If you're involved in newspaper, yearbook, or any other student-produced publication; get ready for a year of deadlines and incredible experiences with your staff. As a student journalist, you have the privilege of capturing memories, telling stories, and highlighting events that matter to the students in your school. Here are some tips from a former yearbook Editor-in-Chief on how to have a great year working on your staff!

1. Breathe

Never forget to take a moment and take a deep breath. Being involved with a publication is guaranteeing stressful moments whether it is making a deadline or getting events covered. Always take a moment to step back and remember that the people you are working with are your peers who are also balancing classes, relationships, and other activities just like you. Just breathe. Your publication will get done no matter what obstacles are in your way.

2. Prioritize

It is okay not to put your publication as your number one priority, even as an editor. At the end of the day, this is an extracurricular activity that you do in addition to school. Your education is important and should not be put aside, even during deadline weeks.

3. Listen

Listen to the people around you and don't be afraid to take criticism from others. You are all working together to reach the same goal, to produce something amazing for your school. By being an active listener, the communication in your staff will be much better, resulting in better relationships and a better publication!

4. Do Not Procrastinate

This is something that is so important, especially when working on a publication. You may think it won't take that long to edit your staffer's pages, but then you're assigned more homework than expected, and now you're up until 4 a.m. Your publications work is stuff that can usually be done in class so take advantage of that! You never know what else might come up. When being involved in such a deadline oriented activity, it is crucial for you to be on top of your responsibilities. Events can't be made up like some assignments. Always manage your time wisely, so you're not leaving things until the last minute.

5. Know Your Rights

The First Amendment is your best friend as a student journalist. Although there are cases like Hazelwood School District v. Kuhlmeier where students rights were limited, be sure to check your state's Education Code. California is one of the best places to be a student journalist because of ensured rights were written out in the Education Code. Section 48907 states that "pupil editors of official school publications shall be responsible for assigning and editing the news, editorial, and feature content of their publications subject to the limitations of this section" and "there shall be no prior restraint of material prepared for official school publications except insofar as it violates this section. School officials shall have the burden of showing justification without undue delay prior to a limitation of pupil expression under this section." Knowing your rights as a student journalist will allow you to produce an authentic publication for your peers that you can take pride in.

These tips were developed out of trial and error during my time in yearbook. I learned that facilitating the success of others is much more important than the titles that can come with being involved in a publication. Working with others to capture the memories of each monumental year in adolescent growth is such an enjoyable experience, and I hope your year with your staff is one for the (year)books.