College News at StudentStuff.com

Hello, New York Times! The College Field Trip I’ll Never Forget

Through the stress of exams, papers, friends, sports, and making it to class in general, the thought of missing an entire day of classes for an optional field trip may seem a bit insane. Not only would you have to get notes, but you’d also have to miss out on crucial “attendance points” that your teachers can deduct from your grade when you miss. (That’s right, these professors are hard core. They don’t mess around. They mean business.)

That being said, my professors this semester have been incredible when it comes to giving their students once-in-a-lifetime opportunities. For one of my classes I was offered an optional field trip to New York City in order to tour the New York Times building and meet with the editorial staff.

At first the thought of going to New York made me nervous. It meant dedicating an entire day to this trip and losing valuable time where I could be studying or writing papers–two of which I had due the following day. I told a couple of friends and family members about the opportunity and they encouraged me to go.

In fact, my family couldn’t believe that I was even questioning whether or not I should go. They aren’t exactly advocates of missing class, but when would I ever be given this opportunity again in my life?  Who knows if I’ll have the chance to visit the New York Times in the future, but I know for sure I’ll have the chance to sit in another lecture hall.

I rarely ever miss class, which most college students think is bizarre. I just don’t mind going to class. I’d rather go and listen to a teacher speak instead of reading an entire textbook the night before an exam. The New York Times field trip was not a way to get a future internship or jump start a career, but as cliché’ as it may sound, it was a real learning experience. It was an experience that I’ll remember for the rest of my life, and something that the average college student doesn’t get to enjoy.

I learned a lot from speaking with such educated and cultured people. I was also able to learn a lot more about how the media operates and how journalists play a role in presenting and choosing what’s newsworthy. There’s something about going beyond the classroom that enables a deeper understanding for the world we live in and the people we’re around on a day-to-day basis. The New York Times building was beautiful. Like the building in the movie, “The Devil Wears Prada,” the way it was laid out was very modern, professional, and surreal.

The employees of the New York Times were friendly and passionate about their work. They seemed determined to do their jobs as best as they humanly could. I can’t imagine the weight of stress from the daily deadlines and the pressure for the need for new news. Their task is not an easy one, to say the least.

Aside from meeting employees of the New York Times, I was also able to bond with classmates I had never spoken with before and to get to know my professor, who we shared 5 hours with on the trip. I was actually excited when I got put in the minivan with my professor as the driver. Five other students and I got to know our professor more on a personal level and hear about an impressive list of career endeavors and experiences as a reporter abroad. His insight was interesting and inspiring, and it made the optional field trip one I will never forget and could never regret.

Sometimes it pays to miss class!