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I'm
in a tough situation. I'm a sophomore in college at a small private
school. I'm from Detroit. I love to write -- it's my passion and my
biggest hobby. I have self-published two books and am working on one
more. I have experience with programs such as InDesign and Photoshop,
having used them to help write, design and publish a newsletter for a
large club I belonged to. I've designed and maintain a large and
popular amusement park fan site. My point is, college is really
frustrating for me. I wasn't allowed to take journalism until this
year, and when I am in math or science class I feel lost and -- well,
as immature as it may sound -- I just I want to write.
Ever
since spending the day with a travel reporter a few years back, I knew
I wanted to be a journalist (not so much a travel reporter but just in
general), and my mind or my goals haven't changed since. Everything I
do, from the trips I take to interesting things I hear, I always see a
story in it.
I'm just the kind of guy that likes to write and
share stories and information he learns. I'm even in the process of
creating a blog to write stories about Detroit just to get them "out
there." The school newspaper here is a joke -- the students know it,
and the faculty knows it, so I don't have a lot of "help" with that
outlet. College, after aid, is costing me $14,000 a year. Everyone here
is telling me I can't get an internship until the end of my junior year
... I want to make contacts, get in the know, and most importantly
write before that!
Help! I feel lost/trapped at college, not to
mention it is costing me big time. I've tried to freelance numerous
times and had no luck. Is it worth it for me to pay upward of $14,000 a
year to get a "communications" degree? Am I better off attending a
school in state that may not have as much prestige but would get me a
degree for a much cheaper price? Do I have any options as a college
student without a degree in being a journalist? I very much so want to
be an intern and know the value there; I'm just looking at the big
picture.
Andrew 
Finish college. You'll regret it if you don't.
But, yes, think about transferring. The journalism business cares more about what you do than where you went.
So,
it is time to get busy -- at your present school paper if necessary --
to get some publishing experience. We always admire people who roll up
their sleeves and get involved in fixer-uppers.
You absolutely
do not need to wait until your junior year to get an internship. Start
applying now, but realize that you'll likely need to have half a dozen
published clips to land one. That is where the school paper can be
useful.
Keep up your online activities. More and more newspapers
are embracing the Internet as another publishing platform, and your
design and new media skills will be prized.
And try to pay
attention in math and science classes. The best journalists know a
little about a lot of things -- not just journalism.
