COMM 297 (internship): final papers

By the last day of classes (Friday, Dec. 4), I need to have your self-reflective essay on the internship experience. Here's the assignment on our syllabus for Communications 297. And here's what it boils down to: Write about (1) what you did; and (2) what you learned by doing it. You'll notice for students working on campus with The Bulldog, I've changed the wording.

C. FINAL PAPER - The student will prepare a 5- to 7-page self-reflective essay on the internship experience, based on the journal he/she has maintained through the semester and relating his/her learning experience to program goals of the Communication Arts program [listed below]. This essay will be turned into the faculty mentor by the last day of regularly scheduled classes in the semester. It should be structured approximately as follows:

INTRODUCTION - A history/background of the department/company.
BODY - A synthesis of the journal entries into a narrative form. The body of the paper should explain the processes, projects, and learning experiences acquired by the student during the internship period.
CONCLUSION - Would you recommend this internship experience to future Benedictine students? Why, or why not? How would you improve this internship to give future Benedictine students a better experience? Explain how.

Here are the program goals. Not all of them apply to internships:

1. Prepare graduates for careers in advertising, electronic and print media, journalism, public relations, publishing, writing or other careers requiring sophisticated communications skills;

2. Prepare graduates for continued study in graduate or professional school;

3. Develop the student's critical and imaginative thinking, reading and writing skills;

4. Develop skills to empower the student to communicate ideas effectively, through speaking, writing and the use of technology;

5. Develop skills for critical interpretation of the media;

6. Foster aesthetic understanding in both production and interpretation of media texts;

7. Develop knowledge of the methods to make responsible social and personal decisions;

8. Develop primary and secondary research methodologies;

9. Develop an understanding of the history, structure and operation of the mass media;

10. Provide an understanding of the impact of mass media industries and messages on the individual, society and culture;

11. Develop professional-level skills in written and oral communication for a variety of media and audiences;

12. Develop professional-level production skills for both print and electronic media;

13. Encourage the development of creative expression; and

14. Help the student develop a professional media portfolio.