Coming to Reigate College as the only one from my school was definitely daunting at first. But I quickly realised everyone was friendly and open – the cliques I’d worried about didn’t really exist, and people genuinely wanted to get to know each other.

My time there was filled with supportive teachers, kind friends, and a real sense of encouragement to follow our passions. I threw myself into lots of activities: the Duke of Edinburgh Gold Award, Debating Society, the Young Reporters scheme, and the Student Union. They were great fun and gave me so many opportunities to meet people and push myself out of my comfort zone.

Those experiences also gave me a lot to reflect on when it came to writing my UCAS statement – and more importantly, they made my time at the College so much richer. I still keep in touch with my college friends today, and I feel so grateful for how they made what could have been a tricky transition such a happy one.

At university, I knew I wanted to get into journalism, so I made the most of every opportunity – writing for the student magazine (and later editing it), hosting a radio show, and starting a podcast. Journalism isn’t the easiest industry to break into, especially without contacts, but I found that persistence and curiosity went a long way.

After graduating, I joined the BBC on their journalism trainee scheme, which was an incredible experience. I spent nearly two years learning from some of the best people in the business producing radio, TV, online articles, and social videos.

Now, as a journalist in the Radio and Audio newsroom, I love that every day is different. It’s exciting (and sometimes a bit intense!) to start each morning by getting across the entire news agenda, then helping to produce work that’s informative, engaging and accurate. I’ve definitely become more questioning and detail-focused – I don’t take things at face value anymore, which I think is the essence of good journalism.

The hardest part is probably the hours! I work weekends, nights, and public holidays. But when you’re surrounded by brilliant colleagues who share your love for the job, even working at 4am doesn’t feel too bad.

I currently work at the BBC’s Broadcasting House in London. Most of my time is spent in the Radio and Audio newsroom, where I help put together hourly radio summaries for Radio 2, 3, 4 and 5. I also report on stories across the day’s news agenda – and, every now and again, get the chance to read the news myself!

I’ve been lucky to work with lots of different teams: politics, business, culture, and social media – which has meant covering everything from the Mercury Prize to a rather niche Paul Mescal lookalike competition near where I live in London. It’s given me a real taste of how varied journalism can be, and how much fun it is to tell stories that connect with people in different ways.

If I could give my younger self one piece of advice, it would be: don’t worry if you don’t have everything figured out. I used to have endless back-up plans because I wasn’t sure I’d make it in journalism – but the truth is, you don’t have to be amazing forever, you just have to give it your best today. One day at a time really does work.

For anyone thinking about journalism, I’d say this: make sure you really want it, because it takes resilience, self-discipline and a thick skin. You’ll get a lot of “no’s”, but that just makes the eventual “yes” feel even better.

And most importantly, don’t be put off if you feel like you don’t fit the mould. The industry needs voices from all backgrounds, and your perspective matters more than you realise. Imposter syndrome is real, but it’s something we all feel. Journalism is about curiosity, empathy and persistence, and if you have those, you’ll find your place.

Lucy Acheson
Reigate College: 2017-2019
Higher Education: University of Bath, BSc Politics and International Relations with placement year.
Currently: BBC Journalist, Radio & Audio Newsroom