I've been a student journalist at my university's newspaper, The Asbury Collegian, for four years now, from a staff writer freshman year, to the executive editor now my senior year. However, during the summer of 2016, I got my first taste of professional journalism, and it was eye opening. I interned at my local weekly newspaper for eight weeks, essentially joining the team for the months I was there. Whether you're a student getting ready to enter the professional world, or you would just like to understand a little more about what the job of a journalist entails, here are the lessons I learned about the difference between a university newspaper position and a community newspaper role:

1. LIFE AS A REAL WORLD JOURNALIST AT A LOCAL PAPER IS NOT GLAMOROUS.

At Asbury University, where I'm currently completing my undergrad degree, the budget for media communications majors is fairly high, courtesy of well-off alumni and a school that takes what we do very seriously. Our newsroom is housed in a wonderful space within a university building, and our needs are paid for by student fees. We have the budget to buy a new Mac desktop computer when our old one breaks down. We have the budget to sustain morale by providing one free dinner a week to our staff. And on that note, we have the budget and enough interest from the community to maintain a staff of 16 students—not that they get paid much, but we can give them all something, as well as structure our working hours to allow for another job if need be. I'm lucky that Asbury views the Collegian as an asset and such an enjoyable leadership experience.

At the newspaper where I interned, we worked in an old, slightly rundown office. Some of the lights didn't work, and there were holes in the walls. We worked in cubicles—not even the editor had his own office. This newspaper had recently been bought by a large organization that owned hundreds of community papers all over the country. As with most large corporations, executives saw the employees as numbers—costly numbers—and fired several reporters before I arrived. Upon my employment (an internship made possible only by the Kentucky Press Association, which covered my paycheck), there were three other editorial positions: the editor, a reporter, and a sports writer. There was no copyeditor. On deadline day, we passed proofs from desk to desk, taking turns editing each other's articles. There were no photographers. When I covered an event, I had a Canon Rebel slung around my neck and a reporter's notepad in hand. There were no layout designers or a creative director. The editor, reporter, and sports writer were in charge of designing their own spreads, editing their own photos, and creating their own graphics.

Interning in this environment taught me to be more self-sufficient. It also taught me how versatile you have to be as a journalist in the current tight-budget climate. You have to be able to write, take photographs, and design spreads. It's not enough to just be a good writer, or just be a good photographer, or just be a good designer anymore. Sometimes you'll have to be on the side of the road in the middle of summer, snapping photos of a wreck and interviewing firefighters, then you'll have to attend an art gallery opening and write the article about it the same day.