Ever visualize yourself as the next Mindy Kaling, Martin Scorsese, or Trevor Noah? If you’re fascinated with podcasts, TV shows, film, journalism, or design, a communications school might be right for you. We caught up with Professor Anthony Adornato to give communications (and really all) students an idea of how they should be spending their time in college. Adornato is an associate professor at Ithaca College who teaches on social media and broadcasting. Adornato has also taught classes at Syracuse University and Utica College.
When asked about his most successful students, Adornato answered that it’s usually the ones who make the most of the school's opportunities. No one is going to tell you precisely what you should do, he said. Students need to be hungry and passionate to do work independently and, most importantly, be innovative. Technology allows students to create their own projects easily. However, he did warn that some students try to chase every opportunity that comes their way, which causes them to spread themselves too thin. He advised that students go deeper into the projects they’re passionate about and make sure those are excellent before moving onto something else.
His advice for students was to try to find their passion and spend time dabbling in activities they've never tried before. Follow what you feel good about and if it’s not working after a while, start pivoting. He emphasized the importance of producing actual content to demonstrate learning and show off creativity.
Based on his observations, the students who are most likely to get a job out of college are ones that build relationships through their internships. Particularly with communications, they do a good job branding themselves through creating personal websites and having an industry-related social media account. They’re sharing relevant content before they even become professionals.