How Being a Student Journalist Changed Me

I chose to take Journalism during my Senior year of high school, not really knowing what I was getting myself into. All I knew is it wasn’t another English credit that involved boring books and long essays, which appealed to me. I heard from multiple people that it was a course with a lot of work, but I liked writing so I thought I wouldn’t mind. Coming out on the other side of the course, I see how it improved me not only as a student and a writer, but also as a person.

In English I never liked the long essays on analyzing a character’s personality; however, I did enjoy the more free-thinking type of writing assignments. This is why Journalism appealed to me. Throughout the course I learned how to constructively put my thoughts together in a way that could interest others.

Journalism taught me a lot about timing and deadlines. In the real world, there are no extensions. Additionally, a lot of planning goes into an article. There’s research and interviewing that needs to be done, among other things. I learned about the importance of being educated and how you should research to an extent where you are ready to answer any question about your topic. By doing this, you are always prepared to ask questions and follow-up questions at interviews, which leads to a well-written and interesting article.

With the interviewing came people skills. Communicating professionally and effectively is key in talking with individuals, regardless of what profession one chooses. Part of my job as a journalist is to get others voices heard and I enjoyed the process, and privilege, of doing this as a student journalist.

Communication with peers is also key in writing articles. My news group was probably my favorite activity in journalism. This piece of the class taught me a lot about self-responsibility and group communication. I had my group members relying on me to get my work done at a timely manner while at the same time I was relying on them to do the same. In all of this I learned to trust others and not take everything on myself, as not every article can go my way.

I would highly recommend taking journalism to any student that is on the fence about it. Yes, it is a lot of work, but it is rewarding work. It is so cool to know that the work that you’ve put effort into is out for people to read. I am thankful for the opportunities Journalism has given me opportunities which have grown me as a student, writer, and a person, and for that I am thankful.