Five life hacks I learned studying journalism

I fell in love with the romantic days of journalism—the hard news deadlines, the smell of the freshly printed paper, the quick pivots and on-site drama. 

There are a lot of things I did learn over my four years studying journalism that I've even grown to say are great life practices or hacks to get you through:

1. People hate silence. They'll fill it and start spilling things they wouldn't necessarily normally say.

2. Ask why more. Ask probing questions to people, you may find out things you didn't know you didn't know.

3. Fact check (always). Don't be afraid to Google something or double check if you aren't 100% sure—you may think you know, but there's no harm in confirming.

4. Relationships matter. Seriously, don't burn those bridges or your sources, you never know when you'll need to cross them again.

5. You don't need school to learn. I learned a majority of my journalism skills from the student newsletter, and less in a classroom.