As I child I would avidly write narratives and assorted pieces of creative writing, however due to the busy schedule school offered, I found myself quickly dropping hobbies such as reading, painting and writing.

A way to re-immerse myself in these interests was to find something that held me accountable. A way I reintroduced writing into my life outside of school was to enter the Young Reporter scheme. 

Although the Young Reporter Scheme wasn’t necessarily the same as writing poetry or narratives, it was a way to remind myself to write something outside of school at least once a month. 

Personally I find the Young Reporter Scheme to be worth trying out, even for students who don’t usually find themselves inclined to write or students who don’t usually like writing. This is because the Young Reporter Scheme opens up opportunities to attend different events, is a worthwhile experience to get more acquainted with writing, helps you build a habit, manage time and also helps add to your CV. The concept of writing for a local paper may sound quite difficult but due to concise instructions detailed by the organisation, it is not as challenging as it sounds. 

In my perspective, having adequate time management and figuring out what to write is the most important aspect of being a Young Reporter. A useful way I personally got through periods of not knowing what to write for my monthly news reports was to list down ideas that I had when I did have them or list events that were upcoming/ I went to. This was especially useful for times when I did not know what to write. 

Overall, I believe that the Young Reporter Scheme was a meaningful experience for me. I was introduced to the scheme through my school and I hope that this short recount of my experience could possibly lead to the start of someone else’s involvement in the scheme.