The Daily Plan-it is asking recent alumni and graduating students to share tips about surviving and thriving in the Spring semester. Responses (some of them contradicting each other, some of them repetitive, many not endorsed by the J-school) will be added here throughout the semester, lightly edited for clarity and style (the newest ones on top).
Please send your suggestions (for either semester) to ss221@columbia.edu.
[See tips about the Fall semester here.]
In the Spring semester at J-School, I wish I had…
- Chosen my electives better, sometimes the class sounds great but the professor isn’t as great. Choose wisely! And also, make sure you are choosing a class because that is the one you love, not the one everyone else is dying to get into. Enjoy your friends and remember that after graduation most of you will part ways, so make the best of the time you have together.
- …really taken time to enjoy the nice weather. That’s pretty much it.
- …kept a list/diary of the places I went and people I met, even if they weren’t sources.
- …asked every one of my J-School friends their favorite coffee stop/lunch place/park/street vendor on their Fall beat and gone there.
Gone for holidays during Christmas recess. Don’t believe them when they tell you can’t take a 3-week break and go to wherever in the world you live…
(this is for international students..while it may apply to local students too) not allowed myself to feel like a loser because I didn’t have an internship, while everyone else around me did. Remember, you are an international student and already have
restrictions — so whatever you have achieved, even if it seems less than the others, is actually more. Look beyond the J-school listings for internships and most importantly BREATHE!
taken an internship. Yes, even in the Fall semester (no matter how busy you get with school, internships in New York are the best way to improve your resume and get a job).
attended more on-campus talks and guest lectures.
applied for more internships and jobs.
attended more lectures and networking events.
gotten to know my professors better.
helped our J-School intramural basketball team win a game. Somewhere, Pulitzer was rolling over in his grave watching us lose to those law students every week.
more free time 
taken every opportunity to learn how to use all the software available on the school’s computers (even if, at the time, it seemed irrelevant).
gotten to know more professors. It slowly dawns on you how many incredible people are at this school and how little time you have.
…taken a class on where good ideas come from. Quite a few people can report. Nowhere near as many know what makes a good story idea.
…considered working in a smaller market than New York City. There are definite downsides to joining a big news organization.
…not worried about the huge amount of money I owed Columbia. The 10 years it took to pay it off went by much quicker than I expected.
…mingled more. Journalism is not only about whom you know, but whom you get to know during your career.
…taken a deep breath. While the Master’s Project is important, I can count on one hand the number of times it has come up outside of J-school since graduating.
…gone to more informational interviews.
…crammed in as much writing and reporting as possible in order to get more feedback from professors/editors. You’ll never get that much feedback and training in one place from editors in the commercial world. There’s just not enough time.
…made an effort to meet five new classmates a week.
…pitched more stories (to editors outside J-school), not necessarily to get something published (although that’s always nice) but to practice getting in touch and making contacts; later you realize it isn’t as hard as it seems once you’re done it several times, so don’t be afraid of rejection.
…taken a big deep breath and appreciated every single second!
…gotten enough sleep (no matter what party you have to leave early, it’s worth it).
…started on my Master’s Project a week earlier and better communicated my concerns and challenges with my adviser and set a goal of finishing a week before deadline.
…networked more with guest speakers at the school.
…had more chocolate milkshakes at Tom’s Restaurant - they are the best.
… bought my own domain name.
[DAILY PLAN-IT TIP: Info on buying a personal site from Dean Sreenivasan.]
…played more intramural softball– long live the “J-school Swingers.”
…extended my Columbia health insurance beyond graduation
…taken the time to socialize with my friends a little more.
…hung out on the front steps more.
…worked to get at least one piece of writing published — probably my Master’s project, but anything would have done. This would have boosted my confidence (I didn’t realize how good the work was compared to so much that is out there) AND helped with the job search.
…invested more in the stories that meant something to me and simply let the others go.
…gone to my grandfather’s funeral against the recommendations of J-school
brass (I would have needed a week to go to California) — one of the only serious regrets of my entire life. Family always comes first — don’t let faculty or bosses convince you differently.
…not been afraid to network.
…taken a break at Coney Island.
…taken the Book Writing course with Sam Freedman.
… done an internship.
…written my Master’s Project with actual publication in mind (and in
reality).
…pitched more stories for publication.
…taken a radio course.
…kept better track of my schedule. Make a schedule for every week, for every task and every assignment and stick to it. Especially important if you’re working with others on a project to be sure everyone commits time - the same time - to get together.
…gotten out and seen New York - not only as a journalist but also as a
curious foreigner.
…sought out mentors and take advantage of their advice.
…gotten out of the Journalism building and explore what other
departments have to offer.
…started putting my resume out earlier and attended more job conferences.
…stuck to a tighter budget during the second semester and saved a bit more money for when I was interning over the summer.
