10 Things You’ll Only Understand If You’re A Journalism Major

We get it, journalism isn’t for everyone. Assignments mean staying up for an entire week, and phoning people until they agree to meet with you. It means writing until your fingers cramp, and your edited piece is perfect, but not everyone will get it. Whether your in broadcast, or something else here are 10 things you’ll only understand if your a journalism major.

1. Being told that journalism is a dying field

We understand that with the move towards technology that journalism isn’t what it used to be. However, that doesn’t mean that journalism is dead. Things happen in the world, and people want to be informed. Who can get those stories out to the public? Journalists can, so there.

2. The panic that sets in whenever someone mentions the word “deadline”

You can feel the countdown begin once your fingers hit that keyboard. With every minute ticking away, you can just picture your professor waiting for your article to be finished. Making last minute edits, and changes to pictures you hand it in. For better or worst, its done. This struggle is understood by journalism majors everywhere.

3. Interviewing someone in person for the first time

It might have seemed glamours on t.v, but in real life its super scary your first time. You don’t know this person, and have only talked to them maybe twice on the phone. You don’t want to ask the wrong thing, or to offend them in anyway. So you stress until the very moment they walk through that door. Just breathe, you got this.

4. Living by the holy word of the AP Stylebook

Grammar, spelling, basically anything you can think of will be in this book. Get to know it now, because it’ll be your holy grail over the four years in college. This is something you only get if your a journalism major.

5. Staying up late into the night trying to do research for the perfect story pitch

You look up current events, and scroll through the internet until the early morning hours. All in the name of getting that golden story.

6. Getting the weird looks at thanksgiving when you tell your family what you major in

When that question of what are you going to school for rolls around, your already mentally prepared. Don’t worry we journalism majors understand your struggle.

7. Trying to get that last minute internship credit before you graduate

You beat your head against the table, because once again you procrastinated until the very last second. Its stressful because you literally don’t know anyone else who has to get an internship in order to graduate. Don’t worry the lessons you learn throughout your internship will be worth it.

8. That amazing feeling that washes over you when you get that first big break

You finally did it! After spending hours hunched over your laptop, and tracing sources the moment is finally here! This victory is only something you understand if your a journalism major.

9. After writing that article for three hours and having your journalism professor tell you to start over

They aren’t doing it to spite you, they just want you to do the best work you can. In the long run it’ll help once your in the real world.

10. When you actually understand the struggles of all other majors, because college can be stressful for everyone.

Classmates like to think you don’t understand because journalism is an “easy” major, but deep down we’re all struggling until graduation.

Know that these 10 things are deeply felt by all journalism majors, and your not alone. If you have any other things that journalism majors can relate to let us know in the comments below!

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