by Cristina Pop

With the journalism course now complete, everyone is eagerly awaiting the final products that student have been working on during this class. Some will see their articles published by UKrant, while some have ventured beyond our university’s setting, pitching their work to various other publications.

Her dedication has truly paid off: not only is UKrant publishing one of her articles, but they have also invited her to join them as a freelance journalist.

Drawing from her experience, Jelka shares her workflow and offers some tips and tricks that might be useful for future students. While her methods are a solid starting point, it is important to note that different approaches work for different people. With that in mind, let’s delve into Jelka’s recommendations for future students.

Choose topics you’re passionate about

Jelka advises carefully selecting a topic you genuinely care about. “Don’t just pick the first topic that comes along. You will need to spend a lot of time on it, so take the time to think about your choice of topic.” Picking something you’re enthusiastic about can make the process much more enjoyable and engaging. “I noticed that I was looking forward to my interviews because I was genuinely curious about what the interviewee had to say, driven by personal curiosity rather than academic obligation,” she explains.

Do the research first, don’t just start writing

Before drafting her articles, Jelka dedicates time to research and familiarizes herself with the topic thoroughly. This helps with finding a good angle and preparing for the interview. She also reads articles from the publication she is writing for, to grasp their tone of voice. “In my case, this was the New Scientist magazine. I read two or three of their articles which helped me match their style,” she says.

Finding interviewees

Define the angle right away once you have the topic, to find the most relevant interviewees. “For example, I wrote about ASMR and interviewed people researching the topic. But as my angle was the potential of ASMR in psychology and medicine, it would have been smart to also interview a doctor or a psychologist,” Jelka reflects. “Just because someone researches a topic doesn’t mean they can shed light on every aspect of it.”

Bonus tip: If one of the interviewees cancels, Jelka suggests asking them to recommend someone else. They often have valuable connections and can suggest alternative sources.

Make a writing scheme!

Jelka always makes a writing scheme before starting her drafts. She makes a table organized in rows for each section of the article – like lead, nutgraph, and body – and fills each with ideas and key points. She then switches the ideas around until she finds the best option. At the top of the table, she writes the article’s main idea in one concise sentence, as a constant guide throughout the writing process.

“After I’ve done this, I extract bits of the interview, and write them down in the table as short sentences,” Jelka continues. This method helps her find the main ideas for each paragraph of the text. Jelka adds, “This was a real game changer for me, as it allowed me to have a good overview of the information I wanted to include and it served as an easy starting point.”

Envision your audience

“I always try to imagine a person who will read my article – like someone sitting in a train and reading it during their commute,” Jelka explains. This helps her tailor the content to her audience, whether it is friends reading UKrant or a different demographic.

Create a weekly planner

Jelka uses a weekly planner to track deadlines and jot down daily tasks to meet those deadlines. This helps her stay organized and on top of her assignments – a challenging feat when juggling several courses simultaneously.

Go through the lecture slides immediately

It might seem obvious, but it is easy to postpone reviewing lecture slides and then run out of time. “The slides contain valuable info that’s very helpful when writing,” explains Jelka. She makes it a habit to go through them right after class, summarizing key points in a separate document. “This way, I don’t have to sift through all the slides again later, and I can add useful insights to my notes while the information is still fresh,” she adds.

Jelka’s method for handling course assignments offers a practical framework to manage your workload and improve your writing skills. By staying organized, choosing meaningful topics, and thoroughly preparing your content, you can ensure a smoother process and a satisfying end result. Explore these tips, adapt them to your style, and find what works best for you. Happy writing!