Being on a journal means having to write a note. Despite the cutesy term for it, a journal note isn't something that you can write on the back of a cocktail napkin. It's an extensive research paper on a topic of your choice (kinda, sorta).
Each journal will have different requirements for it's note. For the journal I am on, the note had to be a minimum of 40 pages long with extensive footnotes. Some journals require 60 pages, some require 20. You really shouldn't worry about that when applying for journals though. Although it sounds daunting, you have an entire school year to write it, and the journal (good ones, anyway), will force you to keep pace with mandatory submissions of drafts along the way.
The only thing to keep watch for is that your topic isn't "preempted," meaning that it hasn't been written on by someone else. You will have to check on this periodically, because even if you are 99% finished with your note, and someone else has just published a similar note, you will have to either change your angle, your approach, or your entire topic. It does happen.
Another old saw is to pick a topic that you love and are passionate about, because you will hate it by the time your paper is finished. This is mostly true, so I'd class it as good advice. The thing to be aware of for evening students is that YES, it can be done. There's not much disadvantage to evening students as far as writing the note, because day students procrastinate just as much, so I found that it all evened out in the end.
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