Journalism provides citizens with truthful information, shapes public opinion, promotes the development of a democratic society, helps control the government, exposes corruption and disorder, and preserves historical memory, allowing people to make informed decisions. That is why journalism students choose this major. Today, Alina, a second-year student at the UzhNU Faculty of Journalism, will tell us, the journalists of “First Cable,” what every young applicant is interested in.
When asked why she chose journalism, she replied enthusiastically that what attracts her to this specialty is communicating with people. Learning new facts and information, asking all kinds of questions and getting answers to them is really what she likes.
“In addition, journalists are involved in educational activities, and I would also like to do this. I would like to involve our youth in meetings and volunteering in general. Encourage them to be active, caring, and interested in everything Ukrainian. Promote the spread of Ukrainian culture as much as possible,” added the student.
Of course, most of the subjects were interesting to her in their own way, but there were also some boring ones. For Alina, the most interesting subjects were “Fundamentals of Journalism,” “Media Linguistics,” and “Web Technologies.” However, she clarified:
“Frankly speaking, our department still has work to do in terms of balancing theory and practice. In my opinion, theory still prevails at the moment,” says the student.
What she remembers most from her first year is the Infomiska event, when students, together with the dean of the faculty and department teachers, went to the countryside and cooked bograch. The judges (ed. – teachers) tasted it and decided which course had prepared it better. There were also various competitions invented by their teacher. It was fun, interesting, and enjoyable.
As a freshman, I really liked it because it helped me get to know the upperclassmen better and talk to everyone in an informal setting, Alina shared.
What mistakes do freshmen often make?
“They start working right away in their first year. I made this mistake myself, but I don’t recommend repeating it. If you go to work, then find a job that won’t interfere with your studies, i.e., after classes. Otherwise, you may start skipping classes, as I did, and then it’s difficult to catch up.”
– What can you say about attendance?
In your first year, I highly recommend attending classes, because the teachers don’t know you yet and need to remember you.
– Three words you would use to describe the student life of a journalist?
Efficiency, creativity, freedom, she replied without hesitation.
Her words perfectly capture the essence of journalism: the ability to react quickly, think outside the box, and feel free to express your thoughts. Students like Alina will shape the future of Ukrainian journalism—making it honest, open, and inspiring.
Translated with DeepL.com (free version)
