WHAT MASSCOMM UITM FRESHMEN SHOULD KNOW

Let’s admit that everyone has preconceived notions about what it’s like to be a communications student. Mass media sounds fun, after all of you get to work with celebrities, write articles or be involved in film and broadcasting, you could be a news anchor, but trust me, it sounds cool until you actually get into the course. Then you might start to wonder if you really made the right choice.

There are actually 8 major in Mass Communication and Media Studies which are Instructional Communication & Training, Interpersonal Communication, Communication, Management & Policy, Publishing, Advertising, Broadcasting, Public Relation and Journalism. And you will learn each of this subject during your diploma year if you took a diploma in UiTM. This is to give you more understanding regarding what all this subject about and to help you choosing a right major in any of the subject above if you are planning to further your degree later.

Anyway, there are 3 major courses in the Mass Communications program which I’m in. They are Journalism, Public Relations, and Broadcasting. If you enjoy reading and writing, it’s journalism for you. If you like to be busy and manage big, important events, then go for Public Relations. And if you aspire to be like Bernard Chauly (director of Gol & Gincu, 2005) or wish to be seen more often on TV, sign up for broadcasting. However, if you take up Journalism, you can also swerve your way into the fields of Public Relations or Broadcasting.

But, the reason I’m writing this article is to relate my experience of studying in Mass Communications for 3 year at UiTM Alor Gajah, Melaka. 3 years sound a very long time, but it actually don’t because during your studies, you will super busy with those of individual or grouping assignment, presentation, quiz, event, mid term test, handling an event and final examination of course.

At the first year of studies, it still hard for me to adapt with a new surrounding, and also a new friends. I still cant find someone that I can call “best friend”. This is because you will meet lot of kind people, you need to choose friend wisely or else you might become “cultural shock”. The most important is you need to choose someone who can help you in doing assignment and studies. That is the most important things, because each subject will have a group assignment, usually it consist of 5 to 6 member in a group. At this time, you need to choose who you can work with. Is he/she responsible? Is he/she dependable? You need to be careful, don’t make a wrong choice because it can get you into trouble. Imagine that your group member does not participate in group assignment, it will affect your mark, lecture’s perspective towards you become bad. So, you must choose friends wisely.

Anyway, once you are in university, you need to put aside your shyness because you will go in front of your classmates for presentations. Yup, dress your best and spray the scent of confidence all over yourself! It’s boring if you read your speech directly from a piece of paper. Your audience will lose interest and the professor might start yawning. So, it’s better if you learn to speak in public without actually ‘reading’.

Like what I mentioned earlier, it is advisable for you to speak up in class and ask questions. It is sad to see nobody raising their hands to bombard the lecturer with questions although they’ve kindly ask loads of times. Unfortunately, some or most students are just shy or timid or afraid that their English would not be so good and that they’d make a fool of themselves. Truth is, some professors love it when their students ask questions in class. At least they wouldn’t be the only one talking all the time!

Lastly, your grades. Usually it’s 60% for assignments and 40% would be your exams. You’ll be given around 14 weeks to complete your assignments and that’s a long time. If you know how to use your time wisely, you wouldn’t be rushing to write 8 - 10 pages the night before the due date. Unfortunately, many of us still do that now. It is totally NOT advisable!

All right, this has been a really long post. Now, I further my degree in Interpersonal Communication in UiTM Shah Alam. Perhaps I’ll report to you guys about my degree life later. Hope this post helps.