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LW, I laughed a little while reading your letter because all j-school students go through this. I remember the first time a source screamed at me and literally had me thrown out of his office. I called my professor crying and his reaction was, "Congratulations. You're a real journalist now."
It gets easier. You may ultimately decide that journalism isn't for you, but it's too soon for you to make that decision. You're new to the field, you're feeling overwhelmed by the pressures and deadlines, learning skills on the fly. There will be a point where you cry--there's a point where every j-student cries. It's normal.
As it turned out, I wasn't suited to journalism long-term for other reasons: the hours, the pay, and the constant stress made it impossible to have a decent personal life. But I'm still using the skills I learned as a science writer for a non-profit, doing it 9-5 at a decent salary--and helping people to boot.
So stick it out. Learn as much as you can. Don't make any decisions until you graduate and have actually worked in the field in a couple of years. And if it turns out it's truly not for you, take your skills to another career where you can still help to change the world for the better.
