Whenever I tell people I’m majoring in communication, I usually get weird looks. Those who know very little or nothing about the degree are confused and have no idea what it is meant for. Some have told me they thought it was a useless major and a waste of money.
In reality, communication is a degree that can be useful on almost every field of work.
Starting fall 2016, Kennesaw State University will offer a Bachelor of Science in Journalism and Emerging Media, a concentration currently available for communication majors. If this major was available when I was a freshman during the fall 2013 semester, I might have chosen it over the communication major.
Fortunately, a journalism major was not available to me when I first enrolled in KSU, and I’m glad for it. Now I see that a broad major is a wise choice for students like me.
When I was looking to attend college during my senior year of high school, I started researching the universities in Georgia. Many of the universities I looked at offered a degree in journalism.
At that time, I knew I did not want to do anything in the math or science field, and I liked writing but did not want to be an English major. My heart was set on journalism. I remember almost scratching KSU off my list of colleges to apply for because a journalism major was not offered.
If you are looking to be a writer or a communicator, and you don’t want to get an English degree, don’t overlook the communication major because it seems dull or too broad. I would advise any upcoming freshman to choose the communication degree over journalism.
First, you may get into the journalism major and realize it isn’t something you want to do for a career. If you chose the communication major, however, you could have a different concentration like public relations, organizational communication and media studies.
During my sophomore year, I realized that I did love journalism, but I didn’t want to limit myself to that particular study. Thankfully, I can enroll in other communication classes to learn more about photography, video and radio along with print journalism.
The communication major also allows students to earn a certificate in multi-platform news reporting through a variety of classes offered in the major. In this way, students can prepare themselves to work in any field of communication: radio, television, print, public relations or even marketing. This can give communication students an advantage in today’s unpredictable economy.
I’m sure KSU will integrate online reporting classes into our new journalism major; but with our media becoming more digitized, a wiser route may be the communication major. I believe it will open more doors for employment and prepare students for today’s ever-changing economy.
