<p>I have seen many posts mentioning University of Missouri as a great school for journalism. My son wants to study broadcast journalism and has been accepted to Missouri. I would love to hear what current Missouri journalism students think of the program and their experiences at the school. We live in Florida so he would be an OOS student. Thanks</p>
<p>I'm a freshman at MU and I study Broadcast Journalism along with Economics. I really couldn't tell you all about the program because it's my first year, but as far as I can tell, the program is unparalled in terms of hands-on learning, overall experience and simply put, it has a very reputable department. We publish our own student newspapers, we operate our own TV station and students basically do everything that real-world journalists would do.
I'm from St. Louis and I came here because it saves a lot of money, but from what I know, Mizzou's Out of state tuition isn't outrageously expensive either. MU Journalism actually attracts most out of staters than any other department at Mizzou. Even so, you might want to consider some positive and negative aspects.
1. Half of mediocre Missouri's public school students go to Mizzou so we really don't see that academic intensity we see at higher ranked schools. It can be good or bad depending on how you see it because it can also mean students can earn higher GPA more easily than they would at other schools.
2. There isn't much going around Columbia (town of 90,000) and St. Louis and Kansas City is about 2 hour drive from Columbia.
3. Mizzou is a large large public school and we are known as a big party school. I just can't get used to social scene here so I'm seriously considering transfer for sophomore year.
4. If you are taking Journalism (except for Photojournalism), most J-school kids usually take on a second major because general rule is that in order to write about something, you need to know it. That can mean starting from sophomore year, kids take anywhere from 17-19 credit hours.
5. Journalism at Mizzou follows a strict, regimented program. Also the limited number of schools offering Journalism also may potentially damage your chances of transferring if you decide to transfer too late(Junior year). So be absolutely certain that this is the pathway you want before you decide that it's not for you but you're stuck anyway.
6. It's true that a lot of people see Mizzou Journalism degree with respect, but that doesn't mean everyone gets big pay checks after graduation. I believe the job offer rate is around 99% for our graduates, but very few actually end up financially successful.
That's all I can say for now but if you have any questions, feel free to ask.</p>
<p>green09, thanks for the response. Sounds like you are not overly thrilled with the school itself. Have you had any contact with people from the Journalism Dept.? Are freshman allowed to volunteer at the TV station, radio station, or newspaper? Are you in one of the FIG's that I have read about? Thanks again for all your info.<br>
One more thing, are the winters brutal? We are from Florida and not quite sure of your weather. Thanks</p>
<p>It's true I'm not overly thrilled with the school, but really, it just depends on who you are. Some people hate the school, others love it and to be honest, I don't know any other Journalism students who want to transfer out. Some people get by the social scene because what kind of college doesn't have parties anyway? Mizzou might be a place you want to visit first and you'll definitely be impressed by their Journalism program while I'm not so sure that the campus will immediately impress you so much. To answer your follow-up questions,
-Yes, but it really depends what you mean by "people from the Journalism Dept." because we Journalism kids always run into each other and we actually do see the faculty a little in our freshman year because they host some events for J-school kids once in a while. Journalism kids are LIKELY to be put on same dorm, for instance, Mark Twain hall, I believe, is entirely composed of Journalism kids.
-Yes, freshman are allowed to volunteer. My friend is a MU TV anchorwoman and she is a freshman and I have another freshman friend who writes for the "Maneater," Mizzou's newspaper. It's definitely there, but all of these require "try-outs" and not ALL freshman J-school kids have the opportunity to participate in Mizzou media immediately. If your son is interested, make sure he talks to the Journalism Dean or someone of like.
-No, I'm not in a FIG but I live with other kids who are in Broadcast Journalism FIG, etc. Journalism major might be one area where it helps to be in a FIG because they tell you all the general information you need to know to keep up. Also, most kids in a FIG take (at least 1 or 2) same classes and since FIG kids are housed together, that may help out your academics a lot and make the transition from high school to college a little easier since your next-door neighbors are probably taking some courses with you.
Regarding weather, I'm from St. Louis so it's pretty much the same except I think we still get little bit more rain. Since we're not next to a major body of water, the weather changes so easily from really hot to really cold and vice versa. So far, we still wear shorts and t-shirt to class in the mornings but there was a week in late October when it was brutally cold outside and everyone wore jackets. St. Louis can be just categorized into extremes, it's really hot during the summer and really cold during the winter, but still nothing like what you would experience in Chicago-up.</p>
<p>Thanks again green09 for your answers to all my questions. I was surprised you said the campus may not impress us, from the photographs in the school brochure the campus looks very nice. How would you describe it?</p>
<p>Regarding the people in the Journalism Dept., I was referring to the faculty, and the advisors for the TV programs, radio, and newspaper. Just wondering if they were helpful and accesible.</p>
<p>As far as dorms go, I have heard that Journalism Scholars (we think he qualifies) are usually placed in the Mark Twain dorm, space permitting. Are you in that dorm, and how are the rooms? Do you know what other dorms have Journalism FIGs? Also, how is the food at the school?</p>
<p>Since you mentioned in a previous post that many of the Journalism students are from out of state, is it easier to meet people since they all don't have high school pals to hang around with?</p>
<p>Thanks again, you've been great!</p>
<p>There are definitely beautiful places such as Jesse Hall, the Memorial Union, the Quad, etc. but the entire campus overall is overshadowed by mediocre setting. Remember that Columbia downtown is literally "down-the-street" so you see that mildly unclean downtown setting so don't come here expecting a Stanford campus. What I'm trying to say is that Mizzou has a decent public school campus that is fairly large. I forgot to mention Mizzou RecPlex center, because it doens't get much better than this. It was opened this year and the facility is second-to-none.
