My name is Victoria Randell and I was born on 3rd March 1994. I live in Swainsthorpe which is a small village south of Norwich.
I took my GCSEs at Long Stratton High School and these are the results I received:
o English Literature - C
o English Language - B
o Maths - B
o Add. Maths - B
o Statistics - C
o Science - B
o Add. Science - B
o Graphics - A
o ICT - A
o Geography - B
o Food Technology - A*
I was very happy with my results but I wish I could have achieved an A* in graphics as I was predicted an A*. My main hobbies and interests are listening to music, going to gigs, photography and graphic design, Formula 1, WRC, travelling in the UK and sometimes cooking.
I mainly read the Evening News because we have it delivered to our door everyday and it’s interesting to keep informed about news from this area and also upcoming events. I also check for any news to do with Lotus Racing in the sport section as I am a fan of their racing team. Often when I’ve been into London I’ve read The Metro/Evening Standard, mainly looking at the general news section but also some of the celebrity gossip pieces too.
If there is any national news I wish to find information on, I find it’s very useful to use the internet as the information is right at my fingertips and often there is more information than there would be if I’d have read it in a newspaper.
I read two magazines; Kerrang! and F1 Racing. Kerrang! is a weekly music magazine which I have an annual subscription for. I like to read Kerrang! because it’s a good, reliable source for information on some of my favourite bands, also there are posters in each weeks magazine which I like to collect. F1 Racing is a Formula 1 monthly motorsport magazine, which I am also subscribed to. Again I mainly read the magazine because it’s a reliable source of news but also because they have in-depth interviews with various drivers, interesting photos taken at different Grand Prixs and columns by ex-drivers with strong opinions.
If I am doing work in my living room or helping my mum in the kitchen I will sometimes have the radio on on the TV because I can then listen to stations such as Kerrang! Radio or Radio 1. These stations are good for listening to for information as well as entertainment because they have news and traffic updates every so often throughout the shows. When I’m in the car with my family we mainly have Radio Norwich on so that we can catch up on local news and receive traffic updates.
Generally, I listen to lots of genres of music but mainly indie, rock or alternative music. Some of my favourite bands include: Kasabian, All Time Low, Elliot Minor and Paramore. Although, sometimes I just listen to one song by a band rather than listen to the whole album.
I access most of the music I listen to via the internet. I do prefer to have CDs than downloading music but I mostly buy the CDs online anyway. In my opinion I feel that downloading albums illegally is wrong it isn’t fair on the bands who have worked hard to create the album but I do think that one or two songs now and again isn’t that bad. I think that music in general and the images bands portray influence the listeners very much, maybe more so than we realise. The main thing I think they influence is style; how people dress. But they also affect and influence our attitudes, behaviour and aspirations.
New technologies have increased my knowledge and understanding of the world immensely. The main resource that has done this is the internet because there is so much information available online. The internet and mobile phones have increased my ability to communicate with others online and while out and about by using MSN and texts. Another part of my life which has been affected by new technologies is they way in which I watch films and TV and how I listen to music. Most TV programmes are now available on line after they have been shown on TV. Films are made to a higher quality and some even use 3D technology which enhances the viewing. Finally, new technologies have enabled me to create my own media texts very easily by using digital cameras and simple editing software on a PC but giving high quality results.
I don’t normally watch much television unless I have nothing else to do or I know about a programme coming on that I wish to see. My favourite TV channels are Dave, BBC1, ITV2 because they are the channels that show programmes I find interesting such as coverage from music festivals, Top Gear, cooking programmes, Formula 1 and gossip shows.
I don’t really have a favourite genre when it comes to TV; I just flick through the channels until I find something that looks interesting. I think that the most memorable shows on TV are the ones that are shown live, like music festivals or sporting events but also programmes like Come Dine with Me or Top Gear because of the comical values.
My favourite cinema to watch films at is Vue, in The Mall; it’s cheaper and more comfortable than Odeon and easier to get to. I vary rarely go to the cinema because I think it’s a waste of money when you could wait until the DVD is released and then own a copy of the film to watch at your own leisure. I don’t have a favourite genre of film, if I see a film trailer on the TV or hear about a film from friends I might find out more about it and see if I would find it interesting or not.
I have chosen to study Media Studies at A level mainly because it compliments my other subjects, which are Graphics, ICT and Photography. Also, I wanted to understand more about how media is portrayed and how it affects us in everyday life. Finally, I found the syllabus for the course at CNS interesting and felt that it would benefit me later in life.
