Diego is finishing the fourth year of Journalism at the Fuenlabrada campus of the Rey Juan Carlos University. He began his university studies in the 17-18 academic year, in blended mode. When he finished third he decided to make the leap to face-to-face studies.
He decided to study journalism mainly for the sports sector. “I am a sports lover and I am always aware of them; especially football”, declares Diego. This profession would give him the opportunity to interview players on the pitch and be a live commentator. Although his passion for sports led him to study journalism, the student does not rule out being able to dedicate himself to another type of journalism, since he says that, “as I have grown I have become a little more interested in everything and there are other types of journalism that They are very interesting and worth trying.”
Q: When did you start to feel interested in the world of communication, journalism and audiovisual media?
When I was finishing high school, I began to feel interested in communication in general, since it was no longer all about having fun and not having to worry about anything. I was realizing that the world of communication is something very important in our lives. Journalists are key pieces for trying to improve things. Also, in my family, both my mother and my brother are movie lovers. My brother in particular has studied to dedicate himself to it. All this influenced me to become more interested in audiovisual media and want to learn about them. That's why I ended up studying Journalism.
Q: You started the degree in blended learning, what made you switch to face-to-face?
Since I started in blended learning, my goal was to get into face-to-face learning. I couldn't until the last year, for various reasons, but last year at the end I could. I wanted to change because in blended classes you go more at your own pace and it is not so easy to get notes from the teachers. The classes, too, are getting longer, which means that there are many fewer; with which it costs more to have a regularity and better raise the subjects. You have to make an effort, in my opinion, more than in person because there is a lot of content to manage and learn by yourself. When I changed to face-to-face, I enjoyed that year more than those I did in blended classes, although, in those years, I also made good friends, I had more freedom and more free time.
Q: For someone who is thinking of studying this degree, what do you like the most about the degree?
Personally, what I liked the most about the degree is the practical work we do. The fact of having to do both reports and interviews, having to do radio and television programs... is something that I think you enjoy and where you learn a lot. Although obviously interacting with people. At the end of the day, what one likes most is having a good time and I think that in this career there are few subjects that are boring. It is true that some subjects are harder than others, but at least I don't consider this degree boring, rather the opposite.
Q: What is learned in this degree?
In terms of knowledge, many things are learned. You learn the different methods that you will have to use in the future when you work as a journalist. You learn to do reports, to do interviews, to write… I think it is very important that this is taught. As much as you want to specialize in something later, it is very important to learn everything and manage the different resources that you can use in the future. But, beyond learning the different tasks of a journalist, I think that when you finish the degree you realize that you have really learned the power that a journalist can have and how important they are to help people and do the well in the world in general. Although this sounds very emotional.
Q: What have been your favorite subjects? For what reason?
Among all the subjects that there are, obviously, my favorites are those that are more practical, after all, they are the most dynamic and in which you have the best time, so to speak. However, one of my favorite subjects has been Political Communication; Something that surprised even me. I have never been very interested in politics and it is something I have never liked to talk about. I have always avoided conversations about her. But in this subject I have enjoyed and I have learned a lot. Very interesting debates were organized and people participated to give their opinion on current issues. In addition, this subject has made me more aware of everything that happens in politics. Before I was uninterested and now I know that it really is something very important if we want our society to improve.
Q: Do you have any branch of journalism as a preference for your professional future. If so, has it changed from when you started?
My preference has been and continues to be sports journalism. I will never stop trying to dedicate myself to it. It's something I want to fight for and I want to try. Despite this, if I have the opportunity to work in some other type of branch, I will never reject it. It is always beneficial to live different experiences to learn more about this profession. Trying other areas will always be enriching for oneself. But even so, my idea is to end up dedicating myself to sports journalism.
Q: For newly admitted students, what advice would you give them?
The main advice I give them is to enjoy the race; they will have many moments to do it. Anyone who likes journalism will like the degree because you learn a lot about it. If they make an effort and try to learn, they will realize that the race is easier than it seems. What they do have to do is not close their minds and think that if they don't like a subject they shouldn't give it up. From all the subjects you learn something that will be very useful for your future as a journalist.
Q: Now that you have finished your degree, what are your expectations for the future?
I hope to find work and be able to work as a journalist as soon as possible to gain experience. Although it is currently very difficult, I hope to be able to work on it, since it is something I want. In the meantime, I am going to do a master's degree in sports journalism to obtain more knowledge about the journalism that I want to dedicate myself to in the future.
Q: And finally, how would you define your time at university?
I define my time at university as a period of social maturity, so to speak. I have learned a lot during these years. Especially about the mistakes that are made in journalism and how people use it for their own benefit, instead of using it for what it should be used for, helping the people to stay informed and fight against injustices. This is something that you realize when you go to university. In addition, at university, outside of studies, great friendships are made and free time is enjoyed more to interact with other students. I think it's a great experience that helps both socially and intellectually.
For those interested in studying the degree in Journalism, you can visit this website:https://www.urjc.es/estudios/grado/577-periodismo. Or you can also read more student experiences on the FCCOM News page.