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Any Advice On My College Decision?

Discussion in 'Journalism topics only' started by kweonsam, Jul 19, 2014.

  1. kweonsam

    kweonsam New Member

    Hello guys, so I am a young Senior in High School and I want to be a sports writer in my future. But i understand the risks. A lot of people say that it is a dying field. So I am entering my semior year of high school. Im finishing up with a 3.5 GPA and 1900 SAT score. I do want to go to Syracuse then take my life to a future sports writer but like I said the risks. My other consideration is to major in Sports Management then after that degree i decide what i do. Im thinking getting a masters as a law degree then become a sports agent. If i do choose to be a writee then i hope that could give me an advantage. What do you guys think? My dream and true passion is to be a NFL or CFB beat writer for a team but i domt want to be dumb. Because being a sports agent seems very intrguing to me as well.
     
  2. Boom_70

    Boom_70 Well-Known Member

    I would start by getting the shift key and spell check fixed on
    your computer. They seem to be broken.
     
  3. poindexter

    poindexter Well-Known Member

    Good luck, Boom Jr., on your college decision.
     
  4. Meatie Pie

    Meatie Pie Member

    The caliber of sock puppet here continues to decline.
     
  5. JC

    JC Well-Known Member

    Get a trade and skip college
     
  6. jr/shotglass

    jr/shotglass Well-Known Member

    Welcome, everyone. We have now reached the part of Cinema Bizarro where the sock puppets rate the sock puppets. Grab some popcorn, LSD, whatever you feel appropriate.
     
  7. Meatie Pie

    Meatie Pie Member

    [​IMG]
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Dec 15, 2014
  8. Baron Scicluna

    Baron Scicluna Well-Known Member

    Don't go. Let your parents take care of you.
     
  9. joe

    joe Active Member

    Take that English as a second language class again.
     
  10. DeskMonkey1

    DeskMonkey1 Active Member

    I'll bite.

    Here's what I would do had I to do it over again.

    First off, don't pigeonhole yourself into any one discipline.

    Second, focus on the school part of journalism school. You are there to learn, not reinforce what you think you already know.

    I was the sports editor of the college paper but I was thrown to the wolves. I had no idea how to do a beat, hell, didn't even know what a 'beat' was, and I actually was only a journalism minor, with virtually all of my journalism courses done before I was appointed sports editor. Not bragging, but I had written three - yes, three - stories as a "stringer" and when applying for senior reporter, I was asked to do sports instead since I actually had a grasp on the writing part, if not the reporting part.

    Had I to do it over again, I would have been badgering my teachers, my advisors and even the pros also covering the events for any advice they could give.

    I also would have checked my ego at the door. Had a total snot come in as editor in chief in what would have been my second year (my junior year in school) who ran off everyone in order to bring in her own crew (boy, does that sound familiar). Had I to do it over again, I would have just swallowed some shit and got another year's experience under my belt.

    Also, if I had it to do over again, I would have tried to do more with the SID department. They had a lot of internship and volunteer opportunities that could improved my networking and boosted my resume. I also would have done some stuff with the TV and radio folks. Wouldn't hurt you to do some non-sports stuff, such as PR and marketing because, as you said, you know the risks.

    I also didn't benefit by going to college right before the print industry fell out. It had been going on for some time, really, but when I was in college, social media didn't exist and internet journalism was still in its infancy. Shortly after I got out, MySpace became a thing, then Twitter, Facebook, etc. plus the economy tanked and with it, the newspaper industry.
     
  11. Boom_70

    Boom_70 Well-Known Member

    if you're going to Syracuse that pretty much assures that your parents
    are taking care of you. It's not a cheap school
     
  12. Start giving iPhones and hundred-dollar bills to members of the football and basketball teams. Consider it your first sports-agent training exercise.
     
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