Confession 3.0: Teetering in the Homestretch
Ma. Reina Leanne C. Tolentino and Mara Abigail D. Pangan
The Journalese
“…we worked them out, because in the end, it is each other who we wanted to march with in 2013. We will graduate together.”
We always told ourselves that if we would just close our eyes, it will all be over before we know it. True enough, we never felt the years pass by; it slowly sinks in, “oo nga pala, third year na kami." We are the next seniors, the next batch of graduates of the oldest existing university in Asia.
There is a lot of pressure more than ever. Expectations are on a high and the demands are on the rise. The toughest year in college is not really the senior year as most thought. In third year, students are expected to be more mature in handling a lot of activities and to be knowledgeable in their major. And the schedule is not always what it seems.
The semester starts off a bit lax but then bombards students with requirements as they near the exams. Time management or balancing studies with extra-curricular activities is a challenge.
The junior year is when the theories discussed during the two previous academic years are applied. That means producing articles or even running an online publication perhaps. This time, features are learned in addition to further discussions and exercises on news writing and grammar. We get to play with the inverted pyramid, add colorful adjectives and a literary and human touch to it. We even learned to deal with our voice and to finally unleash it in rhetorics, as it is almost always bound by the need for factual writing and impartiality.
We may feel a notch higher but improvement never stops. Third year is when just how demanding journalism is will finally strike. Fear of not being enough to survive the senior life, nay, the news room is always at the back of your mind.
So while the challenge of preparing oneself for the real world of journalism, one has a film production for Literature and a musical for Art Appreciation class, articles here and there, not to mention a social life that begs not to be abandoned and what did we forget? Sleep?
In managing time, all other activities had to adjust to the class schedule and we learned to reduce time for least priorities. The schedule requires great adaptability. Unlike before, students had relatively short hours divided among four subjects. In third year…three hours for a subject! The afternoon sessions and a weekday off is a relief,
but not for everyone especially those who miss their families and have to go home to the province.
There were times when juniors could put off school work and sleep, or use time wisely to finish a lot as classes start later in the day, or next week. A lot could be finished as students and professors only meet once a week. But the schedule is not made for procrastination nor is the course. Although seemingly lax, third year is no leisure time. Three hours might be a bore but we endured it, because three strikes and we're out. We had a lot of time, yes, but we also had a lot to do.
We met new professors of course who often put pressure, or a more apt term, challenged us. They would tell juniors that they are more mature, well supposedly; that they already (should) know the basics of writing a lead, the inverted pyramid, correct grammar and spelling, current issues, this and that.
In class, we talked more about how to produce a newspaper: its elements, framing, layouting. We picked stories apart, determining organization, style and approach. We further learned the interview and how to deal with sources and (unexpected) situations on the beat.
At times we met these expectations, most of the time we felt and thought that there is still room for improvement. Else, why would they remind, encourage us to constantly improve our writing and ourselves as journalists?
Class solidarity strengthened in third year. Group work, such as producing an online publication which covers even national issues, helped hold us even more together and instilled in us a sense of belongingness. These requirements did not only improve us as journalists, but even sparked friendships and provided opportunities for those we have not talked much with in the last two years.
Aside from academic endeavors, organizations are another contributor to the holistic development of the student. An estimated 100 third year journalism students have 16 organizations to choose from in the Arts and Letters alone. These organizations range from the political, faith-based, artistic, to the academic. There are orgs for debate, theater, sports and worship, among others, not to mention the societies of each major.
And so, the junior realizes there are things that had to be prioritized over others, because we could not do everything we wanted and dreamed now. The junior is more confident with his/her actions. Some of our classmates aimed to be an officer in the different organizations, showed their talent in writing contests and activities, and we were more deeply involved in seminars, forums, org fairs, concerts and much more.
We also find that as journalism students, we could show and further hone our skills through organizations that provide us an avenue to lead, express and write. We have the Journ Beatz, the champion of Cypher 2011 which is basically the showdown of all AB dance troupes, the UST Journalism Society, and The Journalese.
