The Perks of Being a Journalist

The general population associates the media with negative connotation, but they just don’t get it. As a journalist myself, I see so many benefits and experience in my every day work. There are tons of things I’ve learned throughout my career in journalism that can put me a step ahead of fellow competitors for jobs.

Communication skills

What’s the one thing you’re going to find on just about every single job description you look at? Communication skills. Sure, anyone can write down that they have superb communication skills, but can they show experience with it on their resume? Journalists can. I exercise my verbal and written communication skills every day through interviews and writing up stories. Journalism has also given me experience with one-on-one interviews with total strangers; so, sitting down for a job interview with a potential employer doesn’t seem so daunting.

Experience with deadlines

I realize everyone who went to school has experience with deadlines, but deadlines for a newspaper are a little different. These deadlines are crucial; if the story isn’t done on or before production night, it doesn’t get in the paper. There’s no possibility to take a late grade. You would most likely just get fired. Potential employers will look at your resume and acknowledge that you have real-world experience with meeting deadlines and are apparently pretty good at it if you haven’t been fired.

Teamwork

A newspaper is most certainly not a one-person job, or even a few-persons job. There are many people who have to work together to complete a newspaper every week. In journalism, you learn how to communicate amongst each other and work as a team. The editor-in-chief must communicate to the reporters, the designers must communicate to the photo editor, the copy-editors must communicate to the editor-in-chief, and so on. If someone doesn’t do their job, it must be fixed, and communication between each other is key to fixing problems. Employers love to see you have job experience with teamwork.

Working in the media can be a very stressful and difficult job, but it has prepared me for when I get out of college. I can automatically check off many of the requirements on a job application because of this job. No matter how stressed I get every week before deadlines, I love my job in journalism.

About my Blog

At first glance, it seems like my blog is random and all over the place. But all my blogs so far have been personal to me. Whether it’s something I enjoy, something I care about, or something I struggle with, my blog is simply about me.

The theme of my blog is basically advice from me over things I have experience with. I write about things I think could help or entertain people. My goal is to inform people of topics they may not have very much experience with and help them through any problems they may be having.

I have experience with backpacking, so for my first blog I decided to let people know what’s important to pack and not pack, food, clothing, and other essentials. I am also very big into sports, so I wanted to encourage others to give them a chance, even if they don’t think they would enjoy it. I had a lot of advice to give others on how to make the most out of their sporting event experiences. My third blog is something I know is very popular among a lot of my readers. Since I write about things college aged people would be interested in, I know a lot of them struggle with procrastination just like me. Giving advice on how to not procrastinate could be very useful to my readers and would entertain them at the least.

My blog may not have a strict theme, but they are all things I’m familiar with and I think will be useful and entertaining to my readers. I plan to continue writing whatever comes to my mind.

3 ways to minimize procrastination in college

I feel that almost every college student in the world, even the one’s with the perfect 4.0 GPA, struggle with procrastinating on their assignments on a day to day basis. It is insanely hard to keep up with five or six different classes and all the assignments and due dates that come with it. And if you want to actually enjoy your time in college and have some fun, balancing a social life with schoolwork can be challenging. As someone who has learned their lesson many times when it comes to putting off assignments, I have found a few ways that really help me stay on top of things.

• Keep a planner

Planners are probably the most important step to stop your procrastination habits. Take it to class with you and write due dates down as soon as you hear about them. You make think you will remember later, but do not take that chance. It is also important to actually check your planner often. Writing things down will not help you if you never look inside your planner to see when they are due. Keeping a planner can also be a great stress reliever. There are tons of stickers you can buy to stay organized and have fun with, you can doodle in the empty space, and write some words of motivation down to help you later in the week.

• Motivate each other

One of the biggest problems I have had is wanting to hang out with friends instead of doing homework. Odds are that you all have some sort of homework you can be working on, so do it together! If your friends are wanting to hang out and you know you have things to do, suggest you all go to the library. I have found that I accomplish a lot more work and have a lot more fun doing so when I’m having a good time with my friends.

• Set small goals

Instead of trying to write a three-page paper an hour before it is due, set a schedule for yourself throughout the week to accomplish an amount by a certain date. For example, if you have a week to write the paper you could say you want the first page done by Monday, the second by Wednesday, and the third by Friday. Then you have the paper all written and plenty of time to edit and make changes before submitting, while minimizing your stress levels.

I realize it is easier said than done, but if you really put your mind to it and stay organized, the assignments will not seem so overwhelming. Do not allow yourself to get a bad grade simply because you forgot about it or didn’t have enough time. Relax, stay organized, and stay motivated through the tough weeks in college.

Making sporting events more enjoyable: 4 simple tips

As much as it pains me to say, I understand sports are not everyone’s cup of tea. Many find them boring, loud, confusing, long, and the weather just never seems to be on our side. I have been to a lot of sporting events in my lifetime and have experienced just about anything the day can throw at you. So no matter if you love sports like me, or quite frankly don’t like them at all, next time you find yourself in the middle of one, remember these tips to get the most fun out of it.

