End of Semester Reflection Piece
The first skill I have improved upon in this course is confidence. It is not easy to call people you do not know and ask them for an interview. This process was especially difficult for me as I had to ask busy lawyers for interviews and definitely got my fair share of “no’s”. In fact, the first two law firms I called did not respond in the nicest manner when I asked. Instead of letting this keep me down, I persevered and ended up getting some great interviews that fit the assignment perfectly. The next skill which I improved upon was my ability to use Adobe Premiere Pro for both audio as well as video editing. This was a skill that I first developed in visual communications at CSU but being able to fine tune those skills with having a specific audience in mind was helpful. Lastly, a skill which I was able to improve upon is my ability to lead and direct a podcast. This was something I had never done before but definitely had some experience in listening to podcasts as this is one of my favorite forms of content. Being able to create something that sounded so similar to some of my favorite content creators was a very cool experience.
My favorite assignment to work on this semester was the transmedia project. Being able to piece together various media and create a story out of it was very interesting. It was especially cool for me to be able to center this project around my father as I was able to learn a lot about my family and his experiences through this project. Getting interviews from different states was not easy for the video portion but it was good that I was able to complete the podcast in person as I was back at home with my father. Overall, this was a great project that allowed me to be creative while also refining my skills.
My least favorite assignment was the “pick your beat” work. It was difficult for me to get consistent interviews from lawyers and because I chose this beat, I was stuck with it. This however, did force me to get creative asking questions with the time I had with the attorneys as it forced me to plan ahead. While it was a difficult beat, I was able to learn a lot from it and deliver solid work.
For the next six months, the skills I have learned in both writing as well as Adobe Premiere Pro will assist in all of my future journalism classes. The writing skill which I have refined will assist me in every one of my classes including my minor, legal studies. As for the next six years, it is this writing skill that I will be using when I attend law school. Writing in a concise manner yet still telling a story has allowed me to develop as a writer overall.
Overall, I am glad I took this course as I feel like I still learned a lot even with the restrictions that were in place due to COVID-19. Thank you Michelle and Zack for your help throughout this semester as I understand that the transition to online learning was as difficult for faculty as it was for students.