Aside from student organizations, the on-the-job training was another avenue for us to learn. We were anxious but we looked forward to our internship, which will be our transition from student life to the working world.
This is the reason behind third year being the most crucial year; this is the transition from journalism student to journalist, like a caterpillar struggles to become a butterfly. The summer internship was the most-awaited activity We applied in different broadsheets, where the complex daily life and routine of a journalist sunk in. We underwent the rigorous news production process, from basic newswriting to the pressure of a well-revised article. We had interviews and evasive sources, we had to dig a story worthy of publication and pitch it in before the afternoon deadline. After you passed it, you would think how or if you did public service well. Mapapatanong ka talaga kung kaya mo sa mundo ng pamamahayag.
It was exciting, but not so fast. As seniors, students would have to first go through the awaited (or dreaded) thesis defense.
As early as third year, we worked on our thesis. We chose our friends as group mates, despite our professor’s warnings about friendships ruined because of the big requirement. Sure, relationships get tested, not just in thesis writing, but also in issues involving failing to allot “enough” time for them. But we worked them out, because in the end, it is each other who we wanted to march with in 2013. We will graduate together.
We used to memorize. Until our professors gave us essay quizzes. We used to discuss theories, the how to's and now, we practice them more as juniors. Junior year is more about doing. Take photojournalism or newspaper management, where we went around everywhere fishing for stories outside the classroom and our comfort zones. And they took a lot of time.
This is when we started to realize how important journalism is. We sacrificed our time for fun, friends and family. This is what we love doing. Not to say that other things are not important, we simply learned to give them due time.
And more importantly, the value of friendships.
There were times you would think you can't publish a thing, sometimes your stories get rejected. But patience counts and so does perseverance. Being a brilliant journalist is not done overnight just as the saying goes, "You have to earn the byline." Sometimes we felt like giving up, hard as the pressure is especially in academics. But when we saw our name, we were all fulfilled as
we were eager to pursue this job.
But the most significant thing we learned is that the byline does not matter much; but the values we learn and the stories we tell. J
The Journalese
“…we worked them out, because in the end, it is each other who we wanted to march with in 2013. We will graduate together.”
We always told ourselves that if we would just close our eyes, it will all be over before we know it. True enough, we never felt the years pass by; it slowly sinks in, “oo nga pala, third year na kami." We are the next seniors, the next batch of graduates of the oldest existing university in Asia.
There is a lot of pressure more than ever. Expectations are on a high and the demands are on the rise. The toughest year in college is not really the senior year as most thought. In third year, students are expected to be more mature in handling a lot of activities and to be knowledgeable in their major. And the schedule is not always what it seems.
The semester starts off a bit lax but then bombards students with requirements as they near the exams. Time management or balancing studies with extra-curricular activities is a challenge.
The junior year is when the theories discussed during the two previous academic years are applied. That means producing articles or even running an online publication perhaps. This time, features are learned in addition to further discussions and exercises on news writing and grammar. We get to play with the inverted pyramid, add colorful adjectives and a literary and human touch to it. We even learned to deal with our voice and to finally unleash it in rhetorics, as it is almost always bound by the need for factual writing and impartiality.
We may feel a notch higher but improvement never stops. Third year is when just how demanding journalism is will finally strike. Fear of not being enough to survive the senior life, nay, the news room is always at the back of your mind.
So while the challenge of preparing oneself for the real world of journalism, one has a film production for Literature and a musical for Art Appreciation class, articles here and there, not to mention a social life that begs not to be abandoned and what did we forget? Sleep?
In managing time, all other activities had to adjust to the class schedule and we learned to reduce time for least priorities. The schedule requires great adaptability. Unlike before, students had relatively short hours divided among four subjects. In third year…three hours for a subject! The afternoon sessions and a weekday off is a relief,
but not for everyone especially those who miss their families and have to go home to the province.