• Dress smart

You would think this should be simple. Just throw on a team t-shirt for the games in the summer and a coat and a hat for those December games at Arrowhead Stadium, right? Not exactly. One thing I have learned at my many sporting events is that the weather is so much more extreme when you have to sit in it for three hours. 85˚ and sunny may not seem that bad when you are outside for 10 minutes, but imagine an entire Royals baseball game in the sun. It gets hot. Bring an umbrella for shade, dress comfortably, and wear sunglasses. In those 20˚ winter games, you are going to need as many layers as you can physically put on your body, hand and feet warmers, hats, ski masks, 6 pairs of socks, and I promise you will still be cold, but at least you won’t be dead. If your team is winning the weather doesn’t seem all that bad anyway.

• Arrive early

Even non-sports fans know sometimes the most fun part of the day happens before the game, so you do not want to miss out. After you find a nice parking space, spend an hour or tailgating and talking with friends, then head to the stadium. There will be some pre-game fun inside at pretty much any sporting event you go to. Leave yourself plenty of time to get to your seats so you don’t miss things like the tomahawk chop at Arrowhead Stadium, or the beloved hotdog races at Kauffman Stadium.

• Go with enjoyable people

Once again, it sounds simple. But to have fun, you need to be with people who are easy to get along with and won’t ruin the day for you. Take it from me, I went to a Royals game with a group of people and ended up having beer spilled down the back of my head which ruined my entire experience (and my hair.) Save yourself some stress and go with people whose company you enjoy.

• Participate

Maybe it’s your first time at a professional sporting event and you don’t feel like a “true fan,” but honestly just act like you know what’s going on. The pre-game traditions, chants, and activities are there for a reason. They make the game experience more enjoyable so do not be afraid to join in and have fun!

So get some tickets, grab some friends, cook some hamburgers, and have a great time watching your team (hopefully) win. Don’t take it too seriously because after all, it is just a game.

Backpacking: The Essentials

The romantic idea of simply wandering off into the woods and getting lost in the wilderness is something many people dream about. However, most people who try this find out the harsh reality that we need more to survive than wanderlust. The typical progression customary for every backpacker is being wildly unprepared for their introductory trip. The next trip, becoming completely over prepared. Most people stop there, the “ready for anything” mentality that leads to heavy packs, injured knees and often, unfortunately, old camping gear left in garages to never be used again.

 

• Backpack.

It’s called backpacking for a reason. You could have all the gear in the world but you still need something to carry it all.  Many entry level backpackers go to the outfitter and choose the biggest, “coolest” one. The pack should be chosen last, after there’s an idea about what’s going inside it. For my uses, even a 30 liter frameless, hip belt-less pack is perfectly fine. However, if a ranger realizes you aren’t on a day trip they might want to check your bag to make sure you’ll be safe.

 

• Tent

The first thing that comes to mind when most everyone thinks about camping or backpacking are tents. These are often the heaviest, largest items in someone’s pack. But they don’t need to be. Many expert backpackers and thru hikers use tarps with no floors that weigh less than 10 ounces. In most conditions, a non-freestanding tent (a tent that does not use poles) will allow you to save weight and give maximum protection from the elements. Large commercial producers use cheap, heavy materials to cut costs.

 

• Sleep System

It is easy to dream about sleeping under the stars in the wilderness from a warm, soft bed. In reality, the night is the most dangerous time outside. The cold, weather, even a hard sleeping surface can be the things to make an overnight miserable. There are two components to a sleep system – the sleeping pad and the warmth layer. Closed cell pads are lightweight, convenient and great for summer use. In colder conditions or longer trips, inflatable pads might be worth the weight. The sleeping bag or sleeping quilt is one of the most important parts of a kit. It is often the largest, but it does not mean it has to be the heaviest. A down quilt rated about 10 degrees below the expected temperature is preferred. A 20 degree bag is adequate for most conditions.

 

• Clothes

Clothes are the easiest to over pack. Really, you don’t need much. A simple baselayer does not have to be anything special or performance wicking. Many thru hikers opt for a thrift store button up made out of anything. In cold conditions, more attention should be paid. But for the vast majority of trips, a simple lightweight fleece and a rain jacket provide enough protection from the conditions. Pants are easy, short shorts work fine for women or men. Sock material should be quick drying and not cause blisters. Nylon and wool work well. The shoes are one of the most important pieces of gear and one of the most overlooked. Studies have shown that one pound on your feet could feel like as much as six pounds on your back. Unless there is too much snow, trail runners are light, quick drying and don’t fatigue the hiker as much as boots.

 

The next time you think about backpacking through the wilderness, remember these essentials and to always pack ultra-light.