One of IU's main selling points for me was its amazing journalism school. As both a direct admit and a media scholar I knew a lot of my extracurriculars and classes would be journalism related. When it came to housing the Media Living Learning Community (LLC) seemed like a viable option. I was wary though. I was afraid I would overload myself with journalism. I was afraid that the floor would be competitive. And most of all I was afraid that my floor mates would be extremely nerdy. Despite all these hesitations, I went for it and now I couldn't be happier. Here are five reasons why:
1. DiversityNot only is our floor diverse in ethnicity and backgrounds but, surprisingly, in studies as well. The Media LLC is not exclusive to journalism or telecommunications majors. We have everything from film to physics majors, which can be a nice change of pace after long hours spent editing/designing at the IDS. Having such an eclectic group of personalities offers "the full college experience" of branching out. I should also probably note, my floor is not a bunch of nerds as expected.
2. CommunityOne of my favorite aspects of the Media LLC is the emphasis on community. Unlike other floors, I know all of my floor mates names and feel comfortable asking them questions or to hang out. This may seem simple but at such a large university it's nice to have a home base- especially since many of us are out of state students. Our floor does a lot of bonding with game nights and movie marathons. We've made our lounge a family room where you can almost always find someone hanging out, watching TV or studying.
Living on the media floor allows for a lot of unique connections. We have upperclassmen and alumni advisors who help us get involved with media outlets on campus. In many instances, they bring them right to us. We've had several meet and greets with faculty, alumni and professionals exclusive to us. In addition, we also hosted a reunion with previous LLCers. It's a great way to stay connected as well as network.
Because the Media LLC is interest based a lot of us have similar classes. This is ideal come exam time. Putting together an effective study group of serious students is a lot easier when you live with them. The Media LLC also requires all of its residents take a class together.Having similar interests as all 32 of your floor mates comes in handy for fun and extracurricular events as well. We have a calendar and plenty of fliers in our lounge to keep each other posted on what we're involved in.
One unique element of being part of a LLC are the leadership opportunities. Every LLC has a leadership council which hold regular meetings to organize events. Some LLCs, including the Media LLC, take off campus trips. This year, the Media LLC will be traveling to New York City to visit major news outlets. The leadership council appropriately plans and decides on a detailed itinerary and constructs a proposal for funding. This is a great way to build both your resume and learn real world skills. It's also an amazing networking opportunity for everyone on the floor to meet professionals in the field.
For more info on the Media LLC check out Media Floor Unites Students With Similar Interests.