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writing.
i think i want my major in college to be something with writing. i would love to be an opinion columnist or journalist but what classes would i take and how i could prepare for this. also, if i decided to go into being an author.. what would i do as far as college goes? i know about taking classes for journalism.. but would i just take classes for creative writing? thanks.
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Want to answer more questions in the Work & School category?
Maybe give some free advice about: Colleges & Universities?
For a journalist, here is what I found on a career site:
"Although a college degree is not essential for becoming a journalist, you are unlikely to get a job these days without one. Most employers prefer to hire candidates with a bachelors degree.
A program in journalism or communications that offers a period of internship in a newsroom is excellent preparation. Many journalism schools also offer graduate programs.
Since journalists cover such a wide variety of topics, having additional background education in other academic disciplines may be useful. Many journalists complete degrees in other areas before studying journalism. For example, those with a background in science are well-prepared to write stories on the environment or health care issues. With a background in criminology or law enforcement, a reporter could be assigned to crime scenes and police stations."
And by opinion columnist, I'm assuming you mean a critic? Here's what I found:
"While there are no set educational requirements for critics, you are unlikely to find work without some post-secondary education in journalism or your field of interest (for example film, literature, or art). Ideally you would have education in both.
Two year and 4 year colleges offer diplomas and bachelors degrees in journalism or communications. These programs are particularly helpful if they include a period of internship in a newsroom.
There are many options to choose from when furthering your education in your area of critical interest. For example, if you want to be a fashion critic, you could take a fashion design program at a 2 year college or vocational school. Certificate, diploma, and degree programs are available in most of the subjects that critics write about.
If you complete a bachelors degree in a subject related to your field of criticism first, you can then enroll in a Master of Journalism degree program. These typically take 1 to 3 years to complete and are offered at 4 year colleges across the country.
The best training for this field, however, is practice. You need to write as often as possible and try to get your work published at every opportunity, even if you are publishing it yourself, on your own webpage or blog. Most colleges have student newspapers, as do many high schools. It is important to take full advantage of these writing opportunities."
Honestly though? I don't think you should plan on being an author for a career. It's really tough and competitive, and I think being a journalist would be a much better choice in the long run.
Best of luck! If you need any more help, inbox me and I'll try my best to help you =]
-Laura. (16-f)
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Are you talking about before or when you get to college?
If you're still in high school, have you tried joining a book club or the school paper? The school paper should give you a better idea of what goes on as part of a team of journalists. Or even a journalism class.
In college, there are most likely writing course requirements (it differs at every school) and taking a journalism 100 or 101 class would give you an idea.
As an author, you could take all sorts of creative writing workshops but again, those classes may have prerequisites.
cheers,
stargirl
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