Fifth year
I have been a journalism student at the University of South Carolina for the past four years even though I am just a freshman. I have attended CJI-the famed summer camp for rowdy young journalists- SCSPA and SIPA. I know the programs and I know USC- at least I thought I did. But now that I am here, living on campus, taking real college classes and trying my hardest to maintain my dreams, I realize I really am that lost freshman. This isn't at all what I thought it would be.
I became accustomed to my journalism programs in high school-eating lunch in the j-room, designing pages, writing copy, editing headlines and cutlines, being the journalism guru. But j-school at USC is not like that. I have yet to see anything journalism related and my first real journalism class is not until next semester. Yes, I have applied for The Gamecock. Yes, I have applied for Garnet and Black. Yet, for some reason I feel that hole I felt every summer. No journalism.
I love journalism. I love writing. I love editing. I love designing layouts and brainstorming story ideas. Just call me impatient, but I have yet to find that here at USC. Don't get me wrong, I love my classes-Religious Studies, Anthropology, English and Environmental Biology- but I just miss my daily dose of Pagemaker, even if it is outdated.
So when I was asked to write for this blog, although it doesn't require much and I am probably not doing it correctly, excitement was my main reaction. I hope I can help with this experiment in any way possible.
Last March when I attended Al Neuharth's Conference in D.C. all the journalists urged us to major in something other than journalism, anything other than journalism. They said we should have another background in order to be flexible journalists. This thought never crossed my mind because to me journalism is what I am-all the cutlines, bylines and style rules. After one week devoid of journalism I am fairly sure a major in journalism at USC is just what I need simply because it has become obvious that students here do receive a "quality" education in many topics other than journalism.
So, here's to my fifth and first year at USC's journalism school.
I became accustomed to my journalism programs in high school-eating lunch in the j-room, designing pages, writing copy, editing headlines and cutlines, being the journalism guru. But j-school at USC is not like that. I have yet to see anything journalism related and my first real journalism class is not until next semester. Yes, I have applied for The Gamecock. Yes, I have applied for Garnet and Black. Yet, for some reason I feel that hole I felt every summer. No journalism.
I love journalism. I love writing. I love editing. I love designing layouts and brainstorming story ideas. Just call me impatient, but I have yet to find that here at USC. Don't get me wrong, I love my classes-Religious Studies, Anthropology, English and Environmental Biology- but I just miss my daily dose of Pagemaker, even if it is outdated.
So when I was asked to write for this blog, although it doesn't require much and I am probably not doing it correctly, excitement was my main reaction. I hope I can help with this experiment in any way possible.
Last March when I attended Al Neuharth's Conference in D.C. all the journalists urged us to major in something other than journalism, anything other than journalism. They said we should have another background in order to be flexible journalists. This thought never crossed my mind because to me journalism is what I am-all the cutlines, bylines and style rules. After one week devoid of journalism I am fairly sure a major in journalism at USC is just what I need simply because it has become obvious that students here do receive a "quality" education in many topics other than journalism.
So, here's to my fifth and first year at USC's journalism school.
posted by Anonymous at 9:22 PM
1 Comments:
That's a really good post. Sometimes we forget how frustrating it is to come to j-school only to be told you have to load up on liberal arts first. But there is a reason; it gives you the tools to really do the journalism once you get into it. Have faith!
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