An Awesome Networking Opportunity...

Last semester, I applied for and was accepted into the SOC Alumni Mentor program where students are matched up with prominent AU alums who work in the communications field.  After turning in my application in the middle of October, I found out who my Alumni mentor was right before Thanksgiving. 

And my mentor could not have been a better match for me…He works in production at MLB Network and NHL Network.  To say I was excited about who my mentor was and where he worked is an understatement! 

He is very down-to-earth and aside from getting career advice from him, it has been easy to talk about baseball and his experience as a student at AU.

Over winter break, I traveled up to New Jersey, where the studios are located, to meet my mentor and take a tour of the studios.  After a little bit of an adventurous train trip up there, which involved a broken-down train and having to switch to another train, I finally made it there.  The studios are in the middle of a business park in Secaucus, which is right across the Hudson River from New York City.  Not exactly the glamorous place you would think a major TV studios would be. 

The reception area was outfitted with large, comfy chairs with both the MLB Network and NHL Network logos stitched into them.

After checking in and getting my visitor name tag, my mentor came down to meet me and we proceeded to go up to his office.  As we walked to his office, I immediately noticed how large the studios and office space was. They even have their own cafeteria and fitness center onsite. 

During my visit, he gave me a tour of the studios, which are spread between two buildings.  There is a big board, which lists each show, the anchors, any special guests for the day, etc.  I also got to see the different sets that are used for both MLB Network and NHL Network shows.  The sets are so much smaller in person than they appear to be when watching the shows on TV.  

My mentor also introduced me to several people who work in various departments for both networks.  I also spent time with the person who oversees marketing and promotions, which includes the social media content and branding for both networks.  It was great to talk with her about her career path and a little bit about what goes into overseeing social media there since that is the area that I am most interested in working in.

I also sat in the control room during one of the NHL Network show broadcasts and got to see the behind-the-scenes work that goes into putting on a show.  Most people don’t realize the number of people who work off camera in television and throughout my visit, I got to see just how many people it takes to put on a show.  Just in the control room for the one broadcast, there were at least 10 directors and producers.
 

I did have to pinch myself a few times to make sure this was really happening and I was really getting a behind-the-scenes look at MLB Network and NHL Network.  It was definitely one of the coolest experiences I have ever had!

I am excited to see where this program leads me, the contacts that I make and all that I learn from my mentor.

Back to the Grind...

And just like that, spring semester has started and it's back to the grind of grad school.  The first week of the semester is behind me now and it was definitely a better start than my first week of fall semester was.

Mentally I was not ready to start back and I was dreading it.  It’s not that I wasn’t excited about my classes, I enjoyed the break and it was so nice to relax and not have a full schedule of work and classes.

This semester, I will be taking Sports Communication, Social Media Strategies & Tactics and my capstone project class.  In the fall, I had A LOT of reading for my classes each week.  However, this semester in my two electives, there is some reading, but there are more small writing assignments and projects instead.  And that is okay with me!  I would much rather apply what I’m learning than just reading about concepts and ideas.

I will also be working on my capstone project throughout this semester.  For this research project, I will look at how Major League Baseball teams use social media to build their brand and engage with their fans.  I started the foundations of this project last semester, so it is nice to have a chunk of the paper already written.  That will definitely make my life a little bit easier!

This semester, my classes are all in the evening as opposed to being during the day and after the first week, I am not sure that I like having evening classes all that much.  It just messes with my normal routine.  I am used to having class during the day and then getting homework done in the evening.  I think it’s just going to take a few weeks to get used to this schedule and get into a routine.

My graduate assistantship will also be different (for the most part) this semester.  After working as a teaching assistant in the fall, I will be working in the Marketing & Communications office for the School of Communications this semester.  My main project will be writing content for the school’s website, which will mostly be alumni profiles and Q&A’s. 

I will also be sitting in on one class per week for the same professor that I was a teaching assistant for in the fall.  It is the same class that I was a TA for, so I am already familiar with the content taught and the class setup.  This will make for a nice mix of responsibilities for this semester, but without the stress of being a full-time teaching assistant like I was in the fall.

