A time of reflection- My experience as a journalism major

I’ve been a journalism and mass communications major for about two and a half years, but I can honestly say that I’ve developed as a journalist the most in my Advanced News and Feature Writing class this semester. To be honest, some of my JMC classes were just informative with little room to develop as a journalist, so I was bored to tears. In my other  classes I had a lot of writing assignments, but I just couldn’t seem to get the grasp of them. Even in my News Editing and Layout class I struggled. That was difficult for me because I knew I wanted to be an editor and wanted nothing to do with being a reporter. As the semester is winding down, I’ve realized that if I don’t become an editor, it’s not the end of the world because I am a pretty good writer (if I do say so myself). I think it’s because, unlike the other JMC classes that I’ve taken, I’ve been pushed to not only write the story, but to find it and develop it.

I was originally an English major with a concentration in secondary education. A semester in the major let me know that wasn’t where I wanted to be, so I applied for the JMC program, thinking there wouldn’t be such a huge difference. When I found out that despite my aspirations to be an editor I was going to have to do a lot of writing, I wasn’t too fazed. Then I struggled. I’m the type of person where if I can’t get it in the beginning then I get frustrated and feel that I never will. Luckily, through my time in the JMC major, I learned the art of perseverance. I’ve had a couple of professors who would give me the constructive criticism that I needed and inspired me to work harder. Even after a rough semester I knew that I had to just jump back on that horse (so to speak) and get the job done. Now I’m confident, not only in my abilities as a journalist, but also in my potential for the future as a journalist.

To be completely honest, I was never really cut out for college. The fact that I was a first generation college student and lazy plus a lingering case of ‘senioritis’ explained why I just never really did the work if I wasn’t interested. All this time I figured that I wasn’t as smart as everyone told me I was in high school. The surprising part of it all was that when I had an active interest in the class, I almost always walked away with a B or better (unless I just really didn’t get it, like the News Editing class). I even got an A in Geology, which is a science course  about rocks (I hate science and it was much more than 'just rocks', but I was hooked).  Some advice that I would give to any college student, whether starting out or as a veteran, is to find what you’re passionate about, or at least interested in. You’re going to be here for at least four years, you may as well enjoy it.

The biggest, most important piece of advice that I can give to students entering the JMC major is to– are you ready? —GET AN INTERNSHIP! It doesn’t matter if it’s unpaid, off campus, goes at ten o’clock at night; it’s so vital to get one. I didn’t get one because of work and, honestly, a fear of failing. Now I’m behind my peers as soon as I enter the workforce (I’m not just being dramatic, a journalism professional told me exactly that). I’m not terribly worried though, as I’ve found a couple of unpaid opportunities that will build up my resume, but it would’ve been so much easier to get one prior to this. Another piece of advice to potential JMC majors is to join at least one JMC club or organization. This will increase your networking abilities, plus it’s another bright spot on your resume.

As my time at UNC is coming to an end I’ve done a lot of reflection. If I could do certain parts over again, like attending class (whoops) and getting an internship, I undoubtedly would. Yet I’ve learned so much here in the process. It’s taught me that, as obvious as it seems, when you put your mind to it, you can do anything.  I’ve also learned to wear my JMC major as a badge of honor, because anytime I tell someone that’s what I’m getting my degree in, they always comment on how interesting that is. The lesson that I’ve fought for years, but learned to accept this semester, is that I do have potential as a journalist. Journalism may not have been my first choice, and it's even been a constant source of frustration for a couple of years, but considering all that I've learned I don't regret my time in the major one bit. You may never read my work in a newspaper, or see a page that I’ve edited in a magazine, because who knows what the future holds. But based on what I’ve learned in my time here, I hope that you do.