How is my college plan?

<p>I am going to go to university of Missouri. I just got accepted. I will go into the school of journalism. I will major in convergence journalism, which goes across all fields of journalism, and my concentration will be in emerging media. I will double major in convergence journalism and business marketing. Then I will hopefully qualify for the five year BJ/MJ (masters in journalism) program and get my masters degree in strategic communication. I would either do an emphasis in advertising, public relations, or international strategic communications. How does this plan sound? Keep in mind that University of Missouri is one of the top three j-schools in the nation.</p>

<p>You haven’t told us your goal.</p>

<p>Whether your plan makes sense depends on what you want to do after college. For example (and here I am choosing something absurd for effect), if your goal was to go to medical school, your plan would be unsuitable.</p>

<p>my plan is to get a job in either journalism or communications. I love both so I feel like doing emerging media convergence journalism gives me a good base of new technologies and marketing gives me a business sense. I then would get a masters in strat comm in advertising. So I would be able to have a solid foundation of writing, producing, editing, and new versions of technology, along with a business sense, and masters degree in communications.</p>

<p>Your plan is great…but do keep an open mind. You may find other things that pique your interest in college.</p>

<p>Congratulations on your acceptance.</p>

<p>Thank you very much, any other opinions? Is this marketable? Keep in mind Mizzou has an incredible j-school that I am now into. I would work at the Missourian, the town newspaper, KOMU, the NBA affiliate, and their NPR station.</p>

<p>What is it that makes you want our opinions? It sounds like a very good plan, and it will be wonderful to have this sorted out already so you can really enjoy your senior year. So, why go on a public message board and ask people who don’t know you this question? Do you have an uncertainty about it? If so, you might tell us so we could help. If not, congratulations, and have a great senior year!</p>

<p>I am just wondering if it is a practical plan for getting a job</p>

<p>It sounds very practical to me, but the future of journalism is anyone’s guess. The big question is, do you love what you’ll be studying? Enough that you’ll be thinking about it intensely, that you’ll want to work overtime, that you’ll wake up in the middle of the night with an idea you want to run by a professor? In that case you’re likely to be very successful.</p>

<p>Yea I like journalism a lot. I was hoping that convergence journalism will give me a nice broad spectrum so I will show that I can write, edit, work with technology, be able to speak well in public, etc. Then the marketing will show a business sense, and that masters will give me an understanding of pr/advertising which may be the field I go into. I’m hoping that this gives me a lot of different career prospects.</p>

<p>I agree, it sounds great. How wonderful to have it settled already-have a great year!</p>

<p>Sounds great but overplanning, or premature planning, can sometimes mean missing other opportunities and interests, so just keep an open mind, as someone else said. Explore and enjoy college as much as you can. The job market is flexible (when there is no recession going on, that is), varied and ever-changing.</p>

<p>I’m wondering if I’m going too broad. I really want to work for the TV station, the radio and newspaper. I also want to do sales with marketing in the TV station. I think that the five year program where I can then get a masters in strat comm could be either good because I have a lot of different career prospects, or bad because I’ve done way too many different things.</p>

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<p>That’s the NBC affiliate. And as a convergence major, you most likely will not do your classwork at KOMU (TV) or KBIA (NPR). But you would prepare video stories for the Missourian’s website. You also won’t be doing marketing for the TV station. That is not a student task; it’s done by the professional managers. </p>

<p>A BJ in Convergence/MA in Strat Comm is not listed as a possible 5-Year program curriculum on the school’s website. However, the opposite is possible. Also,there is no “concentration in emerging media.” And Mizzou does not offer a major in business marketing, not in the J-school or the business school.</p>

<p>I fear that you have fallen in love with Mizzou based on responses on CC from me and other posters who students attend there. Several weeks ago, you didn’t even know about the major sequences at Mizzou and several of us encouraged you to go to the J-School website and do your research Your initial post in this thread makes me think that you still have not read through the J-School website to see your options. </p>

<p>Are you a direct admit to J-School? (29 ACT or higher)? Or were you admitted to the College of Arts & Sciences? Either way, are you confident you can maintain a 3.0 over your first 60 hours of college classes in order to be admitted as a junior? Have you visited the campus to see if you like a large flagship school? (In a thread on the Business Major forum, you menntion wanting to major in economics.) Can you (or your parents) afford the OOS tuition? (I recall from another thread that you are not instate.)</p>

<p>Have you talked with your parents or your teachers or your guidance counselor about your plans?</p>

<p>Don’t get me wrong. I love Mizzou; it’s my alma mater. And I love when students are excited about the possibility of attending there. But I worry that you have not researched and examined all the options at Mizzou or looked at other options that might fit your plans.</p>

<p>-Marketing is in the college of business. It is a major.
-<a href=“http://journalism.missouri.edu/undergraduate/emerging-media.html”>http://journalism.missouri.edu/undergraduate/emerging-media.html&lt;/a&gt;
That’s emerging media.
-I went on a tour, and loved it. I am confident that I would get a 3.0
-Convergence journalism goes across all fields. My tour guide told me that they write in the news room as a part of their class work, can get their own radio show, and can get on KOMU as well.
-I can afford OOS tuition. Also it is easy to declare residency in Missouri after one year, which I would do.
-It says you can get a masters in strategic communications. You don’t need any strategic communications background as a part of the five year plan.</p>

<p>and one last note, [Convergence</a> Journalism at Missouri](<a href=“http://convergence.journalism.missouri.edu/]Convergence”>http://convergence.journalism.missouri.edu/)
this shows how convergence students work on all forms of journalism. This includes TV, Radio, Newspaper, and the website.</p>

<p>I think going into college with any solid “career plan” or “five-year plan” tends to backfire; you never know what the job market will be like when you leave school, particularly in fields like journalism, which are really hurting right now. If, as you say you do, you just love the study of journalism then let the chips fall where they may as you go through college, pursue your interests, and see what happens. That’s not to say you shouldn’t work hard, but if you go in with expectations and strict goals you are bound to be disappointed, and this plan may not even get you a job at all. There’s no way of knowing, so just enjoy the next four years you have ahead of you!</p>

<p>Glad you found the marketing emphasis because Mizzou doesn’t list it as a major on its website, but it is on the B-School site.</p>

<p>When did you visit the campus? Every time we go (including this weekend), I’m amazed at how beautiful it is.</p>

<p>Good luck to you.</p>

<p>I went a few weeks ago when kids were moving in. It was amazing. My dad and I already started a plan so I could do convergence journalism, marketing and get my masters in strat comm in five years. The academics are incredible, the campus is amazing also. I can’t find anything wrong with this school.</p>

<p>As stated earlier- KEEP AN OPEN MIND- consider classes that don’t fit your current goals. You will learn a lot from being on campus- you will be able to talk to people in fields that interest you and pick their brains. Be flexible. You go to college for an education, not just job skills. Make the most of the opportunitiy in more ways than just meeting major reqs.</p>