Thursday, March 15, 2012

AP Stylebook: My New Best Friend

I am LOVING my co-op at RIT University News and it has just a week! Everyone here is really nice and helpful and I'm learning so much! 

Here, we use AP style when writing press releases.  I have never used the AP format before this week and I'm plunging into it.  It reminds me of the time freshmen year when I wrote my first real paper in college when I had to use APA format for the first time. It makes me wonder how so many people come to use different formats other the MLA (the format I was formally taught in high school).  I even remember my teacher stating "This is the format you will use in college and in your career.  The other formats don't really matter." Now, I think I had a fairly good English education but this is ridiculous. If I feel so behind in formats, how did others feel? I can honestly say I have never used MLA format once in my higher education. I have heard similar complaints from my classmates at RIT.  I think teachers need to reevaluate how much time they spend on formatting and the types of formats they cover.  I understand it can't all be taught, but an introduction would be nice.

After adjusting to APA format (which I still have to reference on occasion) here pops another challenge! AP format! 

Thanks to the stylebook and the editors at University News who are kind enough to explain the technique, I am slowly but surely catching on.  My goal is to have read through the AP stylebook by the end of the month.


I will master you AP format... if it's the last thing I do!

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