A Bittersweet Ending

It hasn’t quite hit me that in a little over a week I will be graduating from the University of Northern Colorado with a degree in journalism. I have really enjoyed my time here; it has been quite the adventure. I learned a lot in JMC 410 this semester. I think the most valuable thing I will take away from the class is the experience I got from writing all the stories on my beat. I really liked the fact that we were able to pick a beat to write on because this allowed me to write about one of my biggest passions, which is health care. The JMC classes offered at UNC allowed me to learn about a wide range of subjects. I learned about news writing, law and the history of writing and communications. There were definitely both high and low points during my JMC experience. Some classes I enjoyed more than others. There would be several weeks at a time where I would have a lot of deadlines and I would become very stressed, but it was always such a rewarding feeling to finish all of my work. I think for the most part, the JMC program at UNC does a good job at preparing students for the future. One thing I think is missing is the amount of experience in the real world. Only the news writing classes, and a few electives, made students go out and conduct interviews for their stories. I wish that more classes would’ve done this so that I would feel more comfortable doing it myself. I do believe that I am prepared to work in today’s journalism field. I have learned a lot in all of the JMC classes that I took, and I believe I would be able to put my knowledge to good use someday.

Almost Finished

As my senior semester at the University of Northern Colorado is coming to an end, I am finishing up all the final assignments in my classes. All semester in JMC 410, I have followed and reported on a subject that I am really passionate about which is health care. An issue that has always caught my attention is the demand for medical workers, but how hard it is to get accepted into the schools. For the past year, I have worked extremely hard at completing the pre-req classes in order to apply to nursing schools throughout Colorado. It is such a competitive process based solely off of GPA and work experience. It’s been a stressful process with many doubts, but I am excited to say that on April 9, 2011 I received my nursing acceptance letter for Arapahoe Community College. Around 300 students applied and only 36-48 were accepted. Another issue nursing students face is passing the NCLEX, which is the statewide certification test. Some schools apparently don’t prepare students well enough for this exam. My biggest question is if there is such a demand for nurses, then why is it almost impossible to get accepted and through the programs?

Half Way There

So far this semester, JMC 410 has been both time consuming and exciting. I have really enjoyed writing about my beat all semester, which is health care. It is a topic that I am extremely passionate in which is why it is so exciting to write about. I have written two stories so far this semester. The first was a day-in-the-life story in which I covered the Health Center at UNC. It was really interesting to spend a whole day sitting in the waiting room and observe and interview the students that went through in a day’s time. The second story that I am currently working on finalizing now, is a profile story of a nursing student at UNC. This has been really exciting for me because after I graduate in May, I plan on attending nursing school. I am currently in the application process for several schools in Colorado, so it has been helpful to get tips and pointers from students who are on the same path as I am. I think one thing that I would like to improve on is to get over my interview anxiety. I guess I feel as if people don’t take me seriously since this is only for a class, even though technically we are journalists covering stories. I am excited for the rest of the semester and I am excited to continue to improve on my writing skills.

Final Semester, New Outlook

Considering this is my final semester at the University of Northern Colorado, I’d like to think I’m very experienced in my major which is journalism and mass communications however, I know I still have a lot to learn.

As a journalist, I know I have both strengths and weaknesses. I have always loved to write, and I love when my writing has an impact on others. My weakness is that I am a very shy person, which makes the interviewing process uncomfortable for me.

This semester, I will be covering health care in Greeley. Since my second major is nursing, I hope to learn a lot about this subject. I have never covered a beat before, so I expect this experience to be both exciting as well as challenging.

This is the second time I have created a blog. The first time, I covered the Greeley City Council for my JMC312 class. With a little experience under my belt, I am not as nervous about blogging. I am really excited to share my experiences this semester.