If you think that taking 12 credits in one semester of grad school is a good idea, think again.

This past semester, I decided to do just that and it pushed me to the edges of my mental capacity. I came out of the semester with a 3.925 GPA (3 As and an A-), but it was trying.

That being said, it is over. As a result, I will be back to blogging regularly. This summer should yield some pretty interesting blogs. Here are a few things you can expect to see this summer:

• My experiences working as an intern on the data team at USA Today;
• Blogs from the Investigative Reporters and Editors’ Conference in Boston; and
• Q & As with friends who are interning across the United States (and maybe the world).

As for now, I find myself in the Mecca for journalism: New York City. Over the next four days, I will tour several journalism outlets, including the Wall Street Journal, Fortune Magazine and CNN Money.

Stay tuned for blogs on my experiences in NYC, mixed in with a few food reviews, I think.

As for now, I’m taking it back to 2007 and sleeping in a dorm room. It’s not glamorous, but it’s free.

May 20, 2012 | Grad School, Travel
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It’s been a little while since I’ve blogged, but it’s not because I don’t love you all. Life has just been busier than it’s been in awhile, even with Spring Break in the mix.

There’s been a lot of really great news on the journalism front in my life of late. The first excitement is that I will be a graduate assistant at DocumentCloud during the upcoming semester (and hopefully Spring). I am very excited for this opportunity, as it will be a great way for me to test and expand my skills.

While I am very excited about this opportunity, and the tuition waiver that comes with it, there was another awesome phone call I received about ten days ago. On the line was an editor at the Columbia Missourian, who wanted to offer me an assistantship of my own creation.

While Missouri prevents me from taking two assistantships simultaneously, I can essentially do one as an independent study. So I am happy to announce that I will be creating the position of News Applications Editor at the Missourian and working in that position in the Fall.

It’s very exciting for me. Thus far, I have only really experienced the reporting side of the newspaper. While I’m reasonably positive that’s what I want to do in my career, I think it will be very cool to see the editorial side of the paper as well. This will be my opportunity.

My goals for the semester are as follows:

1. Work with editors and reporters at the Missourian to do more stories that include News Apps;

2. Help the Missourian transition into using a new website and CMS;

3. Hone my own programming skills and learn new ways to create visually appealing apps;

4. Help the Missourian better utilize DocumentCloud; and

5. Make 2012 Election Apps that drive in a large audience and compete with ones at national outlets.

I don’t know which of these goals will actually fully happen, but I’d like to think that I have a good shot at each. This position is something the Missourian has been sorely missing, and I hope that my contribution can be the first step in creating a full-time news apps desk at the paper.

With finding housing in Northern Virginia for the summer off my plate, I can at least sleep well knowing that I’ll have a place to sleep well this summer for my DC internship. For now, I am back to the grind of schoolwork.

Apr 9, 2012 | Grad School, News Apps
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It seems like once or twice a year, I start a new blog. The first sentence is usually something along the lines of “I swear I’m going to blog regularly this time.” And without fail, I have not lived up to that promise.

But this time is different.

Recent events have revitalized my love of journalism, and in honor of those, I figured it would be best to share my experiences with fellow and aspiring journalists in all areas of the world.

In time, I want this blog to become something of a tip sheet for reporters, with my experiences sort of being the guiding light. As this blog develops, I’d like to include guest blogs from professionals and other students who can impart unique experiences on the masses.

This will be a journal of my experiences, successes and failures, as I try to navigate the world of journalism.

Please share and comment if you like posts, and share and comment if you don’t. I want this to be less of a story and more of a conversation.

Mar 10, 2012 | Grad School
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