Now don’t get me wrong, there are times I can be extremely confident in myself, and think that there’s no need for me to pay attention in classes because it’s not teaching me things I want to know. What I have started to do is teaching myself things that will be beneficial for myself in the future. I have started to teach myself things that are not offered as classes, such as after effects. After effects is one of the most vital tools used to create graphics for broadcasts. It adds a sense of movement and 3D that you don’t get unless you understand the program. I have dedicated an entire summer teaching myself how after effects works, creating graphics for IUP’s football and basketball broadcasts. It is important to me that the broadcasts at my school continue to get better, and look as if it is a professional team putting together these broadcasts.

It bothers me when I see people only putting time into there class work instead of furthering their education outside of the class room. You can only learn so much from a textbook. Most of the knowledge you will gain to help you in this industry is learned through repetition and doing. Most of the people I see at my university have never worked in a high pressure situation. They don’t understand what it’s like when you aren’t getting audio 30 minutes before you are live on air. They don’t understand what it’s like when the broadcast feed goes out, or the score bug is not working. These are just a few examples, but you get my point. A lot of times, things don’t work when you need them to. This is when you need to think critically, and find solutions. Students don’t get this understanding through textbooks, they get it by being in a high pressure working environment.

One of the best examples I can give is a time when I was called and told that we had to set up our arena in 30 minutes to host a high school basketball tournament. The tournament was originally supposed to be held in a different building on our campus but it had to be moved due to an issue with the water in the building. The only thing that was in place inside the arena was the basketball floor. We had to pull out all of the bleachers, set up the LED scorers table, create graphics, run microphones, and it all had to be done in 30 minutes. It was the fastest set up for a basketball game we have ever had. We did not panic, and we didn’t fold. We got it done. It wasn’t the most perfect set up we ever had, but for the amount of work we had to do in 30 minutes, it was a job well done.

Now you might be asking yourself “what’s the point to all of this?” The point of it is to help you understand that you can’t stop learning. Don’t ever think that because you know what’s going on in your textbooks means you are able to work in the broadcasting field. If you do, you will never be successful in this industry. When you get your first opportunity, don’t act like you know everything that is going on. There will be many things people say that you will have no idea what they are talking about. This is when you ask questions; learn more about what is going on. There are so many aspects to broadcasting, and the more you work in the field, the more you will grow. Teach yourself as much as you can before you graduate. Utilize the tools your university gives you. Don’t not learn something because it’s not taught in a class, teach yourself and use it for what it’s worth. The more you teach yourself, and learn throughout your college years, the easier the transition will be when you get a job in broadcasting.

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