aside time for my own study, whether that is writing up my notes from seminars/lectures, or getting on with assessments. So, I tend to spend my morning in the lectures/seminars themselves and then, after lunchtime, I will go to the library in the Piazza Building on Campus East and do my own independent study. This splits my day up nicely, and also allows me to feel more productive than if I were to simply go home (where I would just procrastinate in my room!!). If I were doing a more creative module, I would also use this time to get stuck into the practical elements of this, such as filming, or using the editing suites to edit my work.
It is super important to make sure you keep on top of all of your deadlines and tasks. That is why it helps to have more free time on your timetable so that you do not feel overwhelmed.
A typical week is never the same as a BCI student, but this is the fun of the course!
I’ve never once felt bored during my degree, due to the variety of both business and highly creative topics. The course gives me my own freedom, and allows me to excel in what I need to learn about the creative industries for when I leave university. It is also so important to do other things you love on the side of the degree. That is why I always try to keep my week busy with uni work, and then I have the weekend to relax, socialise and have fun! Watch how I like to spend my weekends in York.
Read more student stories about Business of the Creative Industries.
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