Damn. I'm already one day behind on this whole 90 in 90 thing. Oh well. It's been in my head, I just didn't have any time to write it down last night.
I think I've hit my plateau of learning. Lately I've been talking to people, and it seems like most of us don't really remember what we've been learning here at school. It's like the knowledge comes into our brain, floats around for awhile, and as soon as test day comes it all comes out. When you put it on paper it stays there, and never returns to your brain. So what's the point of school? Why are we paying thousands of dollars to sit in a class, stare at a professor, regurgitate the information, and then forget about it for the rest of our lives?
I know it's supposed to prepare us for our future careers, so let's look at all that I've learned from my major classes. First class of my major (J101), and I learned that if the subject's boring, then people won't study for it and complain when they get a bad grade. Spring semester, I learned that I absolutely suck as a designer. Good to know, because I never thought I'd end up being one. Thanks for that, J103. In my journalistic storytelling class (J105), I actually had a chance to write an article. Granted, it was a news, radio, and some other article, but I wrote one. That I was provided with all the facts. And I learned a lot about broadcast that I didn't know, like what a VO/SOT was. And in information gathering (J102), I didn't really learn about information gathering. I learned how to multi-task in class better. Well, I guess I did learn how to use databases more effectively.
So. Looking back at that, it seems like I learned more about how to be a better college student than things to apply to my job once I leave Ball State. Which isn't what I'm here for. I want to learn so I can be the very best I can be. I'm not running around with illusions that I'll be the best journalist out there. I've never run around with those delusions. But I want to be able to have something to show for my time here, and before this semester I didn't.
This semester I picked up a history major as well, because I felt like it. And I had the same experience. I sat in class and stared at my professor as he talked at me. The night before the test, I'd look over the notes and try to figure out what he thought was important. I'd take the test and forget about whatever was on it. And I love history. I did learn that I love modern history, and anything before 1500 is incredibly boring. But that's not what I have to show from this semester. What I have to show is from my original major.
I'm in an intro to magazine class (J280), and it's hard. It's tough. And I like it. I get bored of automatically getting an A on something I've written the night before. That's not why I'm at college. I did that kind of thing in high school. Now I actually have to work at what I write. It's taught me that. It's also taught me that people don't understand that you want to interview someone. Seriously. I've called places and gotten three different people before they understand that I just want to ask some questions. I've learned that interviews and filler words don't make a story. I've learned that I need to add lots of description. I've learned that I'm not as good as I thought I was.
I've actually started to learn. And I think this time, I'll keep this information with me.
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