IMC Hawks Blog

Category: UNCW

  • Answering the Question: “What is COM Studies?”

    By Courtney Busick

    I still remember the day I was accepted to UNCW; I jumped up and down and hugged my mom. That day changed my life forever. However, I had no idea what I was going to do. I moved back and forth on what major I wanted, but I knew where my passions were: advertising. I wanted to work in advertising and be as creative as I could be. The business and studio art majors stuck out to me, but I felt a calling towards something different. After searching other programs, I looked into the Communication Studies department. The major offers me both the art and business aspects I was looking for. I told my mom I wanted to study COM, and she looked at me and asked; “what is that?” At that moment, I could not give her a definitive answer of what the major held, but it was what I wanted to do so it had to be great.

    Looking back at my journey at UNCW, I was continually asked the same questions; “What is that?” “What are you going to do with that major?” Professors would even prepare us for this question by giving us answers and things we are doing in our classwork. From that day when my mom first asked me to two months out from graduating, I cannot help but think of the different opportunities the COM department has given me. I have changed and learned to understand the study of communication in a new way than when I came. When I think about my answer to the question; “What is COM Studies?” I can answer with a plethora of experiences and life lessons I have found from the department. 

    COM Studies opens doors and opens minds

    Coming into the Communication Studies department, I was unsure of what I was getting into. I knew they had marketing, and that was what my heart was set on. The more classes I took for the major, the more I opened my mind to what COM offered. I learned that the study of communication was understanding how and why people communicate, and specializations like IMC and broadcasting were ways that exemplified and used this as a foundational skill.

    I was able to see this during my trip to Italy with the COM Studies Department over break. We understood the practices and lifestyle of another culture and how that affects their communication with one another. We learned a lot about business and practices that have been in place for many years. I was able to understand more about brand values of wineries and restaurants that have been around for hundreds of years.

    COM Studies is a community

    I have met some incredible people through the COM department. Each student strives to be their best self and understand the problems in front of them. We are a community because each of us is studying different specializations, but we are all learning and building community with one another because our skills are transferrable within any department or class. The department works to develop strong collaboration skills, so students can understand each other’s strengths and feel bound together by them.

    I have worked on many group projects and all have shown me the different styles and strengths of other people. It helps to create a strong project. I have seen this through my IMC classes as well. Each person is assigned a role in the project that showcases their strengths and what they love. We have learned to see how it creates a stronger project and we build community by knowing more about our differences.

    Every experience and project I have been a part of in the COM department has allowed me to understand a share with other people my ideas and knowledge to help us solve the problems at hand.

    COM Studies changes the world

    In COM 105, Dr. Weber teaches us about “Tikkun Olam,” which means contributing to the repair of the world.  Communication Studies can literally and figuratively repair the world. In other classes, I have learned that how you communicate, verbally and non-verbally, affects how you are perceived and the messages that you put out to others. Every choice you make is a communication choice, and it can affect your world and the others around you. In IMC, you learn quickly that the choices you make, matter. How you represent your brand, or a specific issue, will affect how the world sees you. You always have to be cautious about the message you are putting out, how you are putting it out, and who it is for. It can impact your brand and what you want to let the world see.

    With weeks left to graduation, I cannot help but wonder back to the moment I decided I wanted to major in Communication Studies. How I felt, what I thought, and the person I would become. The Communication Studies department has helped me grow professionally in understanding different aspects of my world. Now, I can confidently answer the question; “What is Communication Studies?”

    (Photo from chabad.org)

  • Five Tips for An Upcoming UNCW COM Major

    By Sydney Jones

    (Photo by Bradley Pearce via uncw.edu)

    Upon exploring communication studies as a major, I was not sure what to expect. My initial thoughts were that I would be writing a lot of speeches, presentations, and papers. After all, communication means talking, right? In reality, the communication studies major explores a multitude of subjects, and many different contexts of communication. Being a COM major can also benefit students in many ways beyond academics. Students have opportunities for networking, internships, and potential jobs, along with the opportunity to meet some amazing people. Here are some things to consider if you are planning to become a COM major:

    Get To Know Your Professors

    Seriously. The professors in the COM department are some of the coolest people you will ever meet. Most of them, if not all, are truly rooting for you to succeed. By getting to know your professors, asking for help or feedback will come easier. For me, it made me more comfortable asking questions or reaching out when something didn’t quite make sense.

