A few years ago, I had a dream to entering in the field of Journalism. That is why I chose Mass Communication and Journalism for my master's degree.
On the very first day of class, one of our professors asked everyone to raise their hand, if they had already received a byline in a newspaper. Except for me and one another girl, everyone raised their hands. They had all published their articles in one publication or another.
I felt embarrassed, disappointed and far behind all my classmates. At that time, I didn't even know what byline was.
The same professor encouraged me not to worry. He told me to start writing the articles and send them to media houses. I decided to give it a try, although I had no idea what to write and how to write it.
Eventually, I wrote an article about the SENSEX and today's youth. Somehow, I managed to connect the Sensitive Index with the mindset of young people and submitted it to one of the leading newspapers in our state.
The very next week, my article was published under my byline. It appeared exactly as I had written it - they didn't even edit it or re-write it. Seeing my very first article published in a newspaper was unforgettable moment. My classmates were surprised, and few of them told me that getting an article published in a newspaper was not easy. Most of their submissions had been rejected several times before they were accepted.
I was overwhelmed, I felt happy, excited and motivated to write more. While continuing my studies, I kept writing articles, and almost all of them were published in different newspapers. I even started writing a column in my mother tongue, Konkani. Many readers appreciated my articles, some even wrote letters to publishers expressing how much they enjoyed reading my articles.
Those days were truly memorable, and I enjoyed every moment.
