College Builds Confidence

Before coming to JBU, I was a very shy person and didn’t like starting conversations with new people. Studying communication at JBU has helped me get over my shy nature in so many ways.

In my first semester, I took news writing and reporting, a class required for my major. The first assignment was to write a man-on-the-street story, which required me to go up to random people and ask their opinions on student voting. I was told not to use my friends or even acquaintances for this assignment—just strangers. I was so freaked out that I even considered dropping the class because it was so outside of my comfort zone. But I went through with it, and now I’m much more comfortable going up and talking with people I don’t know because of that experience.

I have also become much more confident in my ability to voice my opinions because of my experiences as a communication major. Last year, I served as the opinion’s editor for the student paper, The Threefold Advocate. I often discussed complex topics from these editorials with other staff members and became comfortable enough to write my own opinions.

Overall, I am more comfortable in who I am as a result of my time in the communications department. My personality has not changed drastically—there are still times when I would prefer to be on my own—but I have become more comfortable in interacting with others and in expressing my opinions.