What to Expect from Your Sequence Wrap Up
A panel of professors and students from the Missouri School of Journalism present at the What to Expect from Your Sequence event, Tuesday, April 8, at the Reynolds Journalism Institute.
Whether you were able to make it or not, here are a few key takeaways from our What to Expect from Your Sequence event this past week:
Find Your Passion:
If you don’t love your sequence, you probably won’t be feeling any love coming back.
Try your hardest early on to figure out what sparks your interest. Once in your sequence, you will be in immersive classes that will require dedication and devotion. By getting involved with student media and other organizations, you can test the waters before jumping in.
Explore Academically:
Taking classes outside of your major can better equip you for your sequence. Add a political science minor if you want to cover politics. Put art classes into your schedule to sharpen your skills as a design major. Enroll in film courses and get a head start for the documentary sequence.
Aside from expanding the breadth of your knowledge, signing up for non-journalism courses gives you a break from the J-School Grind. While reporting, editing, designing, and producing are all critical for success, having a diversity of coursework can save you from feelings of drudgery.
Seek Guidance:
Never go it alone–tapping into the resources available here at the Missouri School of Journalism is a must.
Make a point to see your academic advisor to get advice on courses and to plan out your schedule. For quick questions, Walk-In Wednesdays are offered every week. Don’t be the second-semester senior who is left out of a class that is required for graduation!
As important as it is to visit with academic advisors, maintaining good relationships with faculty is crucial for thriving as a journalism major. Faculty advisors for your particular sequence are a wealth of information and can answer any area-specific question you may have. Professors have been through it all, so don’t feel nervous about approaching them for advice and support!
Balance is Key:
In order to thrive, you will need to strike a balance in your life. Since journalism is a fast-paced and often hectic profession, you need to make sure that you have time for friends, family, and outside activities.
One of the most important steps to organizing your life is planning out each semester early. When you give yourself the time to review the courses you need to take, you can quickly address any potential workload issues.
Having an outside job is feasible if you manage your time accordingly. Many upper-level students in their sequences work part-time along with going to class and maintaining other commitments.
Most importantly, don’t forget to take care of yourself. Eating, sleeping, exercising, and socializing make for happy journalists!
Ted Scripps Leadership Institute 2014
Our Chapter President Christina Santiago Turner attended the Ted Scripps Leadership Institute on March 7 to 9 in Kansas City. The conference is designed to help SPJ Executive Board members become even better leaders through interpersonal and organizational sessions, leadership style assessment and reflection, and networking with other SPJ members. Take a look at the event coverage below!
In KC for @spjscripps conference! Can’t wait to learn tips & tricks on how to lead the @MizzouSPJ collegiate chapter 🙂
— Christina S. Turner (@CSTurner1) March 7, 2014
Loving watching @MattEvansKMBC in KC during @SPJScripps Leadership Institute down time #mizzoumafia
— Christina S. Turner (@CSTurner1) March 8, 2014
Accidentally tweeted @spjscripps instead of #SPJScripps yesterday… @spj_tweets follow me so you can see what I said!
— Christina S. Turner (@CSTurner1) March 8, 2014
@mizzouspj Shaking hands w/ SPJ Prez/graduating from #SPJScripps leadership institute #solegit pic.twitter.com/q390Dq8q6z
— Christina S. Turner (@CSTurner1) March 9, 2014
Official #spjscripps grad certificate/ceremony! Can’t wait to share the memories/lessons w/ @MizzouSPJ pic.twitter.com/DHSOIgAZEt
— Christina S. Turner (@CSTurner1) March 9, 2014
Join us tomorrow at 6 p.m. in Fred W. Smith forum, 200 Reynolds Journalism Institute for an exciting and informative presentation about investigative reporting by New York Times investigative reporter Ian Urbina. We hope to see you there!
SPJ Mizzou 