    Also, getting to know your professors could allow for potential networking and/or references. As I said, your professors are rooting for you to succeed. The professors in the COM department are very seasoned and may know of potential employers and internships. They could also prove to be valuable references for future job applications. Even without all the perks they may provide, the professors in the COM department are also very cool people who will make your experience in the major downright fun.

    Take Advantage of Workshops

    Throughout your experience as a COM major, you will do many things other than writing. There will be a lot of hands-on work with Adobe and video platforms, things that many students do not have much experience with right out of high school. Lucky for us COM majors, many COM professors put on workshops to allow students a little bit of extra help in these areas. For example, Dr. Stuart (an IMC professor) puts on workshops over zoom for Adobe Suite platforms such as InDesign and Spark. Some of these platforms may seem self-explanatory, but they can be difficult to navigate once you get in there. Take advantage of these free workshops, as they can help you with your projects in COM and add a new skill to your resume.

    Utilize the University Writing Center

    Of course, one of the main aspects of the COM major is writing, lots and lots of writing. Whether it’s research papers, justifications, or projects, you will inevitably spend a lot of time writing. COM professors do place a lot of emphasis on writing mechanics, but it may prove worthwhile to visit the university writing center. The UNCW learning center has a free writing center that provides free one-on-one writing consultations for all students for any academic writing purpose. Sessions are led by faculty-recommended and trained peer writing consultants that help students identify areas in the draft to improve while assisting in the development of specific revision plans. Students can work on their writing skills as the consultant guides them through the revision process. Utilizing the writing center can take a lot of stress off your plate, especially if you have multiple writing deadlines coming up at once.

    Get To Know Your Fellow COM Majors

    One of the most valuable resources you can acquire as a COM major is…other COM majors. Getting to know your fellow COM students will not only immerse you in a great community but may also help you with future projects. Many COM classes place a large emphasis on group work. In fact, COM 200 (a qualifying class for the COM major) is mostly made up of group work and writing. Getting to know your fellow COM majors may make this group work much easier in future courses, allowing you to see firsthand how your peers work and who you get along with. Aside from helping with work, your fellow COM students could become great friends and a wonderful community for you in the future.

    (Photo by Jeff Janowski via uncw.edu)

    Save Your Best Work

    Throughout your experience as a COM major, you will constantly hear “be sure to save your best work for your portfolio.” This will be for the communication studies capstone course (COM 400). While it is important to save all your best work and certifications for this course, these items may also prove valuable for other endeavors. Some jobs require a sample of previous work depending on the nature of the job. Having easy access to your best work from school will make the process of applying for the job much easier and may help you to be a stand-out candidate for the job.

    While these are just a few things that can help future students, there are so many other wonderful benefits of being a COM major. Throughout my education in the major, I feel that I have gained valuable tools and experience that will help me tremendously in my future endeavors.

  • Finding My Way to the Top

    Finding My Way to the Top

    My college career has consisted of four different schools. Carson Newman University, Sandhills Community College, Milligan University, and now UNCW. It’s a long story as to why this is a thing, so I won’t get into any details. But, I can say that a big reason for my scenic route through college was that I had trouble finding a school that felt like home to me. The past three schools were great schools, but I did not fall in love with them like I had planned. It wasn’t until I came to Wilmington that I finally was able to call a place “home” and truly mean it. I transferred here the second semester of my junior year and haven’t looked back.

