Can’t Beat the Real Thing Classes help, but real-world experience is best

For the next couple weeks, I’m working on writing the Happenings section for St. Louis Woman Magzine. It’s kind of ironic that this section is one of the most boring and tedious jobs I have done here so far and yet it is probably going to be one of the most highly read sections I write. Good practice for getting the facts straight, I guess.

By now, I’ve finished two sections for two issues. I love writing the profiles and learning about all the organizations and opportunities available in the community. I’ve learned so much not only about what’s out there but also about journalism. Mostly I’ve noticed that although my classes have definitely prepared me for the journalism field, they are still not the real-world experience.

I consistently realize two things. First, I’m seeing tactics or lessons that I have learned in my magazine editing or magazine reporting classes and realizing how my professors were teaching me the perfect strategies. For example, one of my professors taught me something as small as looking at the magazine’s writing style. I may have forgotten to do this, but it’s true. In fact, Rebecca pointed out that I need to use “says,” not “said.”

The second thing I’m realizing is that there are some things that class just can’t teach you. My college experience prepares me in many ways, but some things I have to learn from an actual real-world experience, such as this internship. For example, I didn’t realize the differences between writing for one of the feature sections and one of the sections that are more about businesses and advertisers until just last week.

I just went home this previous weekend and my parents pointed out that this is the time to start looking for my next step when I graduate in December. I started to wonder if I’d be ready. I mean I know I won’t be ready in the sense that I don’t want to graduate. I’m accidentally graduating early. Of course I’m not ready. But I’m also wondering if I’m prepared to enter the field. Will I ever write a section without being reminded to not make some of my stupid mistakes?

For now, I’m going to see if I can write the Happenings section without any major or stupid mistakes. Only minor mistakes if I can’t succeed without any at all.

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by Morgan Brown