Meet Noah
Noah is currently studying a Bachelor of Communications (Journalism), which he started in 2021 and is set to graduate in late 2023.
What skills have you learnt throughout your degree?
While I haven’t become an expert journalist and I still struggle to abide by some deadlines, I have certainly improved in my ability to interview, research, write, speak, communicate and even schedule myself.
I have learnt to make backup plans and expect no one to reply, and to still soldier on with a story even if it doesn’t turn out how I thought it would.
I knew from the beginning of my course, that I would be equipped with the basic skills needed to enter the media industry, but I know the rest will come with time and experience.
Is there anything you are glad to have learnt?
If I’m being entirely honest, I doubt there has been anything in this degree that I didn’t really know.
The skills we are taught build on the foundational knowledge we get throughout high school; to write, to have informed opinions and to seek out expert opinions. However, school was just us regurgitating published information and never seeking new opinions and perspectives.
My degree has forced me out into the community, virtually clueless, in search of a story and people to speak about it.
I’ve learnt to research topics in plain sight that often get ignored, or unique facets of our communities that would remain unknown if never given a platform.
Now, I hate phone calls and walking up to strangers as much as anyone my age, but this degree has forced me to make these sorts of interactions for a purpose.
That is something I would never have done if I didn’t have to, so, here we are!
Have you enjoyed your degree?
Well, I’ve enjoyed my course as much as I can.
It is really just an extension of high school in many ways, and the stress of poorly timed assessments and bad time management on my end, have ensured that I haven’t breezed through the degree.
However, the opportunities provided by the classes I’ve had, and the assessments given to me have highlighted the different ways available to us as we seek to enter the industry next year.
Has your degree given you any industry experience?
The course itself is rather limited in the scope of real industry experience.
Luckily, I have been able to make good use of the radio station on campus to practice outside-of-class assignments. By getting involved with broadcasting within the first few months of my degree, I have been able to branch out into the radio newsroom where I now work.
Although this aspect of my experience isn’t a guaranteed fit for everyone in the degree, especially those looking to enter television broadcasting, print outlets or online production, it has forced me to consistently keep on top of the news cycle for the last year.
My work at the newsroom has also taken me to Parliament House to cover the budget this year, which was something I could not achieve on my own without the university’s contacts.