Tag: Communication Studies

By Mia Bruce

A Rocky Beginning to College

As an incoming freshman to UNCW, I had typical expectations of what my college experience would be like. My first semester started off well for the first three weeks of class. In September, I decided to come home for the weekend to work an event and never would have realized that I would end up being at home for five weeks.

Hurricane Florence decided to make an appearance and keep me at home for those five weeks. Once the university reopened following Florence, I planned on coming back to my freshman apartment to move back in. Right before I was about to head back, I received an email saying that the University Apartments were not going to be reopened and I would be displaced to an alternate living situation. I was assigned to live in a hotel near campus. After already feeling disconnected with my freshman peers, being moved a mile off campus to a hotel elevated those feelings even worse. Within the first eight weeks of my college experience, I had moved three hours away from home, moved back and moved three hours away for the second time into a hotel off campus.

The second half of my freshman semester offered a lot more peace than the first semester did. I was able to move back on campus to an upper classman apartment and felt more connected with my college and peers. I was able to join an on-campus club and make new friends at UNCW. In addition to joining campus commitments, I also started working part-time at a local doggy daycare facility. After an eventful first semester, I was able to finally settle in to a “normal” life for my second semester.

Transitioning to a Pandemic Lifestyle

Just when I thought my “weird” college experience was over and it was only normal going forward, I was surely mistaken. I was graciously given a whole year of normalcy during 2019. Halfway through the spring of 2020, the world paused in March of 2020 when COVID-19 reared its ugly head. UNCW moved all my courses online and my work even shut down during this time.

In June of 2020, my work had finally opened after being closed for 2.5 months and I returned to work full-time. To keep working full-time, I continued with online courses for the fall of 2020 and the following two semesters after that. Going from all in-person courses to all online was quite the adjustment. Working full-time while maintaining a full course load was not easy either. At times, I had to prioritize my work which ultimately caused issues for me down the road. With the freedom of asynchronous classes, I was able to work forty hours a week. In the spring of 2021, despite a full course load and a full-time work schedule, I took on another responsibility. I was elected for the position of VP of Administration for UNCW’s Panhellenic Council for 2021.

This position taught me a lot of responsibility as the responsibility party for UNCW’s sorority life. In this position, I was a part of the planning process for Formal Recruitment and the months of planning that went into planning it. This position was practically an unpaid part-time job. Having the discipline to balance work, school, Panhellenic, and my social life was a tricky equation. With this added responsibility, I quickly had to adjust my priorities to stay on top of all these responsibilities. By the end of the 2021, I reached the end of my term and gained a lot of experience in the process.

Final Review of My Time at UNCW

During my time at UNCW, I didn’t get the typical college experience, but I sure was able to have an interesting one. Starting with a hurricane, having multiple moves, a pandemic but I was able to gain a lot of learning experiences throughout the process. Going into college I had a plan in my head that ultimately was completely rearranged by the end of my time at UNCW. I am a firm believer that everything happens for a reason, and it has been proved throughout my time here.

If I wouldn’t have felt distant following my freshman year from moving due to the hurricane, I probably wouldn’t have joined a sorority the fall of my sophomore year. If I didn’t go through Formal Recruitment, I would’ve never been able to have the opportunity to join UNCW’s Panhellenic Council. Without joining Panhellenic Council, I would have never gained real world experience with event planning and personal prioritization.

Even though in the moment I wished that I had a normal college experience, I wouldn’t trade my experience for anyone else’s. I feel like I gained even more personal life experience with this route compared to a “normal” route. I got more work experience than I would have gotten if the pandemic didn’t happen and took on a position that gifted me exposure to life experience.

