Picking a college major can be one of the most stressful experiences for an incoming student. For me, it was simple. I loved playing with animals and had been to Petco a few times, so obviously Animal Science is what I am meant to have a career in for the rest of my life, right? WRONG.
I learned the hard way that picking a major you have little interest in just because you need to pick one is a dumb decision and a big waste of time. After doing some soul searching, declaring a few more majors, and adding a minor to the list, I finally decided to give mass communication a try. This would be the third time I had declared a major at LSU, and I could not afford to change my mind again otherwise I'll end up graduating with the kids I used to babysit.
What made me make such a dramatic switch from animals to media, you ask? Well, I love writing. Also, I am a frequent Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram user. Both of these qualities are important to have when working in mass communications, so I figured this would be a good switch.
Boy, was I right. So far, we've only been in school for a few weeks, but already I am in love with the Manship school and all the awesome things it offers students. For example...
PROS:
Class in LSU's oldest building.
Although the Journalism building was not the first building actually built on LSU's campus, it was brought here brick-by-brick to LSU's current location from the old campus. Fun Fact: the entrance that we use to get inside this building is actually the exit. It was built facing backwards.
One of the syllabus requirements is to have Facebook and Instagram accounts by Midterms.
It's like I've been ready for this class since high school. CHECK!
Class hashtags.
If you have a question in your MC 2000 class, just tweet it with the class hashtag!
Perfect view of Tiger Stadium from your classroom.
If you have class in the Journalism building and can sit by a window, there's a perfect view of Death Valley that we all can't wait to be back in next Fall.
Students are encouraged to bring laptops to class.
Most teachers hate these distracting devices and ban them from the classroom, but if you work in media it's something necessary to have with you.
Although these perks make having a major in this area of study seem like a walk in the park, there are some hardships that come along with it as well. Including...
CONS:
Hours and hours spent on your articles to make them perfect.
Procrastinating isn't really an option in the world of writing.
GPA of a 3.0 just to be accepted into the Manship school's senior college.
You have to keep up your grades or else you won't be accepted into your senior college and will be forced to change your major. Sounds harsh, huh?
High competition for internships and jobs.
A monkey could send a tweet, so why hire you? Hard work and dedication is especially important in this field because everyone wants your job.
Long work hours when you actually land a job.
9-5 work day and hitting the bar with co-workers after? LOL keep dreaming. The day is done when the job is done.
To the people who believe that having a degree in Mass Comm is easy cheesy, just think about those who are meeting insane deadlines to give you a newspaper to read in the mornings, or creating the commercials that made you actually consider buying Pajama Jeans that one time. Oh, and that clever hashtag you just posted? We probably thought of it first. That's the power of media.
Let's face it, you need us.
#geauxmanship
