No, I'm not the Fresh Prince.
But, if you let me take a minute (and just sit right there) I will re-introduce myself.
If you have read my blog before, you already know my style and if you scroll down to my first post, you can learn more about me.
But if you need a quick refresher, here are the basics:
Senior studying Communication with a minor in Public Health.
I work at International Programs on Campus.
My family is my number one, always.
I have an insane desire to travel the world.
I can't live without sushi.
I like to laugh.
and Elephants are practically the reason for my existence.
But anyways, let's get back to some COMM (aka Communication). I am enrolled in a new course and in our first assignment, we were posed the question, "What does it mean to be a communication major?"
Well, let's start with this.
I think that this basically sums it up! (Not really)
To me, being a Communication student, is to observe and dissect human interaction in hopes of mastering techniques of language that can help you to solve issues.
In other terms, I believe that many of the problems that we face in the world are because we A) aren't communicating or b) aren't communicating well. Most people approach a situation with a one track mind, not clued in to ways in which humans tend to interact.
I think being a Communication major is tapping into those clues. When you study communication, you learn not just about problem solving, but about so much else. You learn about media, ethics, rhetoric, history, public speaking, argument, theory, interpersonal communication, etc.
Studying Communication teaches you about why humans interact, how they interact, predicting how they may interact, and how to critique it. When you become a Comm major, you aren't putting yourself in one category, you are learning so much in so many subjects really.
I think what this gives you is an opportunity to better the world in some way. If you want to go into advertising, you can tap into what you learned about desires and persuasion. If you choose to go into public relations, you can use your skills in human interaction and public speaking. Communications is giving, whatever you can get out of it, it is more than willing to give.
So, that to me, is what being a communication major is.
We were asked another question, "What is communication?"
To break it down to its very core, I think that it's this:
A message between a sender and a receiver.
This message can contain nearly anything and do nearly anything. It can be used to persuade, to express, to narrate. The sender and the receiver are on a balance beam, always shifting between power. What comes with this message is also interference and noise; things that are affecting how the message gets to the receiver. Communication is using symbols and language.
Now, even that explanation is just breaking the tip of what we could describe Communication as. But, for now, it is the term we will work with.
As we develop into this course on theory, my answer may change. But that's the thing about Communication, it's always evolving.
Till the next time.
