Studying for a Trade, not a Test by Trevor

Studying for a Trade, not a Test by Trevor - May 2016 Scholarship Essay

When studying for final exams I have to make a consideration that others may not: will this look good on camera?

As a broadcast journalism major, many of my classes are focused around the art of recording video, getting interviews, unearthing and streamlining information, editing footage, and fact-checking. There are not many Scantrons involved.

I find myself wondering exactly how to explain my "study method" for the finals that I take. There are no libraries or tutors (unless the librarian is a source for my story and the tutor is my videography professor). I don't have to subject myself to hours on end of memorizing textbooks or taking notes from online lectures.

However, there are many elements to succeeding in the classes I take that expand beyond the standard qualifiers of academic success. Much of the knowledge I obtain is from hands-on experience. For example: I learned shorthand note taking in my reporting and writing class that I use when conducting an in-person interview. I can't always be at a computer typing the notes, so I bring my reporter's journal and scribble the important elements of what the source is telling me while simultaneously recording the broader conversation on an audio capturing device.

Doing this ensures that if one form of note taking fails, I have a backup to aid me in the reporting. Doing this well takes practice, and one slip-up could mean missing information that is vital to the accuracy/impact of my story.

Cameras. Those tricky, bulky machines that are as essential for a broadcast journalist as a paintbrush is for an artist. Today's video cameras used by news stations have become more compact and versatile than previous models, but there are even more buttons, switches and dials to memorize and master.

Everything from adjusting the white balance, to focusing, to switching audio inputs must be learned before one can shoot anything. After about a month of classroom instruction I became proficient enough to operate a camera correctly from memory. What made the difference between the quality of my first assignment and the quality of my final exam was how often I used the camera during the semester.

Being successful in my field of study relies heavily on personal determination and due diligence. No one is going to hold your hand during the tedious editing process, or make you pick a difficult story to cover, or make sure you finish your work by deadline. Initiative is the name of the game, and without going the extra mile in your work, you’ll never be successful in this field.

Broadcast journalism is a trade that you only get good at if you have a true passion for it. With that passion must come practice, perseverance and patience. A decent reporter will have one or two of these attributes. A great reporter will have all four of them.

My method of study cannot be measured by how many hours I spend at the library hunched over a textbook. It is measured by how many hours I spend recording in the field and sitting in an editing bay. In addition to memorizing facts and figures, I also must work on a tight timetable while still producing the best-possible news package from the material I’ve gathered (which often times is gathered on the same day).

I find it to be an excellent alternative to paper-and-pencil exams. The hands-on outdoor experience meshes very well for someone with chronic ADHD such as myself. Although it is not for everybody, this work-as-study style has helped me improve my final exam scores tremendously.