By Hope Weaver

Big Decisions

Entering the college atmosphere comes with a lot of pressure. Choosing a major, making new friends, living independently for the first time, mastering time management are all things that the college experience teaches you. It is a stressful environment and can seem like a daunting four years. Choosing a major is the first decision that is required of a college student. Determining an area of study is no easy task. It is important to keep in mind future careers and business opportunities when picking a major and minor. In my experience, this decision came with many follow-up questions. I had to ask myself where I wanted to be in four years, what I saw myself doing, and whom I saw myself around. I originally chose Business as my major, but soon realized that it was not for me. I felt defeated by the classes, pressured to be someone I was not, began comparing myself to other students, and my grades began to suffer. I wanted to be challenged in my academics but feeling like a failure was a price I was not willing to pay. I changed my major second semester of my freshman year and I am extremely happy that I did. I wanted to enjoy college for all it had to offer while succeeding in my coursework.

College Changes

I am able to speak in front of people without my anxiety taking over, I am confident in my verbal communication skill, I can lead others successfully all because of a decision I made my second semester of college. I had to do deep self-reflection in order to make the right decision for my college studies. I chose to major in Communication and minor in Leadership because it made me feel more fulfilled as a student and as an individual. More specifically, I felt that I was learning material that would not only help me with my academic studies but my journey into adulthood as well. The study of Communication would give me tools to succeed beyond college and prepare me for all of my future career endeavors. I didn’t think that I would resonate with a Leadership minor. I saw myself as a follower not a leader, but with my knowledge now I understand that leaders are not born, they are made. I have the ability to communicate effectively and efficiently with those around me regardless of the environment. I am thankful that I changed my major so early on because now, as a soon to be college graduate, I have a variety of career options available to me.

For example, I can use the interpersonal communication skills I have learned to be a personal assistant, helping others organize their daily life and maintain their responsibilities in a professional way. I can channel my organizational communication skills and find a career as an event planner. Using what I know about groups and communication styles to help other’s visions come to life. On the other hand, the skills I learned regarding verbal and non-verbal communication would be well suited in a sales position or human resources. Lastly, I can utilize the social media experiences I already have combined with my communication and virtual leadership tools to be a social media manager.

Dear Future Seahawks

If I could give advice to first-year students, it would be to view college as a personal growth tool instead of a mandatory step towards corporate America. College is an incredible stepping stone toward professional careers but that is not all it is worth. The memories I made, friends I gained, lessons I learned, and the changes I made are far more important than the career opportunities that followed. I would encourage college freshmen to choose a major that makes them feel passionate about learning and self-discovery. During my time at UNCW, I experienced two hurricanes and the start of a global pandemic. With these interruptions it was very hard to stay focused on my education; I am thankful for the technology I was able to rely on during this time and would encourage others to make use of their resources. UNCW and many other institutions make success very possible. It is important to view education as more than an academic outlet. Meaning, if taken seriously the college experience is the gateway to adulthood. I am proud to be a college graduate and even more proud of the person I have grown to be in the last four years here at UNCW.

By Seth Hunter

My experience at UNCW has been anything other than normal, which I am sure many of my fellow students can relate to. While I did not have the “typical college experience” that I was hoping for, I found a love for this school and my experiences. I have faced many trials and tribulations during my time here and while I did not realize that they would affect me at the time, they did teach me a lot.

Hurricanes

I started UNCW in the Fall semester of 2018 and about a few weeks into my freshman year Wilmington experienced a terrible hurricane named Florence. This hurricane forced the university to shut down for a month and all the students had to return home during this time. I can’t speak for all UNCW students, but my classes did not require us to do any homework or classwork during this time and this unfortunately harmed me. I was taking Calculus that semester and missing a month of it put me far behind and I ultimately had to drop it midway through the semester.

The hurricane did more than affect my schooling, it also hindered my chance to make friends with other freshmen. I lived in the former University Apartments, which have since been replaced by the new dorms that were built within the past year. My dorms were the most affected by the hurricane, other students and I were placed in different living locations. Some students lived in common rooms, some lived in a hotel, and others like me had to sign a lease for an off-campus apartment. While it was fun to live off campus with no rules, I did miss out on the freshmen experience that I hoped to receive where I would meet other freshman and do on campus activities throughout the week.