Goodbye Fall Semester...Hello Winter Break

I am officially done with my first semester of grad school!  It was not the easiest semester for me, so I feel a huge sense of accomplishment now!

I finished my finals last week and looking back, it reminded me of how much I do not enjoy this time of the school year.  It was a lot more stressful than I remembered it being during my undergrad years. 

Luckily, my final project in one of my classes was due the week before finals, so I had one less thing on my plate heading into finals week.  I was also mentally exhausted from the semester and I really had to push myself to stay motivated and study for my one final exam and finish two papers.  I had one paper due Sunday night, another paper due Monday night and then a final on Tuesday (in the same class that my paper was due on Sunday).  That made for an extremely busy weekend of sitting in the library heading into finals week.  At least we got a little bit of snow over the weekend, so that made it a little more pleasant to look out the window while I was studying and see snow on the ground!

Now that I am in full winter break mode, I am excited to relax, catch up on my sleep, hang out with my friends and family and of course, read as many books as I can!  Of course, it will also be nice to work more hours at Barnes & Noble over the next few weeks and make a little money!

Feeling the End Of Semester Fatigue

The end-of-semester fatigue is definitely starting to set in now.  There are only three weeks of classes before finals and I am really starting to feel a little burnt out from the semester.

At the same time, I feel like I am FINALLY getting into the groove of being in grad school. 

My classes are also more interesting now since all the assignments are a little more practical in nature instead of just reading and learning about basic concepts.

In my Principles of Strategic Communication class, we read the book, Made to Stick: Why Some Ideas Stick and Others Die, and then applied the principles to a recent strategic communications plan.  I chose a campaign that USA Swimming has implemented over the last few years with the purpose of getting more kids to join a swim team.  This campaign really resonated with me since I have been swimming competitively since I was nine years old.  In my Communication Research and Theory classes, we are also working on paper proposals, which will be the start of my capstone project for next semester.  Both papers are going to focus on how sports organizations use social media to connect with their fans.

The one challenge for me over the last few weeks is that I was really sick this past week.  I literally went to class and then came home and slept all week long.  Luckily, I did not have any major assignments due, so I was able to rest and not worry about getting too behind on schoolwork. 

Now, I am very much looking forward to the Thanksgiving break the end of this coming week and spending time with family and friends and eating lots of good food!

A Busy Couple of Weeks...

So, the last three weeks have been a little crazy for me…hence the lack of updates.  Had a couple of tests and quizzes, two presentations, and a paper due…I am glad that is all behind me and now I can take a little bit of a breather before the next batch of assignments come!

I also registered for my spring semester classes last week. Surprisingly, I always find this a little stressful.  Of course, I was in one of the last groups of graduate students to register, so I sat there watching my classes either fill up or almost fill up before I even had the chance to register.  Luckily, I was able to get into my capstone class and one elective class without a problem. I am currently on the waitlist for two other electives.  Keeping my fingers crossed that I get into one of them!  If not, I will take a different class that is not necessarily on the top of my list, but would still be really interesting. 

After nine weeks of classes, here are some of my general thoughts and observations on my grad school experience so far: 

  
-Grad school is all about time management

I have so many more responsibilities compared to my undergrad years…a demanding class load, graduate assistantship, part-time job, volunteer work and having some sort of a social life.

  
-Get to know your professors

From day one, including all the orientation and prospective student events that I attended, they have emphasized this so much.  I have really made a conscious effort to go to my professors’ office hours even if it’s just to ask a simple question about an assignment.  From my experience, they are really willing to help and get to know their students outside the classroom.  They also encourage us to meet as many professors in the School of Communication even if you don’t have them for a class.

-Make time for yourself and give yourself a break from schoolwork  

This is a BIG one!  It is also something that I have had to work really hard at.  I get so wrapped up in my schoolwork that I forget to give myself a break.  Even a little break re-energizes me in getting through a long list of assignments and projects.

Almost Halfway through the Semester

I am not sure how it is already the end of week six and I’m almost halfway through my first semester of grad school.  It has sure flown by quick!

