From dealing with last-minute deadlines to going on scavenger hunts throughout campus for lab, there is never a dull day in the life of a J-Schooler. Here are 15 telltale signs that you are in the Journalism School at UW-Madison:
1. You spend all of your time in the most prestigious building on campus, Vilas Hall.
2. You have snack breaks during your 3 hour labs.
3. You cringe when you hear the phrase “IS.”
4. You constantly have to explain what “Strat Com”, or Strategic Communications, is to people.
5. When you tell people you’re a journalism major, they automatically assume you either want to be a news anchor or newspaper reporter.
6. You know all about the infamous Stoughton train wreck.
7. You’ve had a mini panic attack if you forgot your AP Stylebook on the day of a J202 quiz.
8. Every journalism class you’ve taken has had a group project to prepare you for the real world.
9. Your 202 lab was like your second family.
10. You’re still not entirely sure how to use Excel, but you say you are proficient on your resume anyways.
11. Your know the struggle of having a cramped and tired hand after an essay exam.
12. It grinds your gears when people mix up your/you’re and other basic grammar formalities.
13. Your roommates always ask you to proofread and edit their papers.
14. You’ve shamelessly had to beg all of your friends to take a survey on Qualtrics to gather data for a class.
15. You’re not sure what you want to do after you graduate because there are a million different career paths you could take, but you do know there is no school you’d rather be a part of than the J-School!
Despite what others may say about journalism being a “dying profession,” at the end of the day, you know you love your major and couldn’t see yourself doing anything else.