Changing Majors

Coming into my freshman year I was a pre-business major with some credits under my belt from high school. To apply for business school, I had to pass Calculus, but my plans changed when I had to drop the class. I scrapped my business degree plans and opted for a Communication Studies degree with a minor in business. I switched to this major because I did not know what I wanted to do with my life and this degree covered a vast range of careers. Changing majors was the best thing that happened to me because I was able to try out some different career fields and found that I enjoyed working with social media and digital design. I focused on Integrated Marketing Communications (IMC) with my degree and have rediscovered a passion for art that I lost when I was a child. While Hurricane Florence was a terrible disaster, it did steer me in a new direction I was not aware of, and it shaped my career path.

On Lockdown

After recovering from Hurricane Florence causing problems in my college experience, I was able to get back onto my feet and enjoy the rest of my freshman year and most of my sophomore year. This unfortunately changed in March of 2020 when COVID-19 began to affect the world forcing most places to shut down accordingly. I was on an internship for the Disney College Program during this time which was cut short because of COVID, preventing me from doing more networking like I was trying to do while there.

COVID left lasting effects on me, and I am sure everyone can relate to being affected by it negatively. For the first time I was not able to attend any classes in person and had to become used to interacting with teachers and classmates over a screen. I had always been an extrovert, so it was difficult for me to become an introvert because of the lockdowns and restrictions. COVID turned me into a homebody, and I saw a decrease in my ability to interact with people face-to-face, which I am still working to reverse even now.

I know that I am not the only college student who experienced challenges during college, and I know that many of my fellow UNCW students have a similar story to me. I did not let these challenges keep me down, instead I was always growing and evolving despite any trial I was facing. Some of these challenges left a positive effect on me such as discovering a new career passion and trying new hobbies while on lockdown. UNCW has become my home and I encourage all new students to always find the silver lining despite the many clouds they will encounter during their time here.

By Jacob Guiler-Martinez

As students our job is to learn new skills, so we are constantly weighed down by fear of the unknown. It is easy to let this pressure build up to the point that you do not want to leave your comfort zone. The worst part is, there is a chance that you will make it all the way to graduation without ever leaving your comfort zone. The saying “c’s get degrees” comes from a place of truth, after all.

Is this what you want from your education? Not leaving your comfort zone is easy but it also means that you will never be in situation where you can learn. You will not be able to improve yourself personally and professionally.

I personally do not want to get up early every day for class, stay up late doing homework after getting home from a long day of school or work, and pay a small fortune to leave with only a piece of paper with my name on it. A degree is merely a participation trophy if that is all you leave with.

What does passivity look like?

Passivity comes in all shapes and sizes. The English Dictionary defines passivity as “acceptance of what happens, without active response or resistance.” What does this look like as a student? If you are inactive in your learning and accept the knowledge and skills you had before enrolling in college, that will result in not only a long four years, but nothing to show for it. Passivity as a student can also come in the form of having to use a program or tool that you aren’t familiar with. You can’t be a successful college without learning new skills and using new tools.

I have struggled with this form of passivity myself. In the IMC discipline we have the privilege of learning the design side of marketing and get to use tools such as Adobe Spark, Illustrator, Photoshop, and other design tools. Prior to my journey here at UNCW in the Communication Studies department, I had little experience with any design software. I played around in Paint in middle school during computer classes but did not bring anything else to the table. In my first IMC class I was very overwhelmed with the design assignments we had. I was not familiar with the programs, I was not confident in my design/creative skills, and worst of all, I accepted all of this.

This resulted in me doing poorly on every design assignment. Aside from finishing with a bad grade, I had wasted my time, my professor’s time, and an opportunity to gain an important new skill – a skill that would make me much more marketable as a candidate for any job in the IMC world. Passivity is a cushion or an enabler for laziness. I feared using programs I was unfamiliar with. I could have used the resources provided by my instructor to learn the design process and how to use design tools. I instead used my fear of the unknown as an excuse to not do well in the class. When the semester was over, I felt unaccomplished and unsure of my abilities.

