anu1995

i dont know if i made the right choices school wise.. im going to georgia tech in the fall bc it's in-state and my parents thought it would give me better job opportunities...if i major in things like management or public policy or intl affairs and contribute to my newspaper, could i try to look for a job in journalism? and if that doesn't work, i could always find a job in my actual major?
i figured if i have a flexible degree but specific extracurriculars, i could go into journalism anytime i wanted to, but a degree only in journalism might limit my options later..
i really do like writing, but im going to a technology-heavy school...any thoughts..?

Engineerjw

You mainly just want a degree which is very heavy in writing and analysis and could prove your journalism ability. The degrees you mentioned sound good. However, you may want to consider transferring to another school. Your parents are right that GT gives great job opportunities, but that's only because most people there do engineering.

Getting involved in journalism-type clubs will help, too. And don't think that a certain major limits you. Major does not define job. Getting the first job out of college is tough, then after that, it's all about experience.

If you are really set on Journalism, I feel like transferring is a good idea. Your parents should understand that GT is mainly for tech degrees.

brinamarie

Experience is one of the most important factors in becoming a journalist. You should see about joining your school's newspaper staff, annual staff (if y'all have one) television station, and/or radio station.

You need to be adept in several fields of media. Learning about online, print, and broadcast journalism is a must. Learning about photojournalism can be helpful. You must hone your writing and communication skills.

boxofchocolate

I agree with brinamarie. I will also say that if you market yourself right, equip yourself with the knowledge of various media platforms and experience, a degree in journalism can be flexible. However, if you opt not to major in journalism, you should know that several EICs, writers, and editors of print/online publications did not major in journalism. If you'd prefer to major in something more directly related to journalism in terms of the writing aspect, you can consider English or creative writing.

endoftime

What about a degree in history? Can that help too? Its writing heavy

CE527M

Sure, but the whole point of getting a major in something other than history is to get a degree in something to fall back on if journalism doesn`t work out, and a history degree kind of limits you to just teaching jobs.