I’m Vanessa Lee, a sophomore in COM Journalism with a minor in Questrom Innovation & Entrepreneurship. Today I’m going to guide you through 4 tips to make the most out of your time at COM.
Tip #1: Get involved, use your resources!
I think there’s nothing more important than being involved in organizations within the college. There are so many organizations and clubs that you can be involved in within COM. There’s something for everyone, and I’m so grateful that BU COM is so inclusive and welcoming with students who want to try new things within COM. For example, even as a journalism major, I can still be in film organizations — which was what I did last year!
Tip #2: Use your skills both inside and outside of class
This advice is kind of related to the first one. COM is really special because it’s such a creative college. Because it’s so much about creativity, using skills learned from classes and applying them to individual projects is important. For example, for Film & TV majors, you could be working on your own film individually outside of class! This would not only build your portfolio, but it can also help you gain new experiences with the skills learned in your courses.
Tip #3: Get help from professionals in the industry on career advice and networking
Getting familiar with job and internship opportunities through resources such as COM Career Services can be helpful! It may feel a little early for freshmen and sophomores, but it never hurts to get familiar with opportunities and networking. Firstly, in COM Career Services, I like that I can find a lot of great internship opportunities. I signed up for their emails, so whenever there are great COM job opportunities, I get emails about them! Another website I like is BU Connects. This website is not necessarily a COM service, but it’s for all BU students in general. Through BU connects, you can connect with BU students or alumni who have experience working in the industry you’re interested in. You can send them a chat and network like that! I sent a message to a BU alumni who worked at NBC, which is an organization I’m really interested in. I networked with the alumni and it was such a great opportunity!
Tip #4: Embed COM in your daily routine
As COM students, being creative in your environment and constantly being aware of changes in the industry is crucial. For me, as a journalism student, reading the news every day and knowing what’s going on in the world is important. Embedding COM into your daily routine can set you up for success and make you more knowledgeable in the area.
That was it for my COM tips! Thank you for reading:)
