Taking Flight - First Steps Into The Media Industry

As the earliest of HSE’s four sessions draws near, students of the media department are preparing to launch their first ever projects, and your interest could make all the difference…

Annually, first year students from the Faculty of Communications, Media and Design in Moscow are tasked with putting together a creative project from scratch. The aim is to take their team effort all the way from a vague idea to a countable, unique result within 7 to 8 weeks, limited to the first two months of education. In order to reach their goal they must actively interact with people they’ve only just met, working out their differences, figuring out financial and PR questions and picking up fundamental project-managing skills on the way. Understandably, this can be daunting, hence proving to be a serious challenge for many.

At the crux of it, the projects’ success depends on the feedback of participants, who have gained information, merchandise, or entertainment as a result of their input. Students get a pass if they meet their target amount of customer evaluation, such as the number of comments and Instagram stories received or product bundles distributed. This is where you, a potential participant, come in! There are many ways in which you benefit from getting involved and helping media students to take flight. To illustrate, here are some specific examples of works in progress.

“The Obshyaga (Boarding) Life”, for instance, tackles the issue of fitting in, especially for people who have travelled far for home for their education and find it intimidating to interact with others. This team has created a one-of-a-kind board game that may help to break the ice and set a foundation for future friendships.

Then there is the Kitay-Gorod Map – a handy little guide to help students and their friends find the best places to hang out in the vicinity of – you guessed it – Kitay-Gorod, an area which houses many HSE buildings. You could visit their Instagram to find, conveniently grouped, locations and descriptions of nearby cafes, second-hand stores and the like, with information on sales, discounts and price range.

Besides the few listed here, there are plenty more, from Mixed Media exhibitions to Friendly Speed Dating, Literature Overviews, Animal Aid, Swap Events, Mental Support – the list goes on and on. If any of these diverse subjects have caught your attention, feel free to get in touch with the media first years through social networks to find out how you can participate and what awesome bonuses you’ll gain. Some offer stickers as rewards, others help forge valuable connections, most help you contribute to something you believe in.

Projects are an essential part of study at HSE, and with good cause. Practical application of theory and initiative are expected of students, hence keeping each other informed and open to cooperation is key. With many more exciting works to come, stay in the know and full steam ahead to a bright and promising future!

Text by
Alexandra Karpezova