Why I Love Being a Journalism and International Studies Major

I am halfway through my junior year of college as a double major in international studies and journalism. I entered college solely as a journalism major but added international studies within my first two weeks. 

In high school, I was heavily involved with anything journalism related. I was the Editor-in-Chief of the yearbook and the news editor for the school newspaper. The more that I wrote about international news, I grew to love studying current events around the world. This was an important factor as to why I chose to add international studies as a major.

The main reason I can confidently say on why I love my majors is because they work so well together. Both majors require students to stay up to date on any current news and events happening around the world. The content I learn in my international studies classes applies directly to the assignments I write in my journalism classes.

Journalism requires being able to converse with people from different cultures, as well as being sensitive to the discrepancies in one’s life and report the most accurate information with minimal bias. The international studies major provides me with skills and knowledge to navigate through a globalized world which will further help me succeed in journalism.

In my international studies classes, I mainly focus on studying food security and issues surrounding sustainability. I apply this knowledge to my journalism classes, as I mainly write on topics around food waste, security, and sustainability. 

Double majoring is difficult, but to me it feels so worth it since the majors perfectly correlate. This means that taking a class in  either major will benefit me in the long run, as I can apply my knowledge learned from one major to the other one. Also, this makes it easy to join clubs and meet people on campus to complement and progress my two majors. 

The act of double majoring allows you to meet a wide variety of people as you take classes for your major with two separate groups. This aspect brings a multitude of unique perspectives and experiences that will help you in the long run.

I believe it is important to go to college for something you are genuinely passionate about. You should never feel bored or empty taking classes that are required for your major. It is natural to not 100% enjoy every single class in your college career, but you should at least feel excited about the work you create.

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