Help Me Decide My Future!

[Berger_4_]

So...it's getting to be that time of year where I am panicking about where I'm going to apply for next year. I'm pretty sure I'd like to take journalism or broadcasting, and I've got it narrowed down to 5 or so schools...Mount Royal, Lethbridge Community College, NAIT, SAIT, and Grant MacEwan...all of these are 2 year applied diplomas, and are eligible for transfer to the U of C in their Bachelor of Communications Studies program.

Now, I'd like your opinion on some things if it isn't too much trouble...
1. Do you think it's a good idea to take the two year applied degree first before applying to U of C or should I apply straight to U of C right out of high school?
2. If yes, which of the colleges would be a good place to try and go to? Are there any that you've heard great things or horror stories about?

I think that's about it for questions for now...if I remember anything in the morning, I'll add it then...

Oh, and don't factor the marks you need to get into a program, as I doubt they'll be an issue for me.

Thanks!

berger_4_

[ricosuave]

pm prottotype. i think that he went through this

[rockstar]

Whatever you do, make sure it's something you really want. If it isn't, get the hell out ASAP.

I had the last lecture of my university career today, now I'm graduating with a degree I ultimately didn't want and have no desire to use toward a career. And now I have no idea what to do with my life if my real dreams don't pan out.

Sorry for the hijack. Journalism or broadcasting woulda been cool, have fun! Heard good things about Ryerson, btw. SAIT too, actually.

[Sainters7]

Took broadcasting at MRC, graduated a couple years back. Was a good program, but it depends on what aspect of broadcasting youre looking in getting into. If its just on-air, MRC's a good choice, but anything behind the scenes and I'd go to SAIT. I'm told it's the MUCH better technical school. My friend who I took broadcasting with is an on-air personality on the radio in Calgary now and she told me SAIT students would come in fresh from college and know stuff we were never even told about in college.

Also, their practicum is 3 months, whereas MRC's is 3 weeks(unless its changed since I graduated). The dif. in this is that a 3 month practicum can usually land you a job with the people you were temping for, whereas with a 3-week practicum, unless you absolutely light it up, chances are you'll be searching for work elsewhere. I did my practicum at CKSA in Lloydminster and on day 1 I was basically told by the station manager not to expect a job afterwards, because the NAIT kids(I'm told similar practicum style to SAIT) have a 3 month practicum so they usually just hire them out of familiarity by the time it's done.

The great thing about MRC though is, if you wanna do sports, they seem to have a great rep with TSN. Every year TSN has an internship in which they only take 10 students from across the country. Thousands of students all over Canada applied, and out of the 10, THREE were from MRC. Our prof told us those were pretty consistent #'s for MRC over the years in that regard.

Also, I completely agree with rockstar, make sure this is something you really wanna do. After a year out in the field I soon discovered that broadcasting is not for me, and am now back in school. I used up most of my college scholarship fund from broadcasting so am now in loan heaven(aka hell). Not a big deal, I'm sure most people are on loans. Just something I wish I wouldve avoided by taking something I knew I wanted to do with my life.

PM me if theres anything else I can help you with. Good luck!

[OutOfTheCube]

I'm a first year in the broadcasting program at SAIT. It's been pretty tough so far, but really rewarding. I'm learning TONS about the industry and everything to do with it... we really start digging into the actual radio production stuff next semester.

You have to REALLY want it to be able to do this program. It's not something you just walk into and breeze through so you can get on the radio. It's the real deal here.

That said, if you're up to the commitment, SAIT is a great choice. I can't tell you about any of the other colleges, but if you have any other questions about SAIT feel free to drop me a PM.

[droopydrew19]

I too Graduated from MRC in Broadcasting. When I was making this very decision back in the mid 90's I was accepted into both Sait and MRC.

Do not think your marks are the be all to end all. I have heard of honors students being turned away and I am sure there are many grads that can tell you stories of the ones that did get accepted that made you shake your head daily.

