Creative Multimedia Journalism
Beginning of Fall ’12 Semester
My computer was stolen while I was visiting Dublin during my fall semester in Galway, so I lost this reflection as I had waited until right before the semester started to reflect.
End of Fall ’12 Semester
I love Ireland. I did not anticipate the amount of history that saturates this country. Through my courses in archeology and social geography, I had the privelage of being exposed to the stories both ancient and contemporary that dot the landscape. The concept of heritage was extremely prevelant this past semester. I was able to dig deeper into my own heritage as well as the megalithic inheritance of the Celtic and Gaelic people. The remnats of the past seem to always echo no matter where I am here.
What transferable skills (non-course specific) have you been developing this semester (e.g., genres of writing, intercultural awareness, public speaking, teamwork)?
I have been working in the radio station on campus with the news show. It has been a very active learning experience of how a show is produced, what research is taken and composition. Also it was great to witness the orchestration of the show each week. The structure of the classes institute a nature of independent research. I loved this structure, giving me so much freedom over my own education and letting me choose what I learn about. Through my research methods class I was able to learn more about interviewing. The class explored the techniques of interviewing and its usefulness as a research method for ethnographies. During the assignments, I found I could draw many different parallels across departments. The connections were fascinating and improved all of my assignments.
I think I am most proud of how I came back after my computer was stolen. I had finished nearly all of my final assignments before a trip to Dublin that was organized by the school. While we were in the Dublin Castle, the bus we had come in was broken into and my computer was stolen. I didn't dwell on it for too long though. That night I sat down and wrote everything I could remember about the sources I used for my papers and the general outlines of each. I then proceeded to write 10,000 words in less than 42 hours when I got back to Galway. I loved being seen as someone who lived in Galway, when tourists stopped to ask me where to go or how to get somewhere. I felt like I fit in there. I got the same feeling when I would run into locals and get smiles of recognition back.
What I need to do upon return to the U.S. is regroup. I have to commence my visa application for Australia. I have to get a new computer, which my cousin is going to help me with since she works for Apple. I also have to start thinking about a capstone and talk to my professors. Which, admittedly, I might not get around to before I leave in February.
Beginning of Spring ’13 Semester
One of the most imposing things for me right now is the dubious task of managing my travel. I have always arranged everything myself and because so much is out of my hands I tend to stress about all the possible things that could unhinge my transportation. Other than that, one of the most important things for me this coming semester is meeting new people. I want to make an effort to get involved in the community. I also want to explore Australia and experience the culture.
What transferable skills (non-course specific) have you been developing this semester (e.g., genres of writing, intercultural awareness, public speaking, teamwork)?
I plan to work on my communication, being more open and inviting to people. I think that I am a reletively friendly person but I am not necessarily outgoingly so. I think that this can lead to an improvement in networking and expand my cultural awareness. These in turn I hope will help me assimilate into the community.
At this point, I am very proud of my finishing all my 2012 finals and getting an A in all my classes. I am also extremely grateful for the very good friends I made in Ireland.
My preliminary plan of action is to take the necessary classes to help my degree. I want to explore the country and meet new people and friends. I think by joining clubs or getting a job, I can put myself in an appropriate position for that.
In the short term, I have to do well in my classes and look for societies that will get me to meet new people. I want to get to know the country which includes independent research and hopefully classwork. I also need to look into internships or jobs on my return to the U.S. At the moment though, I think looking is premature. I haven't been looking into places to see or things to do in Australia yet.
End of Spring ’13 Semester
Over this past semester, my finances have been an impending variable. Australia is expensive! I tried to get a job to assuage the cost of living but no one was looking for someone who could only work a few months. That isn't to say I didn't try. I even went to the koala sanctuary (which would have taken me 1-2 hours to get to) and hand delivered a CV. That aside, I was sitll able to have revelatory experiences in Australia and meet beautiful people. Most of my friends are not Australian though, I think because there are societies of immigrants rather than citizens that were open to me. But my experiences were nonetheless rewarding and I still feel like I became a part of Australia. I participated in Shave for a Cure and raised money for shaving my head and I also got very into rugby. I was able to see a Broncos game, a Lions match, pet a koala, feed a kangaroo, see the Quicksilver and Roxy Pro surfing competition on the Gold Coast, sail and dive the Great Barrier Reef in the Whitsundays, shop in Eumundi Market on the Sunshine Coast, camp on Moreton Island, learn to surf and sea kayak in Byron Bay, and camp for a month in the outback. I finished school a month early and started in Adelaide, road-tripping and camping all the way up to Darwin, stopping at Uluru, Valley of the Winds, King's Canyon, Devil's Marbles and Kakadu National Park.
The beauty of minimalistic living through my camping trips really puts what is important in perspective. The way you can connect with people around a campfie illuminates how wonderful connection and communication is. It is also a lesson in how to cope with stress and be adaptive. The whole attitude of Australia is that of "no worries," that everything will workout somehow. It is calming and encouraging to think that way.
I am very happy with my travel project. I found and worked with a travel agent to maximize my budget and experience and was able to coordinate my cousin's visit so we could experience the Top End together. I am so profoundly happy that I was able to see more of the country than just the cities of the east coast. I am proud of the risks I took, going out of my comfort zone allowed me to witness beauty and personal growth. I felt that my classes went very well, except for my Human Rights in History class. I'm not sure if it was due to a failure to communicate or what, but I struggled with the assignments of the class and got penalized for things I did not understand. I had asked about them prior and was not given answers by my professor which ended up bringing down the caliber of my assignments.
When I get home I basically go straight to my internship, which I think is for the best to get me back on U.S. time. I also have to look for work and prepare for my final semester. (!!!) Right now, I am focusing on doing my best with my internship, finding a job, getting back into shape and working out logistics for The Mirror, as I am the new Photo Editor. I am actively asking around about work, exercising every day and practicing my photography and digital editing.