Jayden's Life as a Double Major

As I pressed the "submit" button on the Annenberg application, a series of doubts ran through my mind. What if I'm putting too much on my plate? What if I end up not liking it? I'm already going into my sophomore year  … am I going to feel weird being behind everyone? What if I don't even get accepted into Annenberg, and these worries are all for nothing?

As my parents would say, I'd have to take four "chill pills" to ease the anxieties of wanting to become a double major. Coming into USC as a Business Administration major was already challenging enough. Still, Annenberg had that spark that drew me to apply for Journalism. College is the time to explore every interest you have, and I knew that I'd always regret not trying to pursue both majors. When I got the acceptance email and officially added Annenberg to my academic career, a smile spread across my face, and I realized I was about to have the best educational experience at USC.

During my current week, I have two business-filled days and one day where I spend its entirety in Annenberg. I attend my managerial accounting and operations management classes for two days. Both have been great for learning about the more conceptual aspects of company management and business processes. Then, I have what I like to call my "fun day," which is my Tuesday in Annenberg. I have my trifecta of journalism classes of JOUR206, JOUR207 and JOUR321. Instead of the classic lecture, I participate in more writing and fieldwork where I can physically demonstrate what I've learned in these classes. I've been able to interview students around campus, practice photojournalism skills and write stories such as explainers and reports. In my JOUR206 shift (shoutout to my editors, Sully and Sophie), I've even had the opportunity to become a published author for Annenberg Media, making my journalist dreams come true.

When reading what I have on my plate, it sounds overwhelming. I will be straightforward: It does require super key time management skills and being diligent in knowing deadlines and due dates. When I complete my Mondays, I immediately start working on homework from the day so I don’t have anything in the way of my Tuesday homework and fall into the slope of procrastination. However, the two workloads couldn’t be more different. The business work goes into more qualitative problems and group project-based homework while journalism is full of creative projects that require more time to complete since you’ll have to go out and do physical work like attending an event. My journalism homework doesn’t feel like a chore at all – rather, it’s an opportunity to put skills into practice and feel as if I’m a professional in the journalism field. Annenberg is great at having these types of projects to prepare you career wise by mimicking what you can encounter in your respective fields!

As an Annenberg student, I've been able to participate in so many events and experiences. During my sophomore year, I went on an Annenberg Career Trek to Day One Agency, where I could tour their office and listen to different employees talk about their experiences at a creative communications agency. This trek shaped my professional aspirations since I now want to work at an agency. Annenberg also offers a Lunch with a Leader series, which brings in industry experts for lunch and a panel that students attend. They also have nonprofessional events such as KindFest, which brings light to practicing self-kindness and mental health care.

As a Marshall student, I've been able to go to two (and soon three) countries through academic programs. I participated in the Learning about International Commerce course, during which I traveled to Singapore for almost two weeks to visit various companies in different fields of business. Over this past summer, I went to Australia as part of the Winslow Maxwell internship program, where I interned at a bank in Sydney for two months. This next spring, I'll study abroad at the Rotterdam School of Management for the entire semester. 

Throughout all these experiences and opportunities from both schools, I've been so fortunate to have had such a fulfilling college experience so far. As a double major in two different schools, I receive so much care and diligence in my academic career through these fantastic resources and opportunities. Especially in Annenberg, I knew there was no downside to adding on journalism because of the new doors that would be opened for me.

Throughout my college career, I have been so glad I took this leap of faith in academically pursuing an interest of mine, and that's what college is about. It's taking the time to learn what you like, and especially don't like, for any academic or extracurricular interests — utilizing the resources schools like Annenberg help to lead you in the right direction, too. But no matter what, you'll always fall into place, and USC will help you get where you need to be.