Adviser Update Spring 2016 | Page 22

What I Wish I Would Have Known FORMER HIGH SCHOOL JOURNALIST REFLECTS ON HOW PREPARED SHE WAS FOR COLLEGE MEDIA PROGRAM By Madeleine Buckley M y name is Madeleine, I am a second year magazine major at the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University. So far, I am loving every minute of it. I was heavily involved in yearbook in high school, serving on the editorial team for two years before becoming editor-in-chief my senior year. My experience as a high school journalism student certainly helped prepare me for my time in college. The basics – being comfortable interviewing, knowing general lingo and practicing AP style – are some of the most important things I took away from my yearbook career. never used a Creative Suite software program before. I was also fortunate enough to be in a yearbook program that allowed me not only to write, but photograph and design as well. While it may be tempting to divide a staff into specific roles, it is so important for a student to be able to “do it all” in today’s media. Every j-school is different, but mine requires classes in graphic design for almost every type of communications major. My experience using InDesign in high school put me far ahead of many of my peers, as a majority of them had There are, however, a few aspects of the college journalistic experience I wasn’t as prepared for. There is major pressure, both from professors and guest speakers, to utilize social media well and have an online presence. I recommend teaching your students how to have properly run, professional and frequently updated social media accounts across all platforms, from LinkedIn to Snapchat. This is something I never really did in high school and still have a lot of trouble getting the hang of.