1. You're never bored!
You know you're in J-School when you wake up and your first thought is, what on earth am I going to see on my phone when I turn my head over and read my morning news notifications?
Other than the obvious fact that news happens every day, news lately has been extra interesting. We've got Russia, we've got #fakenews, we've got Brexit, we've got Beyonce having twins, of course our heads spin at least 3 times a day...
2. You're all equally cracked out on caffeine...
Everyone understands the withdrawal.
"And in this enclosure, you'll see a wild journalism student 6-espresso-shots-deep, locked in this edit bay until they finish that videography assignment they procrastinated!"
3. There's always knowledge flowing
With knowledge comes personal & intellectual growth.
Journalists are oftentimes the first to know about things, so there's always new information weaving in and out of our daily conversations. It's a constant learning process!
4. You're always motivated to be at the top of your game
Nothing like a little healthy competition, right?
The field of journalism is fast-paced and competitive as hell. On more than one occasion, I've heard the major referred to as "the internship hunger games". I think you have to be naturally competitive and driven to be a journalism student just because of the nature of the job, so it's nice to always be challenged.
5. You develop a sense of cynicism that pairs well with a good level of sarcasm
We're all very good at channeling our inner Ron Swanson.
Unfortunately, after seeing some of the worst parts of humanity and then having to relay the gist of the situation to people in a way that doesn't emotionally scar them, you harden a bit. And with hardness comes cynicism. Not always, but it's how a lot of us deal with our day-to-day duties. Personally, I see this as a positive — you're not blinded by naivety, and you tend to develop a dry sense of humor that everyone around you just gets. Cue the group message existential crisis meme threads.
6. You learn how to truly adapt
Thinking on your toes is part of the gig, my friends.
Your source doesn't get back to you by deadline, you need to fact check a public record but the website is down, an emergency situation is happening down the street and you have to drop your caramel macchiato and run. These are all plausible — and very common — situations that journalists face. Before I started journalism school, I used to get flustered by simple decisions. I'm not joking, I was the person who would order something at a restaurant and then 10 minutes later call the waitress back to change it because I regretted not ordering the other option. But in our world, you don't have much time to spare and so you have to learn how to make snap decisions. You have to be ready with a Plan B, C, D, maybe even a plan P. This is great preparation for when things don't go your way in other situations.
7. You're exposed to cultures and conflicts you never would have been otherwise
How many 21-year olds do you know traveling down to Nogales to observe border issues "for funsies"?
It's one thing to read about an issue. It's another thing entirely to report on it. You have to be an expert on every topic you report on, because people are looking to you for the information. Sometimes, that involves fully immersing yourself in a culture or conflict that you're not familiar with. You have to be willing to step outside your comfort zone if it will help your audience better grasp the world around them. That "plunge" is what helps you to always push the boundaries to seek truth, and in the process, you learn quite a bit about yourself and the world you thought you knew.
8. You can always count on each other!
It's cheesy, but we understand each other in a way that most people don't.
Journalists have gotten a bad rap as of late for being like sharks in the water sniffing for blood, or for being overly-biased. Without going on a 2-hour tangent — or rant — I can say that this frustrates no one more than us. A new wave of journalism is up & coming, one that wants to revert to the times of honesty, of fair & unbiased reporting. We're sick of "the divide" between the public and the media, we're tired of not being taken seriously when the majority of us just have a desire to share knowledge with those around us. We want people to be educated, so that they can advocate for themselves and know that they're not being kept in the dark about important things. We all band together when it seems like we're fighting an endless battle, and for that I am grateful.