Each week, I am getting more adjusted to being back in school.  I also feel like I am still trying to adjust my studying routine each week to make sure I am getting all my work done.  Even with three classes, the workload is still a lot to handle and keep track of everything.  While some aspects of grad school have been very challenging for me, I am already feeling so fulfilled by the process of learning everything I can about this new career area that I want to enter.  I can already see how all of my classes will relate to what I want in my career going forward.  I am also excited to be working towards something new after the last year or so of trying to figure out what was next for me. 

This semester, I am taking three of the four core classes required for my degree…Principles of Strategic Communication, Research for Strategic Communication and Communication Theory.  The classes do overlap each other a little bit as far as the content, so I have heard some of the concepts multiple times.  That is really helpful to me because this program is very fast-paced and there is so much information that we have already covered so far.  I’m not going to lie…sometimes I have a hard time keeping everything straight.

In the research and theory classes, we are going to start doing the groundwork for our capstone project that we will work on next semester.  I have had a pretty good idea of what my research project was going to be since before classes started.  It will be focused on social media and the sports industry and I am excited to really dive into the subject area and see where it goes.

Now that I am more settled in, I have also started to focus on some steps in preparing myself for my career once I am done with school.  I decided to join the school’s chapter of PRSSA (Public Relations Students Society of America).  During each of their chapter meetings, they have different PR professionals come and talk about their career paths and what area of the industry they work in.  At last week’s meeting, the speaker was a young professional who has worked in both a PR firm/agency and in an organization’s own communications department and talked about the differences in those environments.  I had never even considered the idea of working in a PR firm/agency, but after listening to her, it definitely opened my eyes to that aspect of the business.  I think I will definitely gain a lot of good knowledge of the PR industry through being involved in this organization. 

I also started working on re-vamping my resume for when I have to start applying for internships for next summer.  It is definitely a little daunting for me to think about going through the internship application process again, but hopefully it will result in a good opportunity for me come next summer.  I already have a long list of places that I want to apply to!

I am also still trying to figure out the balance of concentrating on schoolwork and taking time for myself.  I am not very good at “turning off my brain” to school-related responsibilities even when I am trying to take a break from it.  Working out/swimming at least a couple of times per week helps me get re-energized.  I am also trying to read a little bit for pleasure on the Metro everyday while commuting to and from campus.  My pleasure reading of choice for the next year is going to be young reader novels that I either didn’t read when I was younger or re-reading some of my childhood favorites!

Settling into a New Routine

After a couple weeks of classes, I feel like I am finally starting to settle into a routine with classes, work, the grad assistantship, getting back into a studying routine and taking time for myself away from school.  

I also decided to drop one of my classes and only take three this semester.  After feeling so overwhelmed and stressed out the first week, I decided that it would be best for me to take a lighter course load.  I think I will be able to get more out of each class and spend extra time on each assignment instead of rushing through them.  It will take me an extra semester to graduate, but I think this will be the best way for me to be successful and get the most out of this program.

I also took into account how intense my graduate assistantship is going to be this semester.  Aside from sitting in on my professor’s classes each week, there is a lot of prep each week between posting on the class Facebook page and updating the Blackboard site. I also anticipate that I will be assigned some additional projects throughout the semester.  It is definitely almost like having another class worth of work.

I turned in my first paper of the year in my Principles of Strategic Communications class last week, so it feels good to have that first paper out of the way.  Now I am crossing my fingers that I get a decent grade on it!

There is also a really interesting mix of students in my program.  Most of them are coming straight from their undergraduate programs, and then there are also some who are a few years out of their undergraduate studies and also some who have been out of school for several years.  Everyone is also really interested in entering a variety of fields after graduating…public diplomacy, corporate communications, non-profits, agency work, the arts, sports, etc.…so it is really interesting to hear about people’s backgrounds and interests.

I also love the American University campus.  It’s very small, which is good for my non-sense of direction, so I can’t get lost too easily.  The buildings are very reminiscent of the architecture of a lot of buildings in Washington DC.

Of course, I also love the panda statues that are displayed around campus!  The iconic Smithsonian National Zoo is only a few Metro stops from school!

  

I also have found my favorite study spot on campus.  The terrace on the top of the Communications school building!