Wichita State understands that students need real world experience to be competitive once they leave college.

In a 2013 survey, the largest number of employed students were not from Kansas State or the University of Kansas. They were from right here at WSU.

That is because WSU degree programs frequently push students to have real world opportunities in their fields, whether that be by internships or competitions.

Yesterday, Elliott School of Communication (ESC) students had the opportunity to compete with other students in projects that reflect what they have learned in class.

Any ESC student can compete, but it had to be in teams. Teams of two or three joined together to compete in two competitions. One to create campaigns for the Humane Society and the other to tell stories they found on campus over the course of 12 hours.

These competitions are in celebration of the ESCs 25th birthday. This is the first year of the contest and there are hopes to continue it next year.

Seven teams competed in the campaign contest where contestants were given a week to create a flyer, brochure, print ad or commercial for the Humane Society. If the teams win, their products could be used for promotion.

Ten teams competed in the feature story contest. They had only 12 hours to finish the contest. Students were required to RSVP to the contest so advisors could section off parts of campus for teams to go find stories.  The contest started at 8:30 a.m., with area professionals helping students brainstorm ideas for their stories.

Then, in their teams, students had all day to film and record a video or audio piece, take photos and write a story. Students were challenged to find unique, untold stories for the project and to stay in their assigned section. The project was due by 9 p.m. and had to be uploaded onto a WordPress account.

This is just one example of the opportunities available for students. WSU has a wide range of opportunities students can take advantage of to gain the experience they need to be competitive.

There is a WSU rocket club for space engineers that has won several awards for rocket design and frequently competes in competitions. There is a balloon club also for engineering students that does balloon launches off Wallace Hall. There are many musicals and theatre dramas that student can audition for.

There are many more opportunities for students on campus — but it is up to the student to get involved.

This is college. It’s up to the student to take advantage of the opportunities available to them.  If you say that the opportunities, clubs and options at WSU are not available, that is just untrue.

After all, college only happens once. The best choice a student can make is to try. So if you’re a student and you hear about an opportunity, give it a go and do your best — you just might find out something new.