Journalism/acting?

Lollipop95

Hi guys

Well,as a future career I've always wanted to be an actress and I would be very interested in pursuing this as a future career. However,unfortunately I know it's not a very stable career.

I'm also very passionate about journalism. I'd really like to get into magazine journalism(like writing for women's magazine's when I'm older or maybe teenage magazines).

When I leave school,I'm planning to go to the GMIT college in Galway. Are there courses available there for journalism?

When I get my degree/diploma(I'm not sure what you call it) I would like to apply to an acting school(maybe The Lir/The Gaiety Theatre School Of Acting) I really would like to pursue acting but, I want to have journalism as a back-up plan.

Do you think this sounds like an OK plan or should I just stick with journalism and forget about the acting? I can't decide between the two

orlabobs

Why not check out the ats with theatre and performance degree in nuigalway. I attend nuig. Also, nuig has an awesome musical society and drama society which you could get involved in. This means that at the end of four years you still have an arts degree, but you've dipped your nose into acting. Then you can go onto journalism if you wish.
But if you really want an acting course, and really want to be an actress... go to england. Might be a bit late to apply for next year now, but for the year after. Try Arts Education, RADA, Central etc.

Don't just give up on your dream.

teenagedream

Lollipop95 wrote: »

Hi guys

Well,as a future career I've always wanted to be an actress and I would be very interested in pursuing this as a future career. However,unfortunately I know it's not a very stable career.

I'm also very passionate about journalism. I'd really like to get into magazine journalism(like writing for women's magazine's when I'm older or maybe teenage magazines).

When I leave school,I'm planning to go to the GMIT college in Galway. Are there courses available there for journalism?

When I get my degree/diploma(I'm not sure what you call it) I would like to apply to an acting school(maybe The Lir/The Gaiety Theatre School Of Acting) I really would like to pursue acting but, I want to have journalism as a back-up plan.

Do you think this sounds like an OK plan or should I just stick with journalism and forget about the acting? I can't decide between the two

Why would you be planning to go to GMIT when you don't even know if they have a journalism course?

pljudge321

Journalism degrees have a reputation for not being worth the paper they are written on. If you want to do journalism do a course in something like history & politics and get involved in the university paper and get writing.

Fad

pljudge321 wrote: »

Journalism degrees have a reputation for not being worth the paper they are written on. If you want to do journalism do a course in something like history & politics and get involved in the university paper and get writing.

This +1.

Do a course you're interested in and do a postgrad in journalism + write for whatever'll let you.

randylonghorn

pljudge321 wrote: »

Journalism degrees have a reputation for not being worth the paper they are written on. If you want to do journalism do a course in something like history & politics and get involved in the university paper and get writing.

The first sentence is an overstatement, obviously, but I would agree that you're better off studying some combination of history / politics / economics / sociology etc. as an undergraduate degree, and learning to understand and *analyse* what you're writing about, then top up with a journalism postgrad if you want to.

And take (and seek out) every opportunity to write and publish, even if only for Uni papers etc. ...

not bakunin

randylonghorn wrote: »

The first sentence is an overstatement, obviously, but I would agree that you're better off studying some combination of history / politics / economics / sociology etc. as an undergraduate degree, and learning to understand and *analyse* what you're writing about, then top up with a journalism postgrad if you want to.

And take (and seek out) every opportunity to write and publish, even if only for Uni papers etc. ...

Personally would disagree with the above three posts. General arts, history, politics etc will teach you to write good English, not journalism. It's always an option afterwards of course, but it'll take longer to get in to (increasingly because of the narrowing circle of employment options).
Almost every student paper in the country is complete ****e, their value as 'journalism experience' is severely overstated.

randylonghorn

not bakunin wrote: »

Personally would disagree with the above three posts. General arts, history, politics etc will teach you to write good English, not journalism.

They should also (hopefully!) give you a context for and the ability to analyse the story, something which I personally feel is somewhat lacking doing it the other way round.

That said, different people will have different views, and it's up to the OP to consider all of them and make his / her own decision.

not bakunin wrote: »

Almost every student paper in the country is complete ****e, their value as 'journalism experience' is severely overstated.

I certainly wouldn't be pushing them as prime examples of good journalism, I did say "even if only for ...".

They may be more accessible to students though, and at least a place to start ... I would certainly agree that students should make every effort to get more and better experience if they can at all.