My advice to you would be to apply to both. You may only get accepted to one.
Unfortunately in this business there is a lot of politics and "who you know" outweighs "what you know" The Sait Practicum is a Huge advantage.

Sait students specialized in one area (on air / technical etc) earlier. In MRC we did not specialize until the 4th semester. I kind of liked that as you were exposed to more sides of the industry. We learned Radio on air / commercial writing / Production / journalism. In a way I feel like I had a more solid base than a SAIT student but would concede that they had more refined skills at what they chose to specialize in.

Another consideration for me was the campus. To me rubbing elbows with plumbers and electricians did not seem as appealing compared to the MRC campus that felt more like an academic institute.

Looking back at that portion of my life I feel a bit frustrated. I sent out hundreds of demos / resumes and spent countless hours driving from station to station to meet news directors. It was pretty frustrating when I was told in markets such as Medicine Hat or Lethbridge that openings were being filled by people from markets like Winnipeg or Regina that had years of experience.

I do not want to discourage anyone from following their dreams but a career in the broadcast industry may not be exactly what people think. The money sucks, many grads hand out coffee cups in promotions for months hoping to get a shot when someone is sick or absent.

If you decide this is indeed the career choice for you I would recommend starting to plant seeds early. Write for the college paper, Volunteer at the area tv stations / radio stations. Do not expect your practicum to land you a job, it is too late by then. The most successful classmates I had were in the industry (volunteering) before they were in the industry.

[REDVAN]

Originally Posted by rockstar

I had the last lecture of my university career today, now I'm graduating with a degree I ultimately didn't want and have no desire to use toward a career. And now I have no idea what to do with my life if my real dreams don't pan out.

Sorry for the hijack.

Here's the double hijack... I am in the same boat except I will be finishing in April. I have a specialized degree, so it's not like a bachelor of jerking around. I am just not sure I want to do that for 40 years now.

[Eastern Girl]

Originally Posted by droopydrew19

If you decide this is indeed the career choice for you I would recommend starting to plant seeds early. Write for the college paper, Volunteer at the area tv stations / radio stations. Do not expect your practicum to land you a job, it is too late by then. The most successful classmates I had were in the industry (volunteering) before they were in the industry.

That is excellent advice that I was lucky enough to receive when I was in my second year. It really is true that if you graduate from a Journalism program, you really should have a portfolio all ready to go. If you don't, you might not get too far. I know lots of people that couldn't get jobs and ended up doing something entirely different because they just couldn't get that foot in the door.

So to piggyback on what DroopyDrew19 was saying, definitely get as much published as you can while in school. Apply for any interning positions. I had one at a local tv station and what I learned while there was incredible. It really is amazing seeing what goes on behind the scenes, the thought process of what gets aired, etc, and how chaotic it can be moments before air time. I went to a couple of my school's groups/organizations and volunteered to write press releases, or stories about their events etc, which was very valuable experience. I did a lot of writing and photography for the university paper. Basically, I tried to get as much experience as I could doing various types of journalism.

Anyways, I can't really help you with your choice of school, but I thought I might try and give you some more insight. Good luck in whatever you decide.

[Caged Great]

There's always

[Jayems]

journalism at MRC. no brainer.

I';ll explain in the am.


btw: Bawlf! Cool. I used to live in Bashaw and Hardisty!

[arsenal]

have the U of C and SAIT finished their little spat? When I was going to SAIT taking computer tech, the U of C wouldnt recognize a lot of the credits from the SAIT course. Basically, if I got my diploma from SAIT, and wanted to transfer to U of C Comp Sci, they would only give me credits for options.

Maybe the program you are in is different. But it may be something to consider.

[getbak]

Originally Posted by Caged Great

There's always

When I was working at the tv station in Lloydminster, the McDonald's was advertising in the local paper with a starting wage that was more than a dollar an hour more than the starting wage at the tv and radio stations. Needless to say, a lot of us reconsidered our career choice.

