Complaints to the Next Teller Please

Death by Journalism: Cry of the Complainer

I happen to disagree with your argument that many of the first year Journalism students complain about the course work and due dates given due to them having a negative effect on their social lives. I, together with four friends who also do JMS1, have not had much of a social life this whole year due to our various subject choices. Taking Journalism together with subjects such as English, Politics and Drama have proven to be lethal combinations that require constant dedication and many all-nighters from us. Together with Journalism, I am also a Drama 1 student and have spent the past few weeks of my life on centre stage rehearsing for our practical exams and not out at the Rat and Parrot getting sloshed. On top of the late night rehearsals I have had English and Classical Civilizations essays and readings as well as Journalism assignments ranging from 150 words to 1000 words. I understand that many people do not like to pull their weight and expect to be spoon fed answers but when many of us complain about some of the assignments given, it is mainly due to them clashing with other assignments from other courses and not out of shear laziness. I enjoy Journalism and its competitiveness, and understand that varsity is not just a joy ride but on top of essays and assignments, not all of us can produce written masterpieces within a 15 minute period as some lecturers might think. It is also important and healthy that students have fun at varsity whilst focusing on the academic aspects of varsity life, so going out with friends on a Friday night or playing for a sports team instead of spending the night studying might not be such a bad thing. Maybe you should interview more than one person who complains about Journalism and find out the reasons why we make such complaints before making such claims.