The Best Decision I Have Ever Made
By: Kylan Watson
Initially when I first came to Syracuse University, I was admittedly a little nervous. I did not know what kind of cohort I would be working with for this year and a half. Would they be very competitive and unwilling to help a fellow classmate? Or worse, stand-offish and arrogant? But it turned out they were a pretty down to earth group of people who were willing to go the extra mile when necessary. They have helped me see that deciding to come here was the best decision I ever made in my life.
Through those painful and hard days during boot camp, we all stood together willing to help each other get better. For you future perspective students, believe us when we say you become a family in the Broadcast and Digital Journalism program. There have been a few times when I needed a story idea or help actualizing it and a lot of them have been there ready to help.
Some people might say BDJ graduate students are one of the tightest knits groups in Newhouse and that’s because you need somebody to lean on during those six weeks and into the fall semester.
We have gone out together, and held events and holiday dinners at various apartments or houses–we keep each other laughing. There have been times where if one of us does not have a story, we will help each other find one. We go to games together and aren’t afraid to get on each other if the time comes.
In class we help one another with edits in writing and in Adobe Premiere for projects. Don’t get me wrong, it is still a competitive program, but we are family and do what we can to make sure everybody is improving.
We needed all the help we can get especially during 664. We help each other get through the news quizzes as well.
We also work together to help each other get ready for broadcasts especially for the ACC Network and for Mornings on the Hill. Each of us wants to either be in broadcasting or in production and so we need each other to do well.
When you start in the program one of the things that is drilled in your head is that the people around you will help you get either your first job or a future job. When you hear that it encourages you to make sure you keep your classmates close.
I really could not tell you why I was worried because now with one week left in the fall semester we’ve become as thick as thieves. I have brothers from Puerto Rico, West Chester, Oswego, NYC, San Jose and Guatemala just to name a few. Some sisters from Boston, Southern California, South Jersey, DC, Syracuse, Chicago, Atlanta, Australia and South Carolina. They have helped make this the best five months of my life.
As we get ready to head to the spring semester I could not imagine a better group of people to continue this journey with.
