What does it mean to be a student of Communication and Media Studies?
One of the biggest takeaways I have from my time at St. Norbert College studying Communication is that communication is never just what is said. There is always a why and a how behind it. Learning about a wide variety of theories has helped teach me there are so many different reasons behind the why and the how. Each person communicates differently based on their past experiences and who they are. Overall, I’ve learned that listening also involves analyzing. While not every spoken or written word requires analyzing, sometimes understanding the analysis can lead to more discoveries or thoughts. Communication is a lengthy process that involves so many different parts. What may just be a few words strung together can have a much bigger meaning in some cases.
How has your learning impacted you personally / professionally?
Studying Communication has taught me a lot, both personally and professionally. Everything I have learned about communication over the past four years has taught me to be more aware of my own communication habits and to understand communication habits of those around me in relationships too. I think more in depth before I speak, about how the other person may interpret what I say and also what it truly means to communicate interpersonally. This has given me a stronger sense of self awareness and expression, allowing me to better understand my emotions. I’ve also learned important conflict resolution skills, including actively listening, and how to create more meaningful relationships by having higher-quality conversions.
After completing my capstone project utilizing social exchange theory, I have also become a lot more aware of the effort I am putting into relationships and have made a lot of realizations about current and past relationships and the balance of cost and reward. Overall, I’ve learned to be a lot more aware and to think a little bit more about how and why I communicate in the way I do.
Professionally, I’ve learned a lot of practical skills that will be useful in any job I may have in the future, especially related to marketing, a field I will most likely get a job in in the future. By studying both communication and media studies in various classes, I have learned how people tend to perceive things, which will come in handy when analyzing audiences in terms of marketing. Each course I have taken related to communication at St. Norbert has taught me to perceive more things around me rather than just consuming, which I think will be beneficial in the professional world. Specific skills I have learned include analyzing an audience, translating research into engaging content, critically analyzing media and research, and how to build stronger relationships of any kind.
Concentration
My concentration is in Communication.
Topics Studied
Topics I studied include interpersonal communication, communication inquiry, mass communication, social identity and intergroup communication, crisis communication, communication and mental health, political communication, social media communication, disruptive entertainment, women and media, and intimate relationships and media.
Scholarly Perspectives
I engaged with a social scientific/behavioral perspective to understand how communication impacts behavior as well as a critical cultural perspective to understand inequalities in mass communication.
Graduation Plans
After graduation, I plan to move back home to work until January when I plan to participate in the Disney College Program!
Experiences Outside of the Classroom
The experience outside of the classroom that had the biggest impact on me was my sorority, Theta Phi Alpha. During my collegiate years in Theta Phi Alpha, I have held numerous positions including Secretary, Fundraising Chair, Philanthropy Chair, Alumni Chair, and Marketing & PR Chair.
Being able to hold so many different positions and experience being on our executive board as Secretary taught me a lot about being a leader and working as a team. Having the opportunity to plan events such as highway cleanup and volunteering at Paul’s Pantry for one of our philanthropies, our family homecoming tailgate, photoshoots, and various other things taught me a lot about time management and also networking with alumni.
Through these positions and other sorority-related interactions, I was able to strengthen my communication skills during recruitment events and presentations. I also learned time management and accountability when having to juggle classes, academic work, and various sorority meetings and events.