Knowing if journalism is a good fit for you before the class even starts is difficult to determine. But, there’s a lot to this class that should be given as a heads-up. So, as the seniors of the Jetstream Journal begin to say their goodbyes to the school and the newspaper, they–along with current Jetstream writers–also have a few good morsels of advice to give to prospective Jetstream Journalists.

“This class is wonderful for teaching initiative. If you’re not prepared for strict deadlines and teamwork, this probably isn’t the class for you,” said copy editor senior Michael Boe.

“If you enjoy writing then you should definitely take the class, it throws dynamic writing challenges at you that are fun to solve. It’s a very hard class if you don’t enjoy writing though,” said junior Eli Andrew.

“You don’t have to be an amazing writer or an outstanding photographer to do well in this class. The goal is to teach and improve along the way. The news room is not only a group of kids, it’s really a family, and as long as you are passionate about writing and wanting to have a good time, you will love every minute,” said marketing manager junior Parmida Mahdavi.

“Deadlines,” said copy editor senior Hillary Schiff.

“What Hillary said,” added junior Kailey Baldwin.

Generally speaking, if you’re one to slack on school work — especially electives — this class will either make you or break you. A lot of work goes into writing an article. You have to get interviews and pictures and put it all together into a coherent story with a minimum of 500 words. It can be daunting at times.

Some of the other advice given touched on the specifics of crafting an article and how crucial it is to get it done sooner rather than later.

“Get your interviews first, get your pictures while you’re getting your interviews and write what you’re passionate about. If you work hard and care about your article, you’ll create something you’re proud of and will want to share it with readers,” said managing editor senior Kaitlyn Waynick.

“Get your interviews as soon as possible and interact with the class, bounce ideas off your classmates because they tend to have great advice,” said junior Casey Hogan.

“Put your commas inside the quotation marks,” emphasized copy editor junior Rose Jones.

“Some advice to do well but also have a lot of fun in this class is to write about something you are passionate about, this is the class to make a stance, say your opinion and speak up about things so don’t be shy!” said junior Elina Landin.

“Be ready for impromptu debates and discussions. Journalists love to debate!” stated copy editor senior Leilani Hammonds.

Journalism is definitely a special class and community to be a part of. You can talk about anything you want, you give others a chance to voice their opinions, you get to show what this school’s all about and you can definitely count on developing your writing skills.

It’s so different from all the other classes you can take in high school because it’s for a publication, not just a grade. This class is strict, you have to be on your game and if you’re prone to procrastination and even self-sabotage, this class could be an issue for you.

It will either whip you into shape or be a dark cloud hanging over your head.

It’s all about motivation, passion and hard work. Remember that you’re putting your writing out so anyone can read it and there are others relying on you to get your stuff done effectively.

However, overall, this class is a great experience, and is different from other electives you may take. Just remember that you get out what you put in.