I don't see the Journalism faculty too much, most likely because I'm a freshman and I'm not in a FIG, but starting from second semester, there is an introductory Journalism class held by the Journalism Dean. The staff is by no means inaccessible, you can e-mail/phone/speak to them directly although it may not be so easy as speaking to a secretary. I'm sure once you become a sophomore and start taking journalism classes, or be active in Mizzou media as a freshman, there would be much more chances of knowing the faculty well. Don't forget that Mizzou Journalism is one of the biggest program here and it encompasses MANY students.
There are several Journalism scholars and a bulk of them are placed in Mark Twain but I live in Gillett and a lot of my hallmates are Journalism scholars in a FIG. It just depends where your FIG is because there are other buildings like Gillett and we hold the Broadcast Journalism FIG. Don't be discouraged if you're not placed in a FIG like myself because I had initial issues with my hall contract and I couldn't submit it by deadline so I was placed in Honors Learning Community instead where Honors students reside and also happens to be where Broadcast Journalism FIG is placed at. Mark Twain is definitely the best "Journalism" dorm because all the newly built ones go to Science/Engineering FIGs. The worst you can possibly get is Gillett(where I live/cheapest) but we still get A/C system and the dorm is regular-sized and share public bathroom for our hall. Remember freshman get no choice in choosing dorms and the only way you can "express" your opinion is by signing up early for a FIG because same FIGs are usually held in the same dorm every year. You can go to Mizzou Residential Life website and explore the dorms. Be sure to check out every dorm because in the bottom, they will tell you which FIG that building hosts. Food is food, nothing spectacular. We have about 5 or 6 dining halls throughout(with Mark Twain having their own cafeteria) and they offer pretty much all the same menu options as another. You may seriously consider the 7-Meal plan option per week(lowest) like most people I know including myself because the menu subtly changes everyday and you may easily get sick of eating dining hall food two times a day. Still, you could start with something higher like 10 or 14 and adjust yourself down because you get 2 chances to change without paying an extra fee. I went down from 10 to 7. If you go with that 14 plan option, you may achieve that "Mizzou 21" up from Mizzou 15 if you know what I mean. =)
You would be amazed to see how many people quickly develop relationships in college. Most socially active people usually hang out with people with their high school pals for first couple weeks or so and then everyone hangs out with classmates and dormmates. Most people choose not to socialize a lot with their high school friends because most find it much easy to socialize within your dorm where you always run into the same people and it's much easier to hang out. None of my friends who've "tried" to make friends had difficulties and the size of school will contribute to a large diversity of students.</p>
<p>green09, once again you have been extremely helpful. Thanks for all the info on the dorms and meal plans. If you think of any other info you feel would be of interest to us, please post it. Thanks</p>
<p>I am going to MU next year as well for the Journalism Program. I am from Missouri and I have never heard anything bad about that school. I am really excited to go and I am sure that your son will enjoy it. -HB</p>
<p>I know this an old thread, but I just wanted to throw in my 2 cents:</p>
<p>I'm going to Mizzou this fall, and I'm very excited. I visited twice, and I actually really liked Columbia. It isn't as pretty or as big of a town as Nashville, but the downtown area that is right next to campus is very cool and eclectic in my opinion and really added to the college town atmosphere. The campus itself is beautiful. The town doesn't have a lot of nightlife, but from what I hear students manage to entertain themselves. :) Also, the way we went, St. Louis was only an hour drive, and its a really great town if I need to get away.</p>
<p>We ate on campus twice as well, and the food was pretty good. I'm sure it can get old, but there is a lot of variety and it was much higher quality than any cafeteria I've been to.</p>
<p>I was very impressed by how tight-knit the journalism community seems to be. It is a bit daunting to go out of state to such a large school where many of the students are from St. Louis or Kansas City, but a lot of the J-School kids are out of state and, like I said, that community is quite tight-knit, especially if you get involved early on.</p>
<p>At such a large school, I think its important to not just meet people in class and in your dorm, but to join a club, go to the rec center, talk to people in the library, etc. It takes a bit more of an effort than a small liberal arts school, but I think its worth it because you have an opportunity to meet lots of different kinds of people.</p>
<p>sorry to get off topic but if you have the money and the grades go to Northwestern!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!</p>