    Newly-renovated entrance to the UNC Wilmington campus along South College Road. UNCW / Jamie Moncrief

    When I came to UNCW, I was a business major with an emphasis in marketing. Honestly, I was struggling. I had this idea that if I wanted to get into sales and the business field, I needed to be a business major and get a degree in business. This is where I was wrong, and I paid the price for it. I went through that one semester here at UNCW, and I’ll be honest with you, I was not a fan at all. I was struggling in all of my classes, I was stressing about how long it was going to take me to graduate, and I was beginning to tell myself that I was a failure. It wasn’t until the fall semester of my senior year that things started to turn around for me, and that was because of this little thing they call COM.

    I came to the conclusion that the road I was going down was not the road for me. I swallowed my pride and went to my advisor’s office in hopes of creating a plan for myself and my future at UNCW. After a small discussion, my advisor brought up communication studies and began to brag about the department here at the dub. After some consideration, pulling some strings, and a bit of prayer, I decided to change my major to COM. I understood that because of all the transferring that I had done in the past, I would have to spend an extra year in college to finish my degree if I switched. At times I had thought of myself as a failure because I did not complete what I had started in my business education. I even thought that I might not be able to have a business career because I was not getting my degree in it anymore. All of these thoughts were completely wrong and I found out very quickly that everything I was telling myself about my decision was completely wrong.

    Here I am, in my last semester as a COM major, about to graduate from the great University of North Carolina Wilmington. I currently hold a full time, “grown up” job at Cellular Sales, the number one Verizon retailer, a job that I thought would not be possible at first because I was not getting my degree in business anymore. That was another thing that I quickly learned – COM studies allows you have a wide range of careers to pick from. You can nearly choose whatever you want to do! After learning that COM broadens your horizons instead of minimalizing it, it was like a huge weight being lifted from my shoulders. Here I am, in a sales job, a goal of mine that I had written down for years, all because of COM. Could I have done something completely different to start off my career? Of course! That is the beauty of COM and everything it has to offer.

    In days, I’ll be graduating. Because of COM, I’ve improved my skill set more than I could have ever imagined. Because of COM I have new friends who I will be friends with for the rest of my life. Because of COM I have complete control over the rest of my life and the rest of my career. Because of COM, I found my new home in Wilmington and no matter where I go from here, the Dub will always me home to me.

    Brady Childers is a May 2021 graduate. His father inspired him to pursue a career in business. Brady loves meeting new people and solving their problems.

  • COM Studies: A large major but a close-knit community

    COM Studies: A large major but a close-knit community

    If someone would have told me going to UNCW would be the most eventful three years of my life I would have probably rolled my eyes. Eventful is quite an understatement. Between hurricanes, being locked in Randall library in the middle of a COM 200 test because someone got shot in the apartment complex next to campus, and a global pandemic… who would have thought this would be our college career. My roller coaster experience of college started in Fall 2018. I had decided right away Communication Studies was the route I wanted to go; this was decided after taking a public speaking class and learning the many avenues that you could go with a communication studies degree. Because who doesn’t like options? Little did I know COM was one of the largest majors but one of the closest knit communities I would be a part of.

    Trust me, walking into Dr. Weber’s COM 105 you wouldn’t think this major would be so close. As the courses go on you start to meet new people, see the same people and learn how to navigate through the major and find your way. My biggest struggle for myself was figuring out which route to take within the major. In the beginning I was just floating. Taking random COM courses here and there. I tried out IMC and felt like I didn’t fit a certain mold, but the more IMC classes I took, I soon realized there isn’t a mold to fit. When you are on campus you can clearly determine who is a nursing major or who is in Cameron. COM has such a wide array of students. You could talk to any person in your class and not feel awkward or feel like you asked a dumb question in COM 301 Rhetorical Theory because no one knew what was going on.