I'm a mid-90s graduate of the MRC Broadcasting program. It was a lot of fun and I did get work in the industry after graduation, but I've been out of the industry for almost a decade, and I think there are less than 5 of us still working in the industry (although, we apparently had a slack-ass class).

I liked the MRC program, and apparently it has improved quite a bit since I graduated, so my frame of reference is very out of date, but to back up what has already been said, you will not make a lot of money working in the broadcast/journalism business (especially in your first job) and you'll need to be willing to move to small towns just to get your foot in the door.

[JohnnyB]

Originally Posted by rockstar

Whatever you do, make sure it's something you really want. If it isn't, get the hell out ASAP.

I had the last lecture of my university career today, now I'm graduating with a degree I ultimately didn't want and have no desire to use toward a career. And now I have no idea what to do with my life if my real dreams don't pan out.

Sorry for the hijack. Journalism or broadcasting woulda been cool, have fun! Heard good things about Ryerson, btw. SAIT too, actually.

Man, just cause you did a degree in something you didn't like isn't the end of the world. Did you have a good time at uni? Life is still open.

[Flashpoint]

Take what you enjoy learning. I took Archaeology and Classical studies which led me to Law, which led me to my current job running a video game testing lab. I knew the first day I walked in that the critical thinking and communication skills I learned in University were going to make working easy for me. I don't need a specialized degree for a job that entails a lot of different things on a day to day basis.

If you enjoy what you take, it won't be work going to class. And you certainly don't have to decide on a career path right out of high school! Odds are your opinions are going to change dramatically in the next few years - so take whatever tickles your fancy right now, and don't be afraid to change it if something else catches your eye.

[rockstar]

Originally Posted by JohnnyB

Man, just cause you did a degree in something you didn't like isn't the end of the world. Did you have a good time at uni? Life is still open.

Oh of course; I completely agree. But looking back, I probably would have elected not to go to post-secondary until I knew for sure what I wanted. Just hindsight.

And TBQH, I don't mind having a completely uncertain future. I have a few friends who just graduated in accounting, and you can already see exactly how the rest of their lives are going to end up. That's boring, IMO. They already have a good idea of how much money they'll have when they die.

[Got Miikka?]

Originally Posted by Flashpoint

Take what you enjoy learning. I knew the first day I walked in that the critical thinking and communication skills I learned in University were going to make working easy for me.

There is a lot of truth to this. Just because you don't end up finding work directly related to what you studied doesn't mean it wasn't worth it. Myself for example - took kinesiology as a major and film as a minor, but now work in banking; however, I am in great shape and I know a lot of sh*t about movies. Plus, as mentioned, the critical thinking and communication skills are invaluable tools in all aspects of life.

[Textcritic]

Originally Posted by rockstar

... I have a few friends who just graduated in accounting, and you can already see exactly how the rest of their lives are going to end up. That's boring, IMO. They already have a good idea of how much money they'll have when they die.

Seriously? Is that the point?

Don't get me wrong, I'm all for making money and for providing my family a decent lifestyle and as many options as I can afford. But there is ohhhhhh sooooo much more to life and to the future than "how much" you will have when you die.

I love my job, but I am severely underpaid for the amount of work I do (any other academics in the house?). Still, the money only means that I can continue to do what I love doing. For me it is about teaching, interacting with my students, watching their them grow intellectually, challenging them to think differently.

[Option84]

I also did a degree that I eventually had no interest in, but realize that at least you have a degree which will leave some doors open for you. Unless is a Bachelor of fine arts lol.

[octothorp]

I'm not sure about the broadcast program, but journalism at mount royal is an applied degree, which means three years of classroom work and one year (two semesters, taken separately) of paid practicum. If you do your practicums over the summer, you can finish in three years, but doing your practicums over the fall and winter mean less competition and a better chance of a great job. A combination of your paid practicums and writing for the school newspaper can give you a pretty good portfolio. As well, the course requirements from other disciplines ensures that you'll be pretty well-rounded by the time you graduate.

[troutman]

Journalism is offered at Carleton University (undergrad) and the University of Western Ontario (grad).