Lessons learnt from a bad student

Sometimes not listening to the teacher can pay off writes Annie Caughey

How bad study habits prepared me for the real world.

OPINION:

IF YOU'VE studied any type of degree, especially a journalism one, I bet you can relate to this.

But if you're currently studying, then maybe stop reading as I'm sure I'll probably get a lot of hate from your parents, teachers and lecturers.

But full disclosure: my bad study habits have actually set me up for professional success.

Yep, that's right, those all-nighter library sessions taught me some valuable skills.

Firstly, they taught me how to source research from across the web in about 30 minutes, followed by a 30-minute skim read of a semester's worth of readings.

It's not about absorbing all the information, it's about absorbing the relevant parts.

To write 3000 words in just a few hours, you learn to type fast, and I mean really fast.

I learnt to multi task, managing snacking, studying and social media tabs all at the one time.

Then there's the great communication skills I developed from liaising with all the other students around me who'd also left their assignments a bit too late.

We used to form a group, share contacts and bounce ideas off each other, (pretty similar to how a newsroom operates).

See, back in my university days, I was stressed out by the idea of completing three articles, two research reports, one video, an in-class quiz and a presentation all in the one semester.

I'd freak out - how could I possibly be expected to complete all that in just 12 weeks?

While working in the journalism industry now, I work across any of five publications at one time, write 2000-word features, news articles, sub contributions, find sources and stories, transcribe interviews and write a moderately amusing Wednesday column - all in a day's work.

Do you think the journos covering the fire at the Notre Dame had time to run back to the office to do a bit of research before returning to the scene and covering the event? Of course not.

Do you reckon the editor of The Australian would grant an extension for the foreign correspondents in London as news of Julian Assange's arrest flooded the internet? Nope.

It's an industry where you have to think on your feet, find solutions to problems fast, sometimes work long nights and excel under time pressure.

All of which I had a bit of experience in thanks to leaving things to the last minute while studying my degree.

Okay, all the hyperventilating teachers and university lecturers reading this right now, you can take a deep breath because here comes part two of my spiel.

As much as I've learnt to work fast under pressure, more importantly, I've learnt the necessity of accuracy.

In my industry it is crucial.

Preparation, dedication and checking back over your work will always set you up better than just winging it.

One day, I'm sure I'll find myself studying my way through a degree again. At that time, I'll use my new-found industry skills of planning, accuracy and fact-checking to take my study habits to a whole new level.