Passivity can come in the form of no one taking the initiative in a group project and everyone waiting until the last minute only to turn in a mediocre project. It may look like you accepting that you do not completely understand what an assignment entails. You do not ask for help or clarification and procrastinate until you are forced to complete an assignment that you can not perform to your full potential on. How can you avoid passivity? How can you find the confidence to be the best you?

How to “pass” on passivity

If we look back at the definition of passivity, I mention in the beginning we can formulate a strategy to avoid it. We must not accept our shortcomings. Do not accept that you don’t have the skills necessary to do well on an assignment. No professor expects you to be an expert at anything you are doing. In every IMC class I have taken here at UNCW, the professors have supplied an extensive amount of content on any tools that you may use in the class. This content along with the free training opportunities sent to your email can turn anyone into an excellent candidate for a career in the field of IMC.

The second half of the definition, “without active response or resistance” warns us to be proactive. This does not mean you have to complete each assignment the day they become active. But at least look at the prompt to see if you understand what you are doing and are competent in the tools necessary to complete the assignment. If you do not understand an assignment, ask your teacher for clarification.

They will gladly welcome you during their office hours and provide you with the guidance needed. If you are competent using a certain program or tool needed to complete an assignment, look on Canvas to see the content your professor has supplied to explain how to use these tools. You can always take it a step further if you need extra help and search on YouTube for tutorials that will walk you through how to use any program you will come across as a student. You can also ask your professor for one-on-one help during their office hours. They are a great resource for any tool you will use in their class as they only expect you to use tools they are familiar with. There are many resources available to you as a student that will polish you into a candidate that any potential employer will want. It is up to you to be active and take advantage of these resources and opportunities. The only way to improve is to step outside of your comfort zone.

By Shelby Watson

New World, New Opportunity

When I first entered college, I was overwhelmed. The prospect of meeting so many new people, learning in a new environment, and finding my place at UNCW felt intimidating. I knew what I liked (writing, visual art, and film) and I knew how to be successful in the classroom, but I didn’t know much about how to connect with like-minded people. I turned to my RA for advice about navigating the beginning of college, and she offered me advice that I would offer to anyone starting something new: try anything and everything that interests you.

So, I did. I took entry-level classes for majors I was interested in. I explored different clubs at involvement carnivals. I learned about opportunities for student employment on campus. Through these means, I could take what I already knew about myself and apply it to the organizations around me. I joined Flicker Film Society to explore my interest in filmmaking, ACE to become more involved in campus entertainment and event planning, took a film class for non-majors, and took a beginning creative writing course.

Failure is the Best Option

Though these opportunities were great, I soon learned a lot of them were not for me. I stopped going to meetings for Flicker and ACE. I had previously thought I was going to double major in Film Studies and Creative Writing, but I learned that the creative writing department might not be my place. I quickly learned that trying new things is a great way to explore, but it’s important to remember that not everything will be your thing.

I didn’t let the fact that I hadn’t quite found my place yet stop me from continuing to explore. In the spring semester of my freshman year, I joined a brand new club on campus called Creative Arts Club. It was a place where artists could come together to practice any medium they were interested in and create multimedia projects. I applied to become a Writing Consultant at the Learning Center because I loved writing, and I loved helping people. I explored majors and major requirements online and discovered that the Communication Studies department offered a range of classes covering topics I was interested in. I was beginning to find places where I felt I belonged on campus, and it wouldn’t have been possible had I not tried something else first.

Reframing Opportunity

Once I had found the places I was most comfortable, I could begin to build my network. I met some great people interested in the same things as me in the Film Studies and Communication Studies departments. I met artists interested in different yet complimentary forms of art in the Creative Arts Club. I met writers who were just as excited about the craft through my work at the Learning Center. Through these new networks, I was becoming more comfortable both at UNCW and with who I was becoming.

