Ayrshire student hands out top tips to young school pupils
A GCU student made a sensational return to his former high school in the hope of inspiring a future generation of journalists.
Murray Grayston, who himself is studying Multimedia Journalism, got involved in school visits as part of a wider initiative by North Ayrshire Council. Now in his final year at University, Murray swapped lecture halls for the classroom - speaking to students from seven different primary and secondary schools.
He said: “Everything I’ve learned during my time at GCU is still fresh in my mind, so it was quite easy for me to put all of this together. I’m basically taking what I’ve learned and then using that to help young people from P7 through to S3.
We had six lesson plans in total, which were based around why they should consider a career in journalism. For the first lesson, we felt it would be best for us to go in-person and put a face to it all for the introduction. From there it was a bit more self-taught and myself and other contributors basically handed over the package of lessons to the teachers, meaning they can deliver on it when they please.”
Murray added: “The first lesson was about journalism as a whole; what a journalist does and why we do it. We then covered interview techniques and how to get the best answers out of people.
There was also a bit of focus on the different types of careers available. When I first came to University I thought journalism was just writing, but it’s so much more than that. I really liked to give examples, so I was referencing people I study with that are working at TV and radio stations as I felt this would hit home with the students.”
With fond memories of his time at Ardrossan Academy still etched on his memory, Murray grasped the opportunity to return to the corridors he once graced as a pupil.
He explained: “I was really keen to go back to my old school – it was a strange but rewarding experience. I was actually teaching a class that my old deputy head was covering! In all honesty, I was constantly thinking ‘what’s he going to think if this doesn’t go well?’, but it was really good and he had a clear interest in my work – thankfully the pupils did too!”
With graduation just around the corner, Murray is continuing to consider his future career and admits his time back in Ayrshire has helped keep all options on the table.
He said: “Part of the reason I wanted to get involved in this was because it gives me something to talk about at job interviews and on my CV.
I also think it’s important to give something back because it’s not an opportunity I got when I was at school and it’s definitely something young people will benefit from. We’re looking to develop it further in future and I’ve said I would be happy to go back and speak to older students who are applying to University.”
Murray added: “I’ve not looked too much into jobs yet for when I finish up. I’m hoping I’ll just find one that I want to do but I appreciate that’s not necessarily going to be the case right away.
If journalism doesn’t end up working out for me then teaching is something I would definitely consider. I thought it would be more challenging than it actually was - I enjoyed it! The only thing was that it was sometimes tough making sure all the students were engaged at points, but I guess it’s just part of the job to try and overcome that.”
By Ross Clark
Got an SHLS or GSBS story? Email Ross.Clark@gcu.ac.uk or connect with me on Twitter