What working in a college radio station has taught me

A couple of weeks ago, an acquaintance asked me a question that I have pondered upon ever since: “What is your favourite thing about working at your college radio station?”

There is a statement that has been floating around for a long time which says: “if you love your job you will never work a day in your life.” I feel that I fit the bill nicely despite still being a student volunteer at the station.

Radio is my passion, and it continues to bring me countless opportunities as well as never-ending chances for learning and side-splitting fun. But somehow, this question still left me dumbfounded and, as someone who hopes to talk for a living, I am rarely found speechless!

After blurting out a semi-satisfactory answer, one that praised the buzz of being on air and the dynamic news bulletins, I racked my brains for the right answer, one that I could have to hand should I be asked this question again.

But to my dismay, the words would not come to me!

Of course, I could rhyme off countless things that I savoured about being involved in a college radio station. But my favourite thing? That was something that left me stumped.

So, I took a trip back to the very beginning of this journey for some more inspiration.

My love for radio goes back as far as I can remember, as every school day began the same way. After stumbling out of bed, bleary-eyed and grumpy, I would shovel Weetabix into my mouth while listening to David Cawley’s Breakfast Show on Mid-West Radio.

We had an old, deafening stereo that projected to every crevice of the house. I could even hear the radio while brushing my teeth. To this day I cannot imagine starting my day in any other way, and this avid radio listenership accompanied by love of writing, led me to the decision of studying Journalism in NUI Galway and eventually joining the college radio station, Flirt FM.

The station is tucked away in the back of the college, and on my orientation night I showed up soaked to the skin after being caught in a typical Galway deluge, ready for nothing more than a steaming cup of tea and my bed.

I do not remember too much of the meeting aside from the distracting feeling of damp socks. But there was a loud buzz of excitement in the air that night arising from the sounds made by the volunteers, by the temperamental air conditioning and the deafening drums from the music rehearsals next door.

A few days later I found out that I would be hosting breakfast show on a Monday morning with two other girls, both of whom were just as new to this as I was.

We made the perfect team, as we were all equally as clueless as one another!

At the beginning I felt like I was scrambling in the deep end of the Kingfisher pool. I had the equipment I needed to run a show, but I did not have the confidence or experience to feel totally comfortable yet.

That is something that no one can teach you. But it was the Flirt FM team’s kind-heartedness and support that helped us flourish. They were always on-hand to help with a technical glitch and helped us develop show ideas that would suit us.

I spent many mornings in the studio, and on music breaks I would text my parents who were listening at home. I would generally receive replies that filled me with as much pride as the show itself did.

Radio can do powerful things and along with bringing news about this big world to your speakers, it can also be your companion on a long car journey back to college.

It can warm your heart by playing a song that reminds you of your secondary school graduation, or it can shed light on an issue that focuses your eyes on a desire for change in our world. It is a platform where infectious energy emanates from the team through the soundwaves, changing your outlook on the day and sometimes on society.

After reminiscing on all these highlights, I have been led to the answer to the question above. It was staring me in the face. My favourite thing about working at a college radio station is being surrounded by people who have the power to make others feel something.

Touching people’s lives is the basis of radio, and not only have I been given the power to do this, I have experienced this feeling first-hand from the people around me.

Someday I hope to use my power as brilliantly as the people in my college radio station have, and make my 10 year-old self exceptionally proud.

Flirt FM is located on the NUI Galway campus and broadcasts at 101.3 MHz on the FM band. It can also be found online at flirtfm.ie.