Student magazines: well worth getting involved in

At first glance, the idea of a student magazine may seem like a remnant from a forgotten world. Surrounded as we are by mobile phone-wielding students, why would they be interested in actually writing for a paper-and-ink publication?

The truth is that taking part in such a publication is still massively worthwhile and has various benefits for students in terms of this creative process.

First of all, it's a valuable way for students to learn to actually create something, and be (in 21st-Century parlance) "content providers". All too often we see our students slipping into a certain passivity, where they see their role as being consumers. Whether through computers, mobile phones or TV, our students tend to focus on absorbing information, often at best responding with a retweet, but seldom thinking that they too can be the originators of articles or information of interest to others. 

When students are encouraged to take part in writing for a student magazine, they appreciate that they too are capable of producing content, and that, vitally, the ideas, passions and concerns that they carry in their heads and hearts are valid. They then become more than consumers lapping up what information is thrown to them, but see that their voices are important and are worthy of a platform.

This is particularly important when we look at writing for a student publication, as this represents a semi-authentic project for them to sink their teeth into. Students should approach such a project as an opportunity for them to not only write about what is of interest to them, but a chance to polish their work through a process-writing dynamic which enables them to develop as writers. After all, an important element of the student magazine is the semi-authentic setting of it, which involves students competing on content. When students draft and re-draft an article, and finally manage to get it into the magazine, knowing that theirs was chosen ahead of articles by other students, they can be rightfully proud of their industry.

Having a physical magazine really pays off at this time, as students can feel the magazine itself as a concrete manifestation of their work. There is a prevailing idea that our students live out their lives in cyberspace, which has some truth to it, but our students are still much more motivated by materials that have a tactile aspect. It's much harder to get students excited about a blog entry than it is about a printed magazine!

Not to say that these electronic formats don't have a place; the combination of making the magazine available as a printed version, a pdf, and a blog allows for multiple possible access points, and facilitates students sharing their work with classmates, family members and even prospective future employers. This last point here is often an unforeseen perk for students years down the line; when asked by a company or graduate course about how they can show that they are the enthusiastic student and English user that they profess to be, such an article provides valuable support.

In all, writing for a student magazine is a rewarding process which students may be apprehensive about at first, but which they soon see the relevance of. Long live the student magazine, and the hard-working writers who contribute to it!