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Advice from a Jl MC major

Ellen Malven, junior in journalism, is on a journey to find out what she wants to do at Iowa State. Photo by Suzanne Fisher, Greenlee Web Team.

By Ellen Malven
Greenlee Web Team writer

At the beginning of my journalistic journey, things were fairly simple. Writing instructors handed out fake scenarios for us to write about, with no interviews to be done or calls to be made.

The pressures to pick a career and nab an internship were far into the distance, and having fun seemed to be top priority.

As a junior, classes seem a bit more challenging. Our projects are more real world and do-it-yourself. For instance, my magazine publishing class demands an 18-page term paper and JlMC 202 Intermediate Reporting requires one to two written news articles each week. In addition to this, there are chapters to read, news tips to write, interviews to do and city council meetings to attend.

For some, all this might be a cinch—and by some, I mean outgoing folks who are bursting with confidence and effortless writing ability. For me, it will take some getting used to.

I spend a lot of my time outside of class researching on the Internet and emailing contacts for stories. It’s a constant dig for information and people respond less than 50 percent of the time. However, if one person won’t talk to you, there’s probably someone else who will, and it has to get done.

Aside from classes, there are other important components to my life as a student.

For the first two years I lived in the dorms, and I found them to be essential in finding new friends at Iowa State. Most of the classes that you will take freshman year are quite large, and not the easiest place to meet people.

Joining clubs is another good option. I was too nervous to join any as an underclassman, but I got up the guts to join a few this year. I’ve discovered that clubs not only help you meet people, but they can also help you build your resume. Don’t wait like I did, because it’s important to grab as much experience as you can get. Trust me, it’s not nearly as scary as you imagine.

This year, I am living off campus for the first time. I take the bus in the morning—which means that I have to get up earlier than last year—and I can’t go home until the end of the day. Forgetting lunch money can be a terrible thing.

Since this is the first year that I’ve had to spend entire days in Hamilton Hall, I’m grateful for the remodeling on the second floor. Instead of spending my day in a hallway with harsh fluorescent lighting, I now have cushy lounge chairs and a quiet library with Internet access.

If you can afford it, a laptop is a complete blessing for any student. In between classes, I listen to music, play games, do homework and watch movies on it. During class, I’ve found that it makes note taking faster, easier and more organized. While a laptop isn’t as cheap as a spiral notebook and a Bic pen, its value has been immeasurable.
My day is filled with assorted journalism classes. I have a little public relations here, some reporting there and a bit of magazine publishing in the middle.

Starting out, you may have the same problem I had—and still have. Within the school of journalism there are far too many options.

A journalism major can work with magazines, photography, print, broadcast, radio, you name it. For right-brained people like us, how is it even possible to choose? Being unable to do so, I decided to try everything. This is what I’ve found.

If you’d like to do a variety of different tasks and you’ve got a knack for chat, public relations is probably for you.

Print journalism is for those with a more serious, news-oriented side. Print journalists must stick to the rules and have an eye for news.

If you want a bit more creative freedom, try looking into magazines. There is a never-ending list of magazines out there, and there’s bound to be something for everyone.

For those who want a lot of creative freedom, and a bit less writing, visual communication is a great option.

And if you like to be in front of—or behind—the camera, try broadcast.
After taking all sorts of classes, I’ve decided that I’d like a lot of creative freedom. News writing most definitely isn’t for me. I think I might have narrowed it down to public relations and magazine writing because I like a variety of tasks and the ability to be creative. Visual communication is also attractive to me, because it’s all creativity, without the pressure to chase down interviews and pump out stories.

Next semester, who knows? I may have made a completely different decision. The most important thing is to really take the time to find out what you want. You’ll find that after taking different classes, some things will interest you more than others. Once you find those things, it will all come together.

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Last updated: Oct. 9, 2003
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