Let’s face it, Journalism is the most difficult course you can study

If you think an early start is 9am, you should think again. Journalism students start at 8am five days a week all for a dreaded thing called shorthand. So, lets take some time to appreciate these students for all the reasons why journalism is the hardest course to study.

They have to be at uni for 8am

You really know you’re at university early when the doors aren’t even open to students yet, a situation us journalism students face every morning. A morning fuelled with caffeine is the way forward to endure a two-hour shorthand lesson in a lecture theatre that rather weirdly resembles a church. Fellow first year student Adam Loughran said: “8am starts force you to plan your night before which prevents the ‘sesh’.” Not ideal really for first year.

They have to learn shorthand

Journalism is all fun and games until it comes to learning shorthand which is practically like learning a new language. It’s really just squiggles and dots transferred on paper. There is no doubt that shorthand is a handy skill to have if you want to be a journalist since it allows you to write faster as someone is talking to you. The question is, is it really worth getting up so early for? First year journalism student Phoebe May said: “Every time my alarm goes off I cry and go back to sleep.” It seems the general contentious tells us maybe not then?

At least you only have to learn shorthand for the first year…if you pass.

They don't have the luxury of missing the odd lecture

You might be thinking 'do journalists really need shorthand? Is it really necessary to go to every lecture?' Our hungover heads question this on a daily basis but when trying to write whilst someone is talking to you is incredibly difficult so it doesn't take us long to realise the importance of shorthand. You can't write down more than six words correctly without having to ask them to repeat themselves and the main importance in journalism is accuracy after all.

Let's not forget that many major newspapers will not accept any journalist without 100 words per minute in shorthand. Your CV really will just go straight in the bin.

Just think of everything you could be doing with your time other than a shorthand lecture

You could be sleeping, or still out partying, or having a healthy balanced breakfast, rather than relying on John's van, actually having a social life, and not having to go to bed like a Granny at 10 pm every night.

Finding a balance between shorthand and a social life is the biggest problem a journalism student will face. Say goodbye to getting in at the crack of dawn because now is time to wake up. Waving goodbye to your flatmates whilst they're getting ready for the sesh, being the mother hen that you have now become. Oh shorthand, you do ruin our social lives.

Bacon sandwiches are our fuel

Despite all this they rarely turn down the sesh

We all come to uni to work hard and get that degree but it is nightlife that is on the forefront of every first years mind when their uni life begins. Journalism students are not an exception to this. They crave the blue pint buzz and 3am Balti King just as much as any other student. The difference is simply the 8am start. “Not an ideal start time when you have a hangover.” says first year journalism student Matt Rennie. We don't let this hold us back though. Us journalism students are made of stone.

Still not convinced? Try translating shorthand

To all new journalism students it looks like hieroglyphics, never mind at 8am with just two hours sleep. Perhaps that isn't a good mixture after all.

However it's not all doom and gloom. If you get 60 words a minute you can start at 9am! A whole extra hour in bed, that's valuable, well earned sleeping time. After all it is a very respectful qualification to have and the early starts will be worth it in the end.

Shorthand is also such a transferable skill. Ever been in a lecture and your lecturer is changing the slides really rapidly? Well, shorthand has you covered when you can write 100 words in just one minute. So whilst everyone elses hands are aching from the note taking, you've already finished. Got a christmas shopping list you want to write but don't want people to read it? Shorthand has got you covered, unless they're a journalist too then you're a bit screwed.

The challenge is can you translate this?