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A Letter to my Past Self Who Chose PR

Writer's picture: Temple PRSSATemple PRSSA

Dear self,


Not long ago you felt concerned when an email from an academic advisor pinged your inbox. The time to declare a major had arrived, and you felt no closer to a decision than on your first day of college classes.

You love writing, so you did some research on Klein and communications (I don’t really remember why you picked PR, but I’m glad you did).

Some nagging questions came to the forefront of your mind. What if having a major meant coming home with more work? (Didn’t everyone say GenEds are easy?) Did you even know anyone in Klein? The only certainty was the need to “Fly in Four.”

I’m writing to tell you how I still reflect on those days, and that there are some things I wish I knew then.


1. I wish you didn’t wait two years to declare a major in PR.


I know the original plan was to get your GenEds out of the way, and figure out what to study from there. Now I’m telling you they could’ve waited, because it’s left me little time to complete the dreaded search for internships.

2. Deadlines. Deadlines. Deadlines.


That’s all I seem to hear about anymore. Your clients are not going to be your professors. There will be no extensions on assignments. Go out and buy a real whiteboard to organize due dates.


3. You’re not particularly fond of watching the news. . . But I’m working on it.


You always thought it added an unnecessary layer of anxiety to daily life. It’s important to stay informed, regardless of what field you’re in.


4. Most of the work is done outside of the classroom.


Go out and attend events. Get involved. Make yourself stand out from the competition.

Back then, you didn’t realize that some of the hardest class assignments could propel you forward. Some of them will help you, who has no professional experience, answer the classic interview prompt: “Tell me about a difficult challenge you overcame.”


MR


This blog post was written by Matthew Robinson, Digital Committee Member.

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