I can’t put into words what an experience comm 465 has been for me. I have learned more over the past four months than I had in my entire college career prior to this semester. I came into this class with little to no experience as far as shooting and editing are concerned. While I feel like I still have so much room for growth, there’s no doubt that I am in a better place now than I was this summer — when I knew almost nothing about putting together packages from scratch.
Dr. Zhong and the assistants at the lab were of great help and I couldn’t have asked for better people to guide me through this process. During the editing sessions, I’m sure I drove some of those people crazy with my constant questions, but they never complained. They took the time out to help me improve my projects and for that I’m grateful. I can say the same thing as it pertains to Dr. Zhong. There were numerous times throughout the semester when I was unsure about what angle to take with my projects and he not only gave me the time of day, but provided some insightful advice on top of that.
I really mean it when I say I have never had as much fan completing assignments and projects as I have for this class. While there were plenty of times when meeting deadline and contacting sources was a bit overwhelming, in the end, it prepared me for the real world. It was as if we were working for a news channel and our producer was expecting us to have our footage ready to air by a certain time. I met some very interesting people while working on my projects and I was able to help them tell their stories, which I had fun doing.
There’s no telling what’s in store for me as I go forward in my career in the industry. It’s competitive out there, but I know the things I have learned from Dr. Zhong will be put to use for a long time. The thing that will always stick with me, is the fact that Dr. Zhong genuinely cares for his students and wants them to succeed. When he speaks to you, it’s obvious he’s not just saying it to take up your time. He wants you to pay attention to what he’s saying because he believes it will be beneficial to you. Dr. Zhong is definitely someone that I’m going to look back on when I reflect on my college experience and be thankful to have had the pleasure of meeting him.