I’m a rising 10th grader and I want to be a Journalism major in college. At my school, I can start taking journalism as a sophomore. I want to take journalism, but I also really like band and want to take band class. I go to a Christian school, and I have to take bible credits to graduate, and because of that, I have to choose between journalism and band up until senior year. Will my choice on whether or not I take journalism affect my college applications?
Take Band.
You can be a journalist with any background - but you have four years of HS, enjoy them. If you want to take a journalism class, you can do so later or in college.
In the meantime, you can get involved with the school paper or radio station if they have one, etc. and work on your craft on the side.
Enjoy band and the love you have for music.
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No. Just do very well in the classes you DO take. I’m a strong supporter of students doing music. You can continue this as an adult in community ensembles, for fun. Do the music!
Can you write for the school newspaper even if you’re not in the class? Look into this – in many schools, there’s a club as well as a class.
I have two kids who’ve been involved in journalism (both of whom aspire to be journalists), one of whom also participates in band. At their HS, you can do both. But neither plans to major in journalism, because you don’t need to major in journalism to enter the profession. The most important thing is practical experience – writing for newspapers, internships, etc. So as you look ahead, I would encourage you not to major in journalism, but rather in something that can inform your work as a journalist – history, politics, STEM fields, or just about anything else. And while you’re doing that, write for the college newspaper (or some other school publication, or you can do other media). In this particular field, practical experience is really more important than your major.
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Do band! And write for your school paper as an extracurricular.