…eaten more cruciferous vegetables and gotten more sleep.
…tried to enjoy the process of writing my Master’s Project a bit more, because I won’t be working on a long-form feature story again anytime soon.
…kept a blog or journal of my J-school experience (I did try to keep a J-school blog but it turned into my personal treasury of rants).
…taken courses that focused on writing and style, rather than two reporting-heavy classes.
…had done the vast bulk of reporting on my Master’s early, because it made for a tough semester for colleagues, especially those on the Bronx Beat.
…asked my professors for pitch letter pointers and tried to get more things published. It would have been worth it for the practice even if everything I submitted got rejected.
…I had done an extra draft of my Master’s Project, so it could have been revised and improved more.
…lined up an internship to gain New York work experience and make contacts.
…written thank you notes and sent stories back to people on my beat, not just to be polite but because their feedback would have been invaluable.
…typed more on a regular-sized keyboard instead of my 12-inch laptop because I ended up with RSI in both wrists.
…worn a cuter dress to the J-school graduation instead of a stupid blazer and denim skirt.
…paced myself better through each assignment, each class.
…taken advantage of all of the special events/speakers the school offers.
…enjoyed myself more. This could be your last university semester for a while.
…had taken more advantage of being in New York City. Now that I don’t live there anymore, there are so many neighborhoods and museums I wish I’d visited, restaurants I wish I’d eaten at and shows I wish I’d seen.
…taken my internship more seriously.
…worried about the job search less. I know that sounds completely counterintuitive, but I think I wasted a lot of time agonizing over worst case scenarios. I was also so worried that I would have jumped at any job that was offered me. For example, I interviewed with Vogue Knitting magazine after I saw an ad on MediaBistro.com. I love knitting, but I don’t think that would have been a good start to my journalism career. As it turns out I didn’t get the job (they needed someone to start right away), but I did get a job at WSJ.com three months later. In fact, most of the people I knew from j-school were hooked up with pretty good jobs by the end of summer. It is hard to find a media job, but not so hard that it warrants breaking out in a cold sweat or taking a job you’ll
want out of one month later.
…dabbled in a few more courses completely outside my area of
concentration, and gotten to know more of my classmates better.
…gone to the gym (Columbia’s gym is open until
midnight for a reason).
…switched from coffee to herbal tea (ultimately a
life-changer)
…updated my resume and supporting materials long before the job fair
…gotten more sleep (but that’s just not realistic)
…done more freelancing and gone on more informational interviews — you’ll need those clips and contacts in a few months.
…gone to the gym more.
…freelanced more.
…befriended even more part-timers, arts fellows and Knight-Bagehot folk.
…taken advantage of living in Manhattan for the last time in my life.
…learned HTML.
…better befriended my professors and adjuncts.
…done an internship.
…believed all those who kept on telling me (Sree included) that the
Spring semester passes by in a flash (Carpe Diem!)
…tried harder at establishing relationships with guest speakers
and/or professors
…cultivated more relationships and done many more informational interviews with journalists in ALL mediums. Journalism is on a convergence path - you never know where you might end up (or how badly you might need a job).
…pitched & published more clips.? For the aforementioned reason.
…NOT interned. As a broadcast concentrator it’s better to intern AFTER you finish your Master’s Project. The quality of your work and relationships count, never spread yourself too thin.
…realized earlier that you should think of yourself not as a student, but as a freelance writer, with J-school professors for editors.
…started looking for a job months before graduation.
…taken more Skills classes.
…organized my time a little bit better. When all the big projects were due at the end of the semester, I fell behind because I spent too much time on one and neglected another. The Spring is not the same as the Fall term in terms of structure (RW1 all the time), so be prepared.
..asked my Master’s adviser for feedback sooner on the first draft. If you don’t get feedback within a week or so, press your adviser.?Especially if you are going to India for the Covering Religion trip, it is imperative you get as
much critical analysis as possible so you know what kind of work you
need to do for the second and third drafts.
…attended a non-J-school event or something Columbia related
(basketball game, film showing, etc). I know time is rough, but you’re at Columbia so try to make the use of the university’s amenities while you have the time.
…stuck around for the post-graduation on Wednesday reception longer instead of having to rush to an early dinner reservation and miss saying congratulations/goodbye to a few people. When its time to call the restaurants to reserve a spot in April (or earlier), schedule your party into the evening hours of graduation day because that reception may be the last time you see professors and friends.
…bought real estate.
OTHER TIPS:
- Buy a Frisbee. Seriously, as the weather gets better, it’s a great way to meet/talk to people who aren’t in any of your classes. Some of my best memories CJS are hanging out by Thomas Jefferson, throwing the Frisbee barefoot in the grass. And if there was a cold Sapporo in a brown paper bag nearby, so much the better.