    “COM has such a wide array of students”

    After dealing with Hurricane Florence and surviving COM 200, I was finally assigned my advisor. Lucky me, I got Professor Rick Olsen as my COM advisor. Though I had him for 200 I would get so nervous to talk to him about advising. Which I learned after our first interaction I was crazy for being nervous. He was always transparent and encouraging whenever we spoke. There was always ‘tough love’ advice. I remember telling Dr. Olsen I wanted to begin my career in Wilmington and he was pretty honest and told me ‘Wilmington is very competitive, good luck.” At first it felt like a dig but as I thought over it several hundred times, I realized because of his transparency I was able to be honest with myself and push my expectations so I could compete in Wilmington. The transparency and tough love is seen throughout COM. Though higher education is seen as professional or refined, the professors in COM have managed to hug the line of professionalism while being themselves which is a blessing. Having professors who are approachable makes a huge difference and I am forever grateful that I got to experience professors who are passionate about their field of study and ensuring COM majors are meeting as well as exceeding the expectations.

    As we are inching closer to graduation, I am relieved and sad. I am relieved that we all survived a global pandemic, hurricanes and life and managed to make it to the finish. I am personally relieved because I have been enrolled for a year straight with no break. I am relieved because this hard work has helped me land a position before graduating so I can begin the next phase in my life. I am sad to close this long, eventful chapter out. My time with UNCW and the communication studies department has been amazing. I am thankful for the colleagues, connections and professors I have met during my time. If I was to give any advice to PCOM and current COM majors, please get involved. Whether it is Communication Studies Society, an internship or a club. Take this time to build your portfolio and your network! I am involved with a non profit organization that advocates, unites and builds a community amongst small business owners in Downtown Wilmington and I have built an amazing relationship with Wilmington locals, my mentor has become a guide during the job search and I am currently helping plan an event with a colleague! Make sure you are doing what makes you happy, that will best suit you and your career path!

    Nicole Delgado is a May 2021 graduate and is adaptable, intellectually curious, and hungry for great results.

  • Find Your People

    Find Your People

    The road to graduation has been a rollercoaster. When I began the ride, I thought I would be graduating four years later in Spring 2020. Little did I know that my path through college would not be the straight line I imagined. That has been my biggest lesson in college; life is not going to go exactly the way you want it to. If all our desires were granted, we would have quite a few more billionaires walking around.

    I had to learn how to change my outlook on being successful and motivated, by failing. But now, as I sit here writing this post and reflecting on my past 5 years of school, I can share my lessons learned before I leave UNCW.

    Get Organized

    First and foremost, learn how to get yourself organized. I used to never plan out anything in regard to my classes but, I learned the hard way, personal organization is a key to success. Buy yourself a planner or a big desk calendar. Sit down for 5 minutes on Sunday night, before the week starts, and plan out the assignment due dates for your classes. I promise you, it will make a world of difference! Having a planner means you won’t be stressed about remembering due dates. You have a source you can refer to anytime you’re wondering when an assignment is due. Simple, effective, and CHEAP!

    Roll with the Punches

    I made some early mistakes and was academically dismissed from UNCW. I’m sure you’ve heard it before, but college is going to throw a lot at you. Now this doesn’t mean you will instantly be forced into crazy life changes and decisions, but 4 years is a long time and those moments do come and come at you fast – trust me. In my first year in Wilmington, I did not have a solid direction to follow. I put more attention toward my social life than my course and those choices resulted in my dismissal from UNCW. I spent the following year attending Cape Fear Community College and was forced to take a long look at myself and the choices I had made. Assigning blame to outside influences is easy but being introspective and realizing that YOU are the root of the problem is extremely hard. I had to figure out what I needed to cut from my life and what I needed to work on to return to UNCW. That year at Cape Fear CC taught me more than my combined four years at UNCW. I started managing my time effectively and focusing all my attention on my grades. The hardest part of that process was holding on to my motivation to return to UNCW. I was still having hard moments and dealing with feelings of failure that made me want to just give up. Learning to push past those moments and reassure myself that I was doing the right thing made me a stronger person. Learn to not let the low moments get the better of you.

