As a student at an elite college, people can be surprised when they hear about my most valuable high school class. Was it an Advanced Placement course that allowed me to skip an introductory course my freshman year? No, it was yearbook. Yes, yearbook. I should preface this by telling you that my high school’s yearbook was very impressive and not just a collection of poorly taken pictures. The skills I gained during my three years in this class help me time and time again in my college classes and in life.
Design
I learned a lot about how things should look visually, and how or why things should be placed a certain way. In yearbook terms, this was white space, picas and layouts. Now I am able to create really great presentations and graphics for classes without a sweat.
Creativity
I have a type-A personality and yearbook pushed me to find my creative side. You have to find unique ways to cover the school so that students will continue to buy yearbooks. You can’t write and take pictures of the same things every year. Creativity was key in yearbook and is key when I tackle new obstacles.
Computer Skills
I am proud to say that my knowledge and use of Adobe InDesign and Adobe Photoshop will not die with yearbook. It is helpful for projects and gifts. They are also valuable skills that I am able to include on my resume.
Marketing
It cost $55,000 to produce my high school’s yearbook and the yearbook staff raised all the money. Knowing how to ask for money and market the product is one of the most important skills I gained. It is a rare skill and has been the determining factor in opportunities I have been selected for since getting to college.
Budgeting
This one is equally important. Once you have the money, you can’t waste it all on the yearbook’s cover. I learned how budget, allocate funds and make cuts. These were real world lessons with real consequences. Today, I feel comfortable making a budget and serving as the vice president of finance for my sorority.
An obvious part of yearbook is writing. My adviser was wonderful and held us to a high standard. This improved my writing more than any grammar lesson could have. As I take journalism classes, I am thankful for the head start I already had from writing journalism stories in the yearbook. Yearbook fueled my love of writing.
Leadership
I served as the co-Editor-in-Chief my senior year. It was a huge responsibility managing the budget, designing the layouts and picking the story topics. This also involved communicating effectively with the other editors and staff. It involved a lot more homework than many classes. The leadership experience was as valuable as the editing practice.
I have my senior yearbook with me at college. Not because I miss the school, but because I am incredibly proud of the final product that my yearbook staff created. I can’t summarize all that yearbook gave to me in 500 words, so I’ll just say thank you.
