Did my courses teach me all that much? Yes and no. My J-school knews the importance of multimedia and is a leader in the area but most J-schools are still behind the curve. I came out knowing how to shoot/edit video/audio, take/edit pictures and create slide shows. And I am a writer, always have been. Never thought I would have acquired those skills, especially since I missed a part of the digital revolution in my early-to-mid 20s. For the most part I have taught myself the technology ahead of the curve and during school I helped pass it on to professors who, just like the rest of us, are learning along the way. A new ad network comes out everyday. A new smart phone platform. A new social media API. Android or iOS? HTML5 or Flash? The “experts” cannot even answer these questions, let alone the j-schools.

I count myself lucky. I would have never been in the position that I am now if not for j-school. It was great for me. It might not be great for others. There is value to a j-school these days (even those who are foolish enough to get a Masters in journalism) and I am living proof.

As Jeff says “The degree doesn’t matter if you don’t have work ethic, aggressiveness, initiative and common sense.” True. j-school can help you break down a door otherwise closed but only you can make yourself succeed.

Also, an obscure aside. This article was written on my birthday.

Rock on.