It was a class initially taken simply to avoid the “traditional” experience of an English class- the kind where reading books and writing essays on them was the “norm” and it often seemed like nothing was ever going to be of use down the road. As much as I’d like to say I took Journalism because I’m following a career path into Communications and I knew it would benefit me, that reason was much less than the first I describe. I used to love English, but I was getting bored of it. I wanted something more “exciting” and “new” above all else. It was exactly that, and so much more.

Just a little disclaimer before I begin: it was never an easy course. Fun and easy are two completely different realms, especially when discussing Journalism, as it was a fun course, but more difficult than I really imagined. I, along with others, expected Journalism to be a slower paced class, where we could write about anything and move at our own pace, but instead we learned what real journalism was like- the exact opposite. As terrifying as some days were with the rapid-paced learning and writing, I have never felt more prepared for life ahead of me.

Journalism started by giving me the refresh on grammar and writing I never knew I needed so badly. It taught me different structures and histories surrounding the matter as well. I became confident in my writing again. It also put me outside my comfort zone and helped me to stretch my abilities.

Taking this Journalism class has also opened my eyes even more to the realm of news, both the good and the bad of it. I’ve learned how to better distinguish fact from fake news and to use that information as well. The class wasn’t always about writing, but built communication skills as well. Learning proper interview skills was something I took with me to scholarship interviews and helped me to understand how they work from the interviewer’s perspective, which is something I would say helped me to get the scholarships for which I interviewed .

Lastly, Journalism was a place where I feel I was heard. We exercised proper journalism, where everyone had a voice, facts were presented, and people weren’t hurt. It was fair and gave a sense of how the world of journalism is supposed to operate, which maybe one day will change as this “proper journalism” moves into the place of what is happening in our news world now.

I’m excited to see more of how I’ll be using what I learned from Journalism in the future, since I really don’t know the impact quite yet. My understanding so far is that it will certainly give me a head-start in some of my college learning on topics such as the AP Style, and I’m very excited about that privilege. I can’t recommend Journalism enough, just as long as you are truly willing to put in the effort it takes. All classes take effort, but this can take more time.