By Julia Bogdan
Like any other college student, junior COMM student Kiersten dreadfully wakes up in the morning and heads to her classes. She is out of class everyday by 11 am, but you can usually find her in French Hall for the next hour or so.
“I always have something that I need to be editing, uploading, or sending out, so that’s my golden hour to get it all done before the madness starts,” Kiersten said.
“People underestimate COMM majors, they call it the “easy” major, but it’s not that,” Kiersten said. “It’s a different type of learning than English, business, anthropology, and is not governed by textbook.”
Everyday, Kiersten gets hands-on experiences with all different kinds of technologies in the communication field.
“No, I don’t write papers all the time, but I do spend hours in French [Hall] editing videos and writing articles that get torn up by the “Red Pen of Death” just like any other major. COMM is not an easy major, but if you’re passionate about it, it never feels like work,” Kiersten said.
After finishing up her COMM projects, she goes home to get a head start on her homework and prepares for the upcoming night. Sometimes, that includes our Student Government Association (SGA), Junior Class Council, or making a playlist for her show on the local Top 40 radio station, WFLO 95.7 FM.
Outside of the classroom, Kiersten also serves as an Assistant Director for the Big South Network (BSN), which is a position she earned through a COMM internship she did.
“My job [as an Assistant Director for the BSN] allows me to integrate my video production experience with sports, which is really where my passion lies,” Kiersten said.
Kiersten was also involved in the school newspaper, The Rotunda, for 2.5 years, where she wrote for almost every section.
“If I know anything about COMM students, it’s that we’re over-involved. We do everything we can to practice our craft and [that includes joining] every club related to it,” Kiersten said. “I spend anywhere from two to eight hours a day on COMM related work.”
“I’m back out the door by 3 p.m., bouncing around from meetings or work. Sometimes, I’m home as early as 6 p.m., other days I’m home as late as 10 p.m.,” Kiersten said. She then proceeds to prepare for the same process the next day.
“Overall, I love being a COMM student,” Kiersten said. “They refer to us as the #COMMunity, and it really is true. Our professors are so down-to-earth and feel like family to me, I even babysit their kids! They don’t just advise us, they care for us outside the classroom and that support is invaluable in college, given the stressful lives we live.”
“Our alumni are so helpful and giving to the current students, they give advice, they help us find jobs and internships and they stay our forever friends, even when they’re away from Longwood,” Kiersten stated.
Kiersten stated, “COMM is not just a major, it’s a whole life. Be expected to get a family, not just a degree. You will love your professors and they won’t just teach you, they’ll prepare you for your future, and allow you to leave the program with enough experience and connections to find you a job that you love just as much as the people who got you there.”