Actually, my liberal arts education hasn't prepared me much for my work as a journalist.
Since Michigan doesn't have a journalism school and I'm a public policy major, most of my knowledge of journalism comes from work experience at the Michigan Daily and previous jobs.
That's not to say my education has been useless. I've tried my best to take a diverse array of classes that touch on a variety of topics. Because of this, I have an varied background in many areas that helps me understand the stories I pursue and the issues I write about.
I'm not particularly surprised by this. Michigan's classes do offer some great opportunities to quickly learn about new topics and periods of history. However, I maintain that the most beneficial things you will learn that can be applied to a future job come from the actual work experience. My education in my prospective work field is going to come from fellow reporters, senior writers and anyone else I meet as I continue to work. Still, my hope is use my Michigan education to gain an expertise in a particular area so that I can write more confidently on it in the future.
I have always found it surprising that Michigan doesn't have a journalism school but I agree that you can gain a great deal of knowledge through the work experience. I myself learned more through my work experience this summer than many of the classes I've taken through International Studies, but like you said the wide array of classes does give me a broader perspective which comes handy, especially when you plan on concentrating on a specific area. I think its great to have a diverse background and it helps when you set to learn through your work experience!
ReplyDeleteWhile there is no Journalism school, do you think that your required English class was beneficial?
ReplyDeleteWilliam, I have also felt similarly about this and the job experiences I have had not matching up to what I have studied in school. A lot of my comm classes are geared towards people who want to go into academia, which can be frustrating. I guess that means I'll have to pick up more practical knowledge through internship and outside activities.
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