This semester I have learned a lot in this class that I can take with me the rest of my life, even though I am not pursuing a career in journalism. The main skill I learned in this class is to have good punctuation and making sure everything is in the AP style format. These skills I have developed go beyond journalism and can be translated to other jobs and day to day life. With these skills I have developed, I can set myself apart from the pack of people that don’t use good punctuation or AP. This class has been very helpful for me and I am glad I have a better knowledge of the media and everything that goes along with it.

The most important thing I learned during this class is the importance of finding what people want to know, getting to the point, and keeping the writing simple. Looking back, it was surprisingly difficult to write correctly at the beginning of the class. Keeping my own thoughts and opinions out of the story throughout the semester became easier and easier. The thing about writing for journalism is that following the guidelines is very important, and it is wise not to stray from the rules when writing. When writing I learned that keeping it simple and writing clearly and concisely is a good thing.

I definitely learned a lot about writing news stories and reading them. There was plenty of assignments for sure and a lot of in-class assignments. I definitely got my money’s worth in the class, seeing as how we never got out of class early! But the class was enjoyable and you were a good professor to have for it. I appreciated that you were excited about teaching us and also fair when it came to assignments and grading.

One of the most important things I’ve learned from this class is how to communicate effectively with others. In the business world communication is essential for the success of the business. This class has taught me the necessity for keeping up with the news as I have never truly done so. It was also very interesting keeping up with the Johnny Manziel scandals during our group topic. Although I sometimes found the tasks assigned tedious and somewhat boring, there were definitely some assignments that I enjoyed over this semester. It was also very interesting reading other classmates’ blogs to see what parts of a news story they found most important compared to your own blog. This class was at an awful time seeing as it was right during my dinner schedule, but I’m very glad I took this class and will definitely miss having Mrs. Cullar as my teacher!

The most important thing Journalism 3372 and Mrs. Cullar have taught me is in order to communicate clearly with many audiences, you must lead with what’s important and keep it simple. Clear communication is not about the flashy words and holding out the good information from your readers like your eighth grade teacher may have told you, but instead it is about getting to the point quickly. In the business world, which I will be in someday, it will be easy to be overlooked if your writing is not impressive. I think this class has taught me how to communicate professionally more effectively than any other class I have taken. I know this will help me in the long run when it comes to searching for a job.

Also, I have truly enjoyed this class when I look back at it. At the time, I saw assignments as annoying and time consuming but overall I am happy we had to do them. I have to say the one thing I hated the most was interviewing. Usually it seemed like it was going to be an uncomfortable situation but it was never as bad as I imagined. It also made me more comfortable with communicating with people I may not have thought to speak with before. I think assignments like this have definitely grown me as a person and I am thankful for that. I believe Mrs. Cullar is right when she said the only way you will get better at something is if you do it often. She may have said this when we were doing our week of writing but I think it pertains to many things in life and I know that is why interviewing got easier as the semester went on.

At the beginning of the semester, I never thought I would be saying this but I know I am going to miss this class. It surprised me how so many journalism lessons could apply to life. Also, I am very happy I switched my class to this class because I could not have had a better teacher! Thanks Mrs. Cullar for making the class a lot of fun and entertaining!

I have definitely learned a lot this semester about writing. One of the main things that sticks with me is how to draw someone into the paper I’m writing. Writing a good lead is one of the most important parts of writing a paper. As an accounting major, I will have to do research papers and write articles on what I find, and I know that being able to write a good lead will help my paper stand out.

Also, now I know what it takes to make an article good. So now I can critique articles that I read, therefore, I can judge the author better and figure out just how bad they are at writing.

I think that one of the the most important things that I’ve learned from this class is being able to communicate clearly with others using multiple forms of communication. Even though I am a M.I.S major and will most likely end up somewhere in the tech field, clear communication skills are still vital. I may have to document a process, explain what a client wants, talk with clients or any other number of tasks that requires communication. Beyond just having clear communication you also need to make sure what you are saying is true, and that yo have the legal rite to say it. When we went over the copyright section of this class it was a real eye-opener since even an honest mistake can be disastrous to your life.

Also this class really emphasized ow important it is to keep up with the news. Being aware of what is happening not only locally but globally is vital in today’s world since we live in a such a connected world that is constantly pumping out news. Knowing what is going on can keep you prepared and head of the curve, instead of behind it.

This class has really helped me improve upon my writing skills, especially when it comes it comes to clarity.

I think the largest thing I’m going to remember from this class, is giving people the credit they deserve. Even if you don’t mean to cheat, or use someone else’s words, it’s always nice to get credit for something you did. I just got done writing an English paper, and in the past I would pass on citing everything, but on this one I cited everything I thought I should’ve have, I guess it’s a my moral compass, but from now on I don’t want to stress on plagiarism, just doing it right the first time.

Also, when I took an internship this summer, I had no idea the amount of emails I would be sending. The first time I sent an email, the lady emailed me back and it was all in red, and she described to me what was right, and what was wrong. There was more wrong throughout the email, but if I had taken a journalism class before then, I may have not ever needed that lesson from. Its crazy how much good writing skills are used throughout your daily life. Communication is key in the real world, and life, and after being in this journalism class with a professor that is very skilled and knowledgeable in the subject, it has taught me how to strengthen my communication, and writing skills.

I never got a’s on any paper throughout this course, but I believe I’ve learned a lot of lessons, and if I took this class again, I would be ready for it.