It is your senior year and you realize you haven't joined any student media and you begin to freak out. What will you do? Is it too late to join? Absolutely not.

I joined my university's newspaper at the beginning of my junior year and it was one of the best decisions I have ever made. I have learned so many valuable things that I will be able to use post-graduation. I have made many great connections with professors and other students that are also gaining experience. School newspapers are not the only way to get experience in this department so students have options to choose from.

An aspiring radio announcer can join the school radio if it has one or an aspiring news anchor can join the school's television station if it has one. There are also PR organizations and so on and so forth. Students should take the opportunity to join an organization to better themselves but also to get experience in what may very well be their future field. Choosing not to join an organization can often hinder the college experience but also hinder the students' ability to either find a job or gain skills they will need to know for journalistic writing.

Student media can be hard work at times but it is definitely worth it. I was worried when I first joined the university newspaper because I didn't know if my skills were good enough or if I would fit in. It is a student organization for a reason. It is a place to learn necessary skills and to learn more about oneself so they are ready to go off into the real world.

I highly advise all journalism students to partake in student media that your school offers because not partaking can be bad in the long run. Future bosses want employees to have practiced the art of journalism prior to getting the job and student media is the place to get that.