Posted September 17, 2018
Calendars are your friend: You’ve got a lot of cool things happening in life, both inside and outside the classroom. Creating a system that is most effective for you and your journalism squad is key. Try some cool apps like: Google Calendar, Asana, Slack or Zapier.
Lists, Lists, Lists: Keeping in mind that it is not a sprint, but a nice short jog to the end of the school year is important, but make sure you are hitting your deadlines. Keep a list of priorities, then make another list and another and another. You’ll tick them off as you go and feel accomplished, plus it’s a great guide to keep everyone on track. Take a look at Evernote or Google Keep for apps that sync across all devices at no cost.
Be a Cheetah, not a Sloth: It may seem simple to constantly be productive, but people will also focus on your inactivity too. Take your position seriously and be a great example to others. While taking a shortcut and relaxing for the rest of the ride seems appealing, remember you set the tone. Be a good example that motivates the rest of your squad. Work hard, play hard.
Risk It All: You will be asked to do things you’ve never done, you don’t know how to do and are far from comfortable. Say yes to these daily challenges and amazing things will happen. Before you talk yourself out of trying something new, walk away from the fear by counting down from 5 and going for it. 5….4….3….2….1 and done.
Group Together: It’s easy to get focused on a project and forget that you are working with a team of others who can help you. Whether it’s fellow staff members, editors or your adviser, they want to see you succeed and for the publication to shine. Ask for suggestions as you go through the process. Together Everyone Achieves More, right?
And remember Media Now campers, the instructors and advisers you met during the summer are a great resource for answering questions that come up during the year. Send them an email, text, tweet or snail mail them for help or advice.