There were times when juniors could put off school work and sleep, or use time wisely to finish a lot as classes start later in the day, or next week. A lot could be finished as students and professors only meet once a week. But the schedule is not made for procrastination nor is the course. Although seemingly lax, third year is no leisure time. Three hours might be a bore but we endured it, because three strikes and we're out. We had a lot of time, yes, but we also had a lot to do.
We met new professors of course who often put pressure, or a more apt term, challenged us. They would tell juniors that they are more mature, well supposedly; that they already (should) know the basics of writing a lead, the inverted pyramid, correct grammar and spelling, current issues, this and that.
In class, we talked more about how to produce a newspaper: its elements, framing, layouting. We picked stories apart, determining organization, style and approach. We further learned the interview and how to deal with sources and (unexpected) situations on the beat.
At times we met these expectations, most of the time we felt and thought that there is still room for improvement. Else, why would they remind, encourage us to constantly improve our writing and ourselves as journalists?
Class solidarity strengthened in third year. Group work, such as producing an online publication which covers even national issues, helped hold us even more together and instilled in us a sense of belongingness. These requirements did not only improve us as journalists, but even sparked friendships and provided opportunities for those we have not talked much with in the last two years.
Aside from academic endeavors, organizations are another contributor to the holistic development of the student. An estimated 100 third year journalism students have 16 organizations to choose from in the Arts and Letters alone. These organizations range from the political, faith-based, artistic, to the academic. There are orgs for debate, theater, sports and worship, among others, not to mention the societies of each major.
And so, the junior realizes there are things that had to be prioritized over others, because we could not do everything we wanted and dreamed now. The junior is more confident with his/her actions. Some of our classmates aimed to be an officer in the different organizations, showed their talent in writing contests and activities, and we were more deeply involved in seminars, forums, org fairs, concerts and much more.
We also find that as journalism students, we could show and further hone our skills through organizations that provide us an avenue to lead, express and write. We have the Journ Beatz, the champion of Cypher 2011 which is basically the showdown of all AB dance troupes, the UST Journalism Society, and The Journalese.
Aside from student organizations, the on-the-job training was another avenue for us to learn. We were anxious but we looked forward to our internship, which will be our transition from student life to the working world.
This is the reason behind third year being the most crucial year; this is the transition from journalism student to journalist, like a caterpillar struggles to become a butterfly. The summer internship was the most-awaited activity We applied in different broadsheets, where the complex daily life and routine of a journalist sunk in. We underwent the rigorous news production process, from basic newswriting to the pressure of a well-revised article. We had interviews and evasive sources, we had to dig a story worthy of publication and pitch it in before the afternoon deadline. After you passed it, you would think how or if you did public service well. Mapapatanong ka talaga kung kaya mo sa mundo ng pamamahayag.
It was exciting, but not so fast. As seniors, students would have to first go through the awaited (or dreaded) thesis defense.
As early as third year, we worked on our thesis. We chose our friends as group mates, despite our professor’s warnings about friendships ruined because of the big requirement. Sure, relationships get tested, not just in thesis writing, but also in issues involving failing to allot “enough” time for them. But we worked them out, because in the end, it is each other who we wanted to march with in 2013. We will graduate together.
We used to memorize. Until our professors gave us essay quizzes. We used to discuss theories, the how to's and now, we practice them more as juniors. Junior year is more about doing. Take photojournalism or newspaper management, where we went around everywhere fishing for stories outside the classroom and our comfort zones. And they took a lot of time.
This is when we started to realize how important journalism is. We sacrificed our time for fun, friends and family. This is what we love doing. Not to say that other things are not important, we simply learned to give them due time.
And more importantly, the value of friendships.
There were times you would think you can't publish a thing, sometimes your stories get rejected. But patience counts and so does perseverance. Being a brilliant journalist is not done overnight just as the saying goes, "You have to earn the byline." Sometimes we felt like giving up, hard as the pressure is especially in academics. But when we saw our name, we were all fulfilled as
we were eager to pursue this job.
But the most significant thing we learned is that the byline does not matter much; but the values we learn and the stories we tell. J