Then, everything changed. Spring semester of my sophomore year saw the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. We all left campus, moved everything online, and locked ourselves in our houses for months. My network felt like it was being cut off; No more in-person connection with friends and professors, no more Creative Arts Club, no more in-person Learning Center staff meetings or getting to work as closely with students. After a long summer of feeling like opportunities had quickly vanished, I decided I was still going to try anything and everything I could as my junior year started. I realized that I couldn’t let the fact that something may be hard stop me from trying anyways.

I took on a leadership position with Creative Arts Club as the secretary and social media manager. I attended every virtual staff meeting and advanced through a new level of tutor certification with the Learning Center. I got to meet new professors I connected with and take classes that helped me learned about my future career path over Zoom, despite my initial apprehension. One of my Film Studies professors even strongly encouraged me to pursue a film internship while everything remained virtual. Otherwise, I would not have had the money or ability to travel to LA to work for this production company. In this way, I actually found opportunity through the obstacles placed before me. I knew that I should never stop looking for opportunity, even in the worst of times.

New Things Become Old Things & Old Things Become New Things

From my job as a Writing Consultant to becoming President of Creative Arts Club to finding a career path I want to pursue that utilizes both my Film Studies and Communication Studies knowledge, the opportunities I have chosen to pursue in college have all helped me build up to where I am today. It is because I chose to explore and learn about myself that I have built a network of like-minded people and developed skills that will help me in the next chapter of my life. I know that I will feel the same sense of intimidation when I enter the work force as I did when I entered college, but I know now that taking the opportunities presented to me will make all the difference in my personal and professional growth.

By Kelly Geiger

The average graduating senior is feeling a variety of emotions. Reflection. We are looking back on our four years of many hurricanes, a pandemic, hundreds of assignments, and countless memories with friends.  Joy.  We did it! Finally, most graduating seniors are feeling a sense of fear.  The unknown, the corporate world, the idea of truly becoming an adult and getting a job to support ourselves is a lot to take in. These are the average overwhelming feelings of a graduating senior, but I can truly say I am prepared for this new season of life, and I believe that the COM department at UNCW has been essential in preparing me for my post-graduate journey. 

Building the Foundation

I came into UNCW with a love for art and an understanding that I needed to find a way to incorporate this into a corporate role.  I felt a pull to the corporate world but not exactly to the business school.  After talks with my mentors and advisors, I was introduced to the COM Department.  I immediately jumped in and realized a passion for communication I never knew I had. 

When I declared my major, I was stoked to dive headfirst into the courses I thought would interest me.  Some of these courses included: Interpersonal Communication, Storytelling and Culture, and Research Methods. But, while I was taking those courses, I began to lose that passion I discovered for communication.  I understood how broad the major could be and quickly found that I was enrolling in courses related to a concentration that didn’t interest me. I felt a strong need to include the fact that even after declaring my major, there were still times I felt a bit lost or confused.  It was extremely helpful to have a variety of COM professors that wanted to see me succeed. These professors guided me in the right direction and thankfully I was introduced to the Integrated Marketing Communication concentration.

After completing the introduction courses, it was time for me to focus more on IMC classes. I found that IMC could utilize my artistic abilities and I was intrigued by the combination of skills I could gain and techniques I could learn from these classes.  By majoring in Communication with a concentration in IMC I felt that the foundation I was building for myself would be sustainable and interesting throughout the entirety of my college career.

Complementing My Major

I noticed that graphic design skills were highly valued in the IMC concentration and with a bit more research, I found my future profession.  I changed my minor to Digital Arts and took as many graphic design-related courses as possible.  During many of my communication classes junior year, I found my graphic design skills were essential to group assignments as well as individual ones. This was around the same time I started looking for internship opportunities to help further my graphic design capabilities and build my resume.  The portfolio I created with my assignments from courses at UNCW, I gained two internships in my junior year.  The work I was doing at UNCW was extremely diverse and useful to show my skills as well as my quick progress. 