    Find Your People (Major)

    As cliche as this sounds, find the major you enjoy. In my first year at UNCW, I was initially a finance major but quickly realized it was not the path I wanted to take. After being readmitted, I considered going back to Cameron and majoring in marketing, but my advisor suggested an alternate path. Instead, I could major in communication studies and take courses in integrated marketing communication. I wasn’t sure at first because I didn’t know much about COM Studies. I took COM 301 with Dr. Weber and that was the catalyst that sparked my love for communication studies. The sense of community that was cultivated in his class, and each of my classes afterward, was a breath of fresh air. The faculty in the COM department have been incredibly supportive of me and I never felt as if they did not want me to succeed. Being a member of the COM Studies department allowed me to finish my education surrounded by brilliant professors who all work to prepare their students for success after college. So my advice, go out and experiment with your classes. Your first choice may not be your final choice. The college experience is 10x better when you find a major that interests you.

    Liam Abourezk is a May 2021 graduate and believes “failure is the stepping stone for success.”

  • Before I Go…A Bit of Advice to Prepare for Life After College

    Before I Go…A Bit of Advice to Prepare for Life After College

    It feels strange to be writing a “farewell” post to students and to the department. Graduating is a strange experience. On one hand, I am ready to be done with classes and have a full-time professional job in my field. But on the other, it feels scary to be leaving UNCW and the Communication Studies Department for the “real world.” In a way, college has been my safety net, catching me when I fall or can’t keep up. And now, it is time to leave the nest and fly on my own (sorry, had to include a cheesy Seahawk pun in here somewhere). As I have been preparing to graduate and apply to jobs, I have realized there were a few things I wish I had done or I was grateful for, that would have or has better prepared me for the jobs I want after college. I want to share those realizations with my fellow Seahawks to (hopefully) benefit you and help you be prepared for your future too. It can be really easy to get comfortable in college and think of it as your safety net; nothing bad can happen to you here. But if you don’t do some work before you leave UNCW, adulting will be a rude awakening.

    First, I encourage you to actively self-educate. If you have an interest in a particular skill or area of study, but either can’t take a course or it isn’t specifically within your major, then seek out resources and learn about it yourself. Don’t wait for the information to be handed to you or expect that it will come up in a class. If you want to learn how to use Photoshop, but don’t have room for a graphic design class, watch tutorials. Teach yourself. MAKE time for self-learning because you will probably regret not having done so when your dream job requires an understanding of Photoshop. A message from your future self: take the certification class. Watch the YouTube videos. Learn that thing that is really interesting but really daunting. You may not “feel” like it but you’ll be glad you did it.

    Second, look at job postings in areas of interest BEFORE enrolling in the Capstone course (when you will be required to do it). Understanding what companies in your desired field are looking for in candidates will inform your choices, while you are still in school, and put you ahead of the game. For example, you may not have realized that your dream job may require knowing how to write computer code. In digital communication, that is not uncommon. Knowing this before your final semester will allow you to take an introductory course in computer programming and practice the skills independently. Even if you aren’t sure what your dream job is yet, still look at a variety of job postings in your areas of study. Doing so can help you narrow down your choices or help you choose a variety of courses for maximum flexibility when pursuing the post-graduation opportunities. Getting an idea of the necessary skills and experience companies want from prospective employees, and then learning about those things, is an investment in your future.

    Third, listen to and respect your professors. They have your best interest in mind and will help you. When you have an assignment that seems pointless, try to look at the bigger picture and envision how the assignment might help you down the road. I remember an assignment where I had to learn how to use a project planning website called Monday.com. I thought it was confusing to use and I didn’t see any benefit. How did learning a new software platform relate to IMC? Fast forward to my internship – guess what they use for project planning? None other than Monday.com. When I told them I already knew how to use the website, they were very impressed, and being able to use the platform meant I could focus on doing the creative work. Put your best effort into your assignments, even when you don’t understand the value or purpose of it, because those assignments are preparing you for future job applications. And save everything. You will need your assignments for the Capstone course, but they are also evidence of what you can do. You’ll be thanking your professors later, trust me.

    Ultimately, you get out of college what you put in. Make the most of it by doing everything you can to set yourself up for success. You will be more prepared for your future dream job and career. Take it from someone who just finished and is now applying for jobs: don’t waste this time. Do all you can to set yourself up for a successful future.

