I’ve been asked by pretty much every single person I know what my after-college plans were. The first few times I got the question, I would freeze and admit I didn’t know.
Last semester I decided to step out of my comfort zone and enroll inCOMM 231 - Film & TV Production Concepts. My focus in communication studies has always been more centered in media and popular culture theory, never in the extensive film and production classes offered by the department. I always knew that this style of courses was available, I was just too insecure in my skills to ever bite the bullet. Finally, last semester, I decided to enroll in COMM 231. While the content of this course challenged me, I cannot deny how much I learned. In this class, I ended up creating my proudest project I have ever done here at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, a video essayon a former UMass student,Maura Murray.
I applied to the University of Massachusetts Amherst as an English major back in 2017. Throughout the entirety of my schooling, I have always been fascinated by literature. I was a textbook book worm. I always had my nose in a book and I was constantly on the hunt for the next piece of literature I could get my hands on. When I was in high school, my love for English flourished. I took Advanced Placement Literature and the course challenged me to explore the depth of the discipline, and left me hungry for more. Back in high school I also had the most compassionate and vibrant English teacher, and her passion for the subject led in part to my decision to pursue a career in English. Despite adding a secondary major in communication, my love for English is still as strong as ever.
We had to work on five different pieces on a range of topics throughout the semester, and one of them was writing about a public issue. Then the journalism gods intervened, and I found two of the most perfect sources I could’ve ever found.
Apliqué a la Universidad de Massachusetts Amherst como estudiante de inglés el 2017. A lo largo de toda mi educación, siempre estado fascinada por la literatura. Era un típico ratón de biblioteca. Siempre tenía mi nariz metida en un libro y constantemente estaba en la búsqueda de la siguiente pieza de literatura en las podría poner mis manos.
2019 was probably one of the hardest years of my life.
The year started with my mom passing away after a five-year battle with cancer. As is the usual with illnesses, we’d known the hardest was on its way, but that didn’t make it any less devastating.
My journey becoming a double major in communication and marketing, and transferring into the Isenberg School of Management as a sophomore at UMass Amherst.
College is a pivotal time of learning in a student’s life. While you will without a doubt be learning in the classroom, I think a lot of people underestimate how much students grow outside of it as well. Looking back at who I was in high school, I cannot believe how different I am and how much I have grown. My time in college has taught me crucial skills and has given me experiences that I will hold with me for the rest of my life. So, what have I learned outside of the classroom? Let’s take a look at three of the things that I have learned at the University of Massachusetts Amherst outside of the classroom.
Cuando apliqué a la Universidad de Massachusetts Amherst en mi último año de la escuela, nunca me hubiera imaginado estudiando marketing dos años después, pero aquí estoy.
With every major comes major requirements — classes you must take in order to receive credit towards the degree. These classes can be held at different times and taught by various professors in the department, but every student will ultimately complete them as requirements to graduate. To be a journalism major, one must pass a series of multimedia journalism classes to further enhance his or her ability to use digital media, as the industry grows to be heavily reliant on it for the spread of breaking news. This requirement is what led me to Journalism 333: Visual Storytelling. My expectations entering this class were that I wouldn’t end up with that great of a grade, as my picture taking ability is not up to par in comparison to my much more aesthetically-focus peers. However, this class ended up being by far the most rewarding one I’ve taken in my time at University of Massachusetts Amherst.
Good old winter break. A much needed time of relaxation that never feels long enough to truly satisfy my need to curl up in bed with no responsibilities and watch Netflix all day. As I am writing this, I am now back at the University of Massachusetts Amherst ready to tackle this new semester. With classes starting in a few days, I have been able to take the time to reflect on what I have been up to this winter break. From getting my first tattoo, spending time with friends and family, traveling, and spending much needed time with my cat and dog, I would say that I had a very enjoyable winter break.
