With the school year coming to a close in less than two months, it’s time for first year Journalism students to decide what concentration of their program they want to pursue. With several streams to choose from and a chance to attend Conestoga College in Kitchener, the choice between Print, Broadcasting, Public Relations and New Media is an important one.
“I want to do something more dynamic than just cover stories,” says Journalism student Alicia Saunders. “Right now I’m really interested in the Public Relations concentration. I love business and I love journalism so Public Relations is a win-win scenario for me.”
Cody Lee is also enthusiastic about the Public Relations stream. “I originally wanted to do Print, but then all we’ve learned in journalism this year is how print is a dying job field so that made me re-evaluate what I stream of journalism I really wanted to go into.”
Some students feel that it’s still too early to worry about picking a stream.
“I think picking a stream should be an option for second year, and then enforced for third year, as some people remain undecided about which of the streams to go into,” says first year student, Amy Taylor.
Taylor feels that her first year covered mostly print and radio with little coverage of the other streams. “I don’t think we’ve learned a whole lot about any of the other disciplines.”
The process of application to Conestoga College is another hurdle that students must face. The competition to get in can be fierce, and deadlines and enrolment targets are also factors. Students will additionally need a letter of permission prior to enrolling.
“[Going] to Conestoga in third year, I don’t think it’s something I will hate or really enjoy, but I do like the fact that the university has given us that opportunity to do so,” says Nick Birnie, who feels confident in his choice of Broadcasting.
Academic Advising at Laurier Brantford assures students that they will not be “locked” into their stream at the start of second year. Should any problems arise, students are welcome to book an appointment to talk about their options.
“I adore this program,” says Alicia Saunders. “It’s a perfect fit and so flexible. I especially love that as we move through the program, it continues to grow along with us.”
