Going to my first writer’s meeting for Hilltop Views, I didn’t know it would be such a valuable experience. My first article was a review of the then new “DragonForce” album, and when I described the music as “epic” and the editors didn’t take it out, I knew I’d found a place my writing could call home.

After that I was hooked and wrote dozens of articles as my writing began to develop. Whereas freshman-Jake started stories by asking “How do I want to write this?” sophomore-Jake asked “How would my audience want to read this?” It’s a crucial step in the development of any writer, and Hilltop Views provided ample ground to test my footing.

Most classes tend to be individually focused: The most substantial assignments are ones that you have had to complete on your own. But working at “Hilltop Views” provided a valuable counterpoint to the individualistic nature of courses. Writing becomes an entirely different activity when it’s collaborative, and “Hilltop Views” taught me to take pride not in my work as an individual, but as a member of a collective group.

As a final note for all students, the most important factor in finding a job, outside of coursework, has been working at “Hilltop Views.” I really can’t overemphasize the value of writing for the paper if you want to gain real-world writing experience.