J198 Evaluation

I had no idea what I was in for when I signed up for J198. I was hesitant because registering for the course meant I would hit 18 credits, but my advisor highly recommended the class so I went for it. I remember the day I received the introduction email outlining what we needed to do in preparation for J198. Start a blog: check. Make a Youtube account: check. Learn how to edit videos: check. Make a twitter account: …you've got to be joking. If there was one social website that I (thought I) hated, it was Twitter. I've used Facebook for quite a while now, and don't even update my status once a month. Why on earth would I ever want a Twitter? I don't care what people had for breakfast! My excitement for the class quickly dwindled.

It's safe to say that I underestimated not only Twitter, but the class in its entirety. What turned out to be my hands down favorite class of the semester taught me so much. The wide world of social media has really opened my eyes to opportunities I never thought possible. For example, I didn’t think I had it in me to start a music blog, let alone a successful one. I learned how to blog and keep readers attention with different types of media, i.e. photos, media players, videos, links, etc. Twitter played a key role in my blog’s development. The more I learned about the networking potential Twitter had to offer, the more I learned how to utilize it, and therefore increase my blog readers. Because of social media, artists, record labels, and music publications have not only read my blog, but have shared it with their followers. I can’t think of anything cooler.

I also came into this class thinking there was nothing more to learn about film editing with Windows Movie Maker. I was greatly mistaken. Although I have taken an Introduction to Video Production and Editing course in the Design department, and have been on the Brown and White videography staff, I learned so much about filming and editing a video and turning it into a story. Editing quickly became one of my favorite aspects of the class (seriously…ask Andrew), and I have enjoyed learning new and inventive ways to tell a story through film.

I know that I have so much more to learn about social media, and I can't wait to do so. Because of Multimedia Reporting, I will have a leg up in whatever field I choose. It isn’t often that you can say a class has really changed your career path and where you see yourself in the future, but J198 has truly opened my eyes to endless opportunities. I feel sorry for any students at Lehigh University who don’t take this class and never get to experience that.