Blogcademy – Who Needs University

By Srazzi @srazzi

Ok so I’m taking a slightly different take on my Blogcademy recap, I could just list everything I did but if you’re following the Blogcademy ladies I think you can see this on some of the other lovely attendees blogs.

First up, what the hell is Blogcademy? Well all is explained below in this handy little paragraph I stole from the site.

“The Blogcademy is a two day workshop for bloggers who want to push their online presence and businesses to the next level. Taught by three high-profile bloggers, Gala Darling (Gala Darling), Kat Williams (Rock n Roll Bride) and Shauna Haider (Nubby Twiglet), we cover everything related to blogging strategy, branding and personality you’ve ever wanted to know.”

I want to talk about my experience of the Blocademy London and education, yea I know it’s not exactly me but here we go. (and I’ll throw in my photos at given intervals)

I couldn’t help but compare my Blogcademy experience to the classes I had attended at university and how much better it was!

I started university with a mind set not dis-similar from how went in to Blogcademy, bright eyed and bushy tailed and that feeling stuck around for much of my first year, it was fun to be away from home doing something I loved (fashion promotion) and although I didn’t learn a lot in my first year, apart from how other people can steal ideas, I was more than happy to go back for year two.

In year 2 the university brochure had promise a range of subjects including buying but unfortunately some of these were not covered. The teaching contact was very limited and mainly consisted of weekly tutorials to talk about our project which we completed at home and handed in to be marked.

My 3rd year was a placement, the placements tutor had left  at the start of the year and they hadn’t replace her, so most of us found our own placements. I was lucky and ended up in a creative agency which I loved.

Year 4, The teaching dropped again and a lot of work was completed at home. I felt as if I had learnt the majority of my skills from my placement and I was able to complete my final project.

When you’re at university (well on my course) your in a little bubble and you go about you’re life coming up with campaigns that would never work in the real world and you are not even taught how too think about making them work. You’re asked to design but not asked or taught how to make something industry print ready, your asked to show a image of social presence but not asked how anything would work in the real world, no plan, no strategy, nothing. This of course was because ALL of the tutors on my course had taken the course and then come back to teach on it with out any industry experience.

Blogcademy couldn’t have been more different, so yea ok it was only 2 days, but I don’t think I learnt as much in a year at uni as I did from the Blogcademy girls in those two days. That’s where I think Blogcademy really shines, we were given real life scenarios and case studies and things were explained in perfect detail. It is blatantly obvious that the 3 lovely teachers know what they are talking about because they have lived and breathed it for years.I think a lot of universities are stuck in their way and use the same syllabus year after year, current trends don’t really come in to it and when you are enrolled on a promotion course, it is vital that you keep up to date with tech and advertising advancements. Blogcademy knocked it out of the park on this front, The ladies threw name after name at us about useful tools they used and gave us ideas of post that worked in the current blogsphere.I don’t what this post to sound like a huge formal complaint but I just want to highlight the value in finding the right teachers and teaching methods that work for you, and the Blogcademy was definitely my perfect way… I only have one comment… I WANT MORE, Blogcademy 2.0?My final thought (oh god I sound like jerry springer) If you’re a university looking to really teach your students about digital media, blogging, strategy or graphics then the Blogcademy ladies are your women. Put your speakers budget to good use… HIRE THEM! They are Amazing and your students will love you forever.

Thank you to Kat, Gala and Shauna

If you have a minute let me know what was your university experience was like?