Looking to expand your writing portfolio and gain hands on journalism experience? Below, our contributors explain what they have enjoyed about writing for Quench Magazine this year, and why you should get involved in Cardiff Student Media…
JOSHUA ALLEN
I first got involved with Cardiff Student Media during first year, having signed up to Quench at the fresherÔÇÖs fair. Within my first year I wrote a number of articles for Quench, and as someone who was very, very, new to writing such articles, it felt amazing to gain that experience and even more
amazing to see my writing being published! Now in my second year, I feel like Quench has helped me further my writing ability even more. The variety of sections in Quench is enormous and really allows you to write about nearly anything you could imagine; whether that be an album review, or a fashion profile, I feel like Quench really allows you to express yourself within your writing and has personally led to me becoming a much more confident writer. The flexibility of writing for Quench is fantastic and is perfect if you want to gain some experience in cultural journalism without any pressure to participate every month! Additionally, everyone involved with Quench is extremely friendly and more than happy to help if you have any trouble whilst writing. Overall, if you are considering writing for Cardiff Student Media I highly recommend you get involved!
FRANCESCA IONESCU
As I started Uni with no clue towards what career path I wanted to take, I tried to explore every opportunity I had that might make me more certain. My friend, an aspiring journalist, encouraged me to find the student publication and see whether writing is the thing for me, which lead to one of my favourite experiences over the past two years. Writing for both Quench and Gair Rhydd made me fall in love with writing, and even when exams meant I had less time for articles with a deadline, I started writing in my free time. My involvement in both the magazine and the newspaper meant being able to write opinion pieces and learn about topics that I would have never researched otherwise, all while having a lot of support as to how I should write. Mostly I enjoyed the variety in writing, from short music pieces to a thousand-word commentaries on popular culture, allowing me to really explore my knowledge beyond what I thought I could achieve through a student-led society.
OMO IFABUA
During my A-levels I seriously lost my passion for writing. I couldnÔÇÖt understand why we were all being taught to write identical essays in Politics, or why teachers would spoil the ending of every novel we studied in English Lit. I lost my creative spark and was so burnt-out by exams to refire it.
But when I got to university, and escaped the 30-hour secondary school week, I finally had time to write what I wanted, outside of my coursework.
I remember the first article I wrote for Quench, ÔÇÿLove Island: The Real PrizeÔÇÖ, where I talked about the irony of these reality TV stars getting fashion deals ÔÇô considering their minimal attire on the show. The moment Quench announced that the issue had been published, I was ecstatic. After my lecture that Thursday, I rushed to the StudentsÔÇÖ Union to grab myself a copy and an extra for my parents of course. It was an incredible feeling to see my work published (in a proper magazine!) for the first time and thatÔÇÖs what kept me writing.
Soon my portfolio spanned from fashion and lifestyle to food and travel, and I was enjoying every new challenge that came with writing for a new field. One thing I love about Quench is the freedom you have to explore your craft, which is what university is all about. So, if youÔÇÖre like me and itching to write about something thatÔÇÖs not being graded, or you simply want to build your writing resume, then I highly recommend joining CSM and making the most of every opportunity.
ABI EDWARDS
One of the highlights of my university experience has been getting involved with Cardiff Student Media. If youÔÇÖre studying a university course which requires a lot of writing, such as journalism or English literature, writing for Quench or Gair Rhydd is the perfect way to express yourself through
writing articles on causes, events or topics you feel passionate about.
As a journalism and communications student, I have felt very fortunate that our university has such a diverse and thriving media platform, and I would definitely recommend getting involved if you are interested in pursuing a journalism or media career, or if you want to explore the different ways of
writing. For example, in between writing and submitting my academic essays, writing for Quench enabled me to escape from the daily stresses of a very strange academic year whilst doing something I absolutely love.
The benefits of getting involved in CSM are endless. Not only do you learn so much about new topics and ideas, you can discover which field of journalism interests you the most. Also, you get the opportunity to work with many talented students who are just as passionate about the world of
media and culture as you.
MANON JONES
Getting involved with Cardiff Student Media this year has been an amazing experience and something I will look forward to for the next academic year. Writing online articles for Quench Magazine at the beginning of the first lockdown was something to look forward to and really began my interest in writing for joy outside of academic essays and also helped me gained confidence in my writing. In addition to writing online and print articles, working on Quench MagazineÔÇÖs social media team as a Deputy Social Media Manager has been an incredible experience and has been amazing to be a part of. Working alongside like-minded people and creating content to be posted on our social media accounts has taught me many valuable skills and made me realise that I would love to work within social media in the future. Being a part of a team that work together, share and support each otherÔÇÖs ideas has been incredibly valuable and it has felt really rewarding seeing our social media accounts grow across the months. I would really encourage anyone to get involved with Cardiff Student Media in any way that you can as thereÔÇÖs such a range of opportunities available, thereÔÇÖs something to interest everyone.
EVE DAVIES
When I started uni in October 2020, I was eager to get involved with student journalism. I googled Cardiff student magazineÔÇÖ and found Quench. I joined the Quench contributors Facebook group and within a week, I had written my first article for the Travel section. I was nervous and unsure whether
my work was to the standard expected as IÔÇÖd never had my writing published before. Anyhow, I messaged the section editors who were so lovely, welcoming, and reassuring. They read my first draft and assured me it was great, which I was so glad to hear! After this I branched out to other sections. I have now written for Quench Travel, Literature, Culture, Food, and Film, and have always received great help and advice from section editors. Getting started with Quench has given me the confidence to contribute to other journalism platforms that work on a similar basis. It has been a great way to get used to a journalism lifestyle by helping me think creatively. Writing for Quench is enjoyable alongside the pressures of academic writing and provides invaluable experience for future careers. It has also allowed me to connect with like-minded students during my first year at university while social contact has been very limited.
SHIVIKI SINGH
Beginning first year of university in the midst of a pandemic wasnÔÇÖt an easy step. Since I started with Uni last year, there has been a constant guilt of not making the most out of my university life, both academically and socially. I would constantly struggle with the fear of not learning enough skills to work in a highly practical and competitive industry like media. But the Cardiff UniversityÔÇÖs student media proved to be a saviour. It gave me the platform to learn and put my ideas into practice and overcome the guilt of feeling unproductive. I have been involved with Gair Rhydd, Quench Magazine and Cardiff Union Television. As someone who was ambitious about working in the Television and presenting sector, I have loved the experience of being involved with student publication. It made me realize how much I enjoy putting my thoughts into words and that it might even potentially be a career that I desire to pursue. A huge factor that made my involvement with the student media delightful and memorable, is the incredible team of editors. I am very thankful to this brilliant team
for being so approachable and helpful. I owe Quench and Gair Rhydd the credit of making me realize that I have a passion for writing.