In a perfect world, the college experience would prepare students for the “real” professional world. With a degree in one hand and a guaranteed job in the other, college was intended to train young minds for their future livelihoods.
But let’s be honest, college can’t prepare or teach you everything.
College, in my eyes, is a place for adults, both young and seasoned, to train, educate and perfect their crafts so that they can pursue their careers and dreams. However, the college experience can only take one but so far.
As a rising junior, I have quickly learned that the college classroom is a place for many things: trial and error; discussion and debate; and even ignorance and revelation. Especially for journalism majors who are expected to go out, investigate and then report their findings, the classroom setting may not provide students with all the answers, and oftentimes, more meaningful learning is achieved outside of the classroom.
But what are some things that cannot be taught school?
- Curiosity. Journalists are explorers, always on the search for something new and innovative to share with others, and curiosity is not taught in the classroom.
- Ambition. Journalists are extremely competitive and will go through great lengths to get a high-quality “scoop”, interview or shot, and ambition is not taught in the classroom.
- Commitment. Journalists make numerous sacrifices in addition to working long hours in order to complete a single package or story, and commitment is also not taught in the classroom.
Colleges are not manufacturing facilities that mass-produce journalists ready to be used and put into service by news outlets, but they are training facilities for those who wish better themselves. In fact, there is one of the historically black colleges and universities (HBCU) in particular which prides itself on teaching its students “how” to think and not “what” to think and is ranked one of the top HBCUs in the nation. At North Carolina A&T State University, (NC A&T) the Department of Journalism and Mass Communication aims to produce versatile student journalists who not only write but also shoot, edit and produce their own materials, being a step ahead of the game.
Recent May 2014 print journalism graduate Kimberly Fields of NC A&T, currently an independent journalist, shared how although college didn’t prepare her everything, it helped to confirm that she could see herself in this profession for the rest of her life.
I learned that everyone isn’t going to be willing to help [you] and not everyone wants you to succeed…I’ve learned that every answer isn’t going to be as simple as “googling” it. Some answers will take months, or even years to find.
Rising senior electronic media student Cayla Webster, also of NC A&T, expressed that although nervous to enter the “real” world, she strongly believes that her university has prepared her for the professional journalism world.
Both Fields and Webster have been privileged to attend a university renowned for its journalism program and connections; however, both young ladies also feel that local businesses and news outlets could do more to help prep student journalists for the professional world.
Webster suggested that local businesses sit in on classroom lectures and provide wisdom as veteran journalists or even offer training programs for young journalists.
The university can only teach students so much, and we have to learn the rest in the field. What better way to get a head start than to have the field come to you.
If nothing else, seize every opportunity available while in college, and although academics are highly important, not everything can be covered or exposed in the classroom setting – and it shouldn’t be. The holes that are left in education, the prized life lessons, are to be discovered and filled in by students themselves.
Be curious, ambitious and commit to pursuing your dreams because the college classroom is only a mere stepping-stone to your future endeavors.
Ashleigh Wilson
Ashleigh Wilson worked at LGK this summer as an intern where she completed writing, audio editing and client communication projects. Currently she lists her full-time occupation as Student, North Carolina A&T State University, with a major in Journalism and Mass Communication and a concentration in Multimedia Journalism. Ashleigh’s summer also included two other internships and an occasional trip to cyberspace for some online shoe shopping adventures. As she heads back to NC A&T as a proud and accomplished junior, her reflections are summarized in this guest blog post. You can connect with Ashleigh on LinkedIn and send her your wishes for a successful school year (and perhaps a job offer for May 2016).
Please share your comments about her post.
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Right on point Ashleigh! Your internships this summer have set the stage and prepared you for tremendous opportunities in journalism.