    Olivia Nelson is a recent UNCW Department of Communication Studies graduate with a minor in Studio Art. She is the recipient of the Fall 2020 IMC Achievement Award.

    Woman tasting coffee (top): Photo by Artem Beliaikin on Unsplash

  • Being a Successful Seahawk

    Being a Successful Seahawk

    Recapping my college experience, as a graduating senior, feels so surreal. Has it really been four years already? I started my college career at East Carolina University. After a year, I slowly started to realize that ECU wasn’t the perfect school for me. When I decided to try a new school, I toured UNCW and immediately fell in love and realized it was where I was supposed to be. I fell in love with the campus, the city, and most importantly, the community. When I began my journey here at UNCW, I had no idea what was in store for me. I started with few friends, a lack of self-awareness, and an undecided major. As I wrap up my last year, I am leaving with a full support system, new passions, great experiences, lifelong memories, and a degree in Communication Studies.

    Get Involved

    College is what you make of it and doesn’t have to be strictly for an education. College gives you the opportunity to meet new people, get involved, and discover who you are as a person. As a communication studies major, I know how encouraging a strong community can be. I am surrounded by incredible professors and peers that truly want each and every student to succeed. Don’t spend your college years in fear of stepping out of your comfort zone because you will learn more about yourself each time you do. If there is a club that seems interesting to you, join it! If the person that sits next to you in class wants to meet for coffee, get a coffee! If your professor offers a study session during their office hours, go study! College will be over before you know it, so always try to make the best of it.

    Switching Your Major

    There is an immense amount of stress that comes along with picking your major, but there shouldn’t be. You may choose something and discover that it’s not meant for you. When I was a freshman, I was majoring in psychology because I thought I wanted to be a guidance counselor. I thought I had my entire future planned out and I assumed that I would love it. I quickly came to the realization that I was not passionate about psychology. I could not get myself interested and I felt that I was in too deep to change it. When I transferred here, all three of my roommates were Communication Studies majors. I decided to take a COM class with them, not knowing that I would end up loving it. I talked with my advisor, and I changed my major; I am so unbelievably thankful that I did. My advice to all incoming college students, is to understand that it is perfectly ok to change your major. It may take a year (or even two) to find your passion. Do not let yourself get stuck in a major that you do not enjoy because you are scared of change. The change will be worth it!

    Roll with the Punches

    College is one big giant leap into adulthood, and adulting is HARD! Earning a degree isn’t meant to be easy but the experience you gain and the memories you make along the way are completely worth it. During my first semester at UNCW, Wilmington was struck by Hurricane Florence and the damage to our campus was extensive. We were out of school for weeks and adjusting to new living situations while coping with the fact that our town experienced some major losses. It was hard, but it made the Wilmington community stronger than before. My last three semesters have been anything but normal. My junior year, news broke about a global pandemic and the dream of a never-ending spring break became a reality. However, it wasn’t as dreamy as it may sound. Here I am, continuing my final semester of college from my living room. Things became overwhelmingly difficult. I was laid off from my job and could no longer afford to live by myself, resulting in me moving back home. I felt defeated and experienced major FOMO while living my college years with my parents. I started putting things into a different perspective and came to the realization that I was not experiencing this alone. I looked forward to my daily class zoom meetings and the COM department made every student feel heard and appreciated during such trying times. My advice for all incoming Seahawks is to just do the best you can, try to keep a positive attitude, and know that sometimes, it is ok to not be ok.

    https://alumni.uncw.edu/zoom-backgrounds

    As my time here at UNCW winds down, I think back to my first walk down Chancellors. I think about how much this community has shaped me into the person I am today. I look forward to my future and beginning my next chapter of life. My college experience was quite out of the ordinary, but I wouldn’t change any of it. Oh, the joy of being a Seahawk!

    Written by Jessica Burgess. You can learn more about Jessica and our other blog writers by clicking the “Our Team” banner at the top!