By Jemma Burgess

Apparently, I’ve given up. 

When I was 15 I had no idea what I wanted to do. Then one day, In preparation for my Drama GCSE’s my teacher looked around the class and asked for a volunteer. For three, one hour long lessons he needs someone to embody a wolf girl. A half feminine, half feline god that the rest of the class could stare at and prod. To my surprise, my hand immediately shot up, volunteering as tribute and from that moment on I knew I wanted to be an actor. 

It sounds like bullshit, but really, its true and I fucking loved every moment. 

I carried on to drama school to ‘follow my dreams’ as one would say and I did pretty well. Did a few shows, a few films, performed at the globe. Even wrote my own show! But the thing is, despite the epic highs of performing, there come horrific lows when your not. 80 % of the time your not and for me, that just doesn’t make me happy. 

So I spent a long time wallowing and then a long time thinking about what I wanted to do. I had always thought of advertising on and off but this time I put my full focus on it and bit by bit my smile came back.

 I then found SCA. 

You’re more likely to get three balls in the lottery then get into this school! I have no advertising background, no spectacular adobe skills, the last time I drew a good picture was in primary school ( It was a blooming fantastic picture of a goat #Stilproud.) How the hell am I gonna get in?

For some out of this world reason though, I did. I danced my way through in fact, literally. 

When I got ‘The Call’ from Marc I genuinely could not breathe. It was like every cell in my body had burst with overwhelming shock and excitement. I have never felt this instinctual need to do something in my life. Until now that is. Since every inch of my body was propelling me towards this school. I finally took a breath and thought, I have to go. 

It was to my utter surprise then when I told my family and friends, their first response was ‘ Oh, so you’ve given up?’ GIVEN UP? Have you heard anything I just said? If I was an office manager or a doctor and decided to change my career, you would never say that. 

I wouldn’t have got into this school if I hadn’t become an actor and I’m not going to stop using my skills when I go on to be a badass art director or copywriter one day. I feel privileged that I get the opportunity to be surrounded by and learn from the beautiful and creative minds that enter SCA every day and I’m not going to apologise for wanting that. I haven’t given up at all. I’ve barely begun.

But I’ll tell you what I will be giving up and if you’re reading this, maybe you will too:

• Worrying about what other people think. It’s pointless and brings you down.
• Eating curry flavoured super noodles. There is just as cheap and more nutritious ways of feeding yourself. 
• Watching Vampire diaries/Greys Anatomy. You’ve seen it once! You don’t need to see it for the second time, or a fifth. 
• Not believing in myself. This is the hardest for me, but it’s true when they say that you really won’t get anywhere if you don’t start believing in you.

On that note, I have so much work to do before I embark on my new adventure. I don’t know what I’ve got myself into but I know one thing, I ain’t giving up.