IMC Hawks Blog

Category: applied learning

  • Learning is a Lifestyle

    Learning is a Lifestyle

    There is so much I could say about my time at UNCW. I evacuated for three hurricanes and then sent home to work online during my last semester due to the Coronavirus. Despite the challenges, I learned the value of not just education, but of learning.

    A very important person to me once said, “never let your education stand in the way of your learning.” Now, this is not a free pass to skip out on your schoolwork in the name of “learning” but school is not the only place you will grow and learn skills. Experience is what grows you and school helps prepare you for that. But true learning comes from wanting to know something and then doing all you can to figure it out.

    I am a COM major, which means I have good transferable skills so I can do what I want, but I figured out late in the game what I wanted was to do graphic design. Of course, I took a couple classes but most of my skill and knowledge about graphic design came from self-learning. From trying and failing, watching YouTube tutorials and trying again, and Googling questions until I had something look the way I wanted it to. It came from putting myself out there and offering my services to people who needed them.

    School is important and always will be but should never be the most important thing in your life and shouldn’t be the only place where you learn. Make friends who will teach you important things, go new places, try new things, meet new people, try and learn that skill you always thought would be cool to know. I have always loved art, but I was not naturally good at it. It took a lot of time, videos, learning, and failing to become the artist and designer I am today. And I’m still only mediocre to good. It takes time.

    MMarks Graphic

    Never let your education stand in the way of your learning. Learn because you want it and need it. Learn because your life depends on it. Become an educated person – not a person who paid for an education. Your classes and time at college are not the end-all, be-all, but a doorway into a much bigger realm of experiences that you can chose to engage with or not. Luckily, you get to be in classes learning about something you love. Dive in. Talk to other students and professors to learn more. Get connected. Not because you will get a 100% for a grade but because you will learn.

    You have the time right now to learn something new, Seahawks. Do it.

    Melissa Marks, UNCW COM Class of Spring 2020

  • Seizing: Personal Stories of Living with Seizures

    Seizing: Personal Stories of Living with Seizures

    In case you missed it, last week Dr. Julie-Ann Scott-Pollock’s COM 415: Performance Practicum course held their performance of Seizing in Leutze Hall to a studio that was standing room only.

    Seizing is a performance of collected stories of individuals who Dr. Scott-Pollock has been interviewing for a few years about their seizure disorders. Included are small bits of information about seizure disorders but more importantly, it illuminates the day-to-day struggles individuals with seizure disorders go through; activities those who are able-bodied may take for granted. 

    The individual stories are striking not only because of the emotion and empathy put into the characters but also how “normal” some of their struggles are. You have women discussing their concerns for having children and the risks associated with their medication and their access to healthcare, a man who just wants to keep his dog that he’s cared for and loved for years, a group of people who want to be seen, to be understood. 

    Speaking with the performers, they describe the work it took to portray these individuals solely on a transcript of their interviews with Dr. Scott-Pollock. Cast member, Moses Eshiet described the experience and work behind developing his role as “challenging and fun because you have to give justice to them using empathy.”

    Dr. Scott-Pollock’s work sheds light on an invisible illness that those who do not have may never stop to give it conscious thought. The performance was concluded by Dr. Scott-Pollock addressing the audience with the idea of trying to understand and empathize with those who are different from us. Of the performance, she said, “I’m grateful that each piece was performed with skill, empathy, and commitment.”

    If you couldn’t attend the performance, check out Dr. Scott-Pollock’s youtube for the video coming soon. 

    https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCN12sXxedx4bb4qGiS6jizA

    Carol Friday 

    In the meantime, take a look at some photos from Seizing.

     

     

    Carol Friday is a Communication Studies senior at the University of North Carolina Wilmington and is the creative director for the community group managing the Communication department’s Twitter page, the IMC Hawks blog, and its respective Twitter and Facebook page.

  • 5 Ingredients for your Next Ad Campaign

    SDOInfographic

    by Sean Owens

  • It’s Common Sense… Graduate with Experience!

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    At some point, every college student is faced with the existential realization that their time at UNCW will end and they will have to go into “the real world.” One of the most common problems graduates run into is finding a job without experience. It’s a never-ending cycle: you need experience to get a job and you need a job to get experience. Thankfully, there are several things you can do while you are still in college to get the experience you need to snag a job straight out of college.

    Get an Internship

    Taking an internship is one of the best things I ever did at UNCW. My internships encouraged me to pursue a career in Integrated Marketing Communication. Through my internships, I gained valuable experience and had the chance to learn what skills were in demand and what I should work on before I entered the job market. If you have a chance, try to get multiple internships while you are still a student. Seawork is always full opportunities. I got my first internship during my first semester of college. Since then, I have had two other internships and will graduate this year with over four years of experience in my field.

    An internship is a great way to gain experience while connecting with potential employers. According to a 2016 report by the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE), internship experiences significantly increase a student’s chance of being offered a job after college and receiving a higher starting salary. In addition, 46% of students who participated in an internship received a job offer.

    Enroll in an Applied Learning Class

    When it comes to experience, you couldn’t have picked a better school. UNCW places a strong emphasis on connecting its students with applied learning opportunities. Applied learning is the chance to take the theories, ideas, and skills one learns in the classroom and apply it to real life situations. Most upper-level communication studies courses place an emphasis on applied learning. For example, our IMC II class is helping UNCW research the impact crises have on its brand image. Experiences like these are great for your resume and provide valuable experience that is sure to impress employers.

    Learn Something New

    As communication studies majors, we are taught to be lifelong learners. The job market is constantly shifting and employers are always looking for new sets of skills. Learning something new can make you much more marketable in the job market. Instead of turning on Parks and Recreation or The Office, spend some time learning about SEO, Analytics, Facebook Ads, or other skills that are relevant to your field. Aren’t sure what to look for? Searching for jobs online is a great way to learn which skills are in demand and what you should be working on.

    Don’t Stress

    As a student, the idea of preparing to get a job can sometimes seem overwhelming. You may feel like you’ll never have enough skills or experience to achieve success. My advice is to take things one step at a time. Go on Seawork and apply for an internship, sign up for an upper-level communication studies class, look at WordPress tutorials on your phone between classes, or sign up for a (super inexpensive) Adwords or Analytics certification class at CIE. No matter what you do, there’s a job that can use your skills. Keep on learning and growing. You got this.

    Photo from Memeful.com

    -K. Layne Smith