Setting Myself Up for Post-Grad Success

Senior year I wanted to focus on setting myself up for success based on instruction I received from many of my COM professors.  I continued to follow my passion for graphic design and communication and applied for more serious internships/part time jobs as a graphic designer.  I gained more confidence in myself as I received praise from professors and landed jobs.  As I took higher-level courses in the COM department, I fell more in love with what I was doing, and I can finally say my senior year of college, I actually enjoy class.  Trust me, this is a rare for me to say.

Com Could Be the Choice for You Too!

When I talk to people coming into college or undecided students, I constantly recommend majoring in Communication Studies.  While IMC might not be for everyone, I feel that a COM degree can be valuable and useful for hundreds of careers. The COM department at UNCW is full of amazing, dedicated, and talented students and faculty.  I couldn’t have imagined myself at any other school and more importantly in any other major.  I feel not only prepared but excited to join the workforce, and this is all thanks to the hard work that my professors have put into my education.

I am excited to say I am a UNCW grad and will continue to spread the word of our great COM department!

By Abigail Morris

“What do you want to do when you grow up?”

As a child, I loved when I was asked this question. The endless possibilities for what my future held drove my intellectual curiosity; and they pushed me to discover my passions as well as chances to experiment with new opportunities without fear of failure. Because of this, my answer drastically changed multiple times throughout the course of my adolescence. This constant change was encouraged by the adult figures in my life that I looked up to…

…until it wasn’t.

You see, like many others, when I reached high school, I was expected to have a solid game plan in place. I was expected to have a career in mind that I wanted to pursue, a path laid out for myself. By the time that I graduated from high school, I was expected to follow through with that agenda until I had reached success. Fortunately, I failed.

That’s right, folks. I failed.

Within the span of five years, I changed my major three times, and proceeded to drop out of college twice due to varying circumstances. Each time my path changed (or my major changed), I felt like I was drifting further away from success. At least, from the personal definition of success that had been ingrained in me by the adult figures in my life whom I looked up to.

This image of success that I had created years before of a fulfilled life for myself became less and less transparent, and the insecurity of this vague path that I had laid out in my head began to overwhelm me. I found myself oftentimes discouraged from my own indecisiveness, which quickly lead to feelings of guilt and shame. However, as I sit here now and reflect on my long academic career, I am realizing that each “failure” I faced aided me in my journey to where I am today.

Courses that I used to regret from my prior majors have ended up providing me with more valuable insight and have expanded my skillset that can be utilized effectively within my ideal future of working in the marketing field. Courses on photography and graphic design have provided me insight on the art terminology and principles needed to collaborate with other creative individuals in marketing. All the business law and management courses taught me how to read contracts, research marketing data, and sell my art. Philosophy courses allowed me to better comprehend business ethics. And lastly, the psychology courses have helped me understand the importance of a strong brand identity.

I initially perceived these courses as wasted time with each change of my major. In hindsight, I have found that each course has functioned as a “building block” of sorts: helping build me as a future asset to any working team, adding to my repertoire, and guiding me on a path that I feel confident (or more confident) in.

For those who find themselves feeling confused and unsure about who they are or what path they want to follow with their lives, know that’s it is ok to not know right away. College is not created to break students or to push them into a preconceived mold that discourages them from the process of self-discovery. Quite the opposite. College is meant to be an opportunity for an individual to experiment, to try new things, and to discover a pursuit that truly interests them, even if it leads them on a completely different path than what the student initially had in mind upon enrolling. I know that if I kept with the original plan that I created for myself in high school, I would have been miserable.

For me, it took years of hard work and self-reflection to really understand what kind of career I would find personal fulfillment in. And to be completely honest, there are some aspects of my future that I’m still unsure about. (For example: I don’t know if I want to pursue a master’s degree right away after obtaining my bachelor’s, or if I want to throw myself directly into the work force.) However, the confidence I have gained throughout my lengthy amount of time here in college has given me a drive that I haven’t felt in years. Failures are an exercise in building exactly that: confidence. And I personally know that without those self-described “failures” I experienced, I wouldn’t have pushed myself to work towards a better, more promising future.