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My 4 + 1 Experience - Connor Buckmaster

2/16/2020

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It was the spring semester of 2019. At the time, I was a junior in the Writing Arts Major. I got an email about a “4+1 B.A./M.A. Writing Arts Program.” After reading it over, I was interested, but worried if I’d be getting in over my head. A Master’s degree in only five years...should I pursue a Master’s degree? Will I be able to balance the heavier workload? What if it’s too hard?  Looking back now, as I’m closing in on a year in the 4+1 Program, I know I made the right decision. But how does the program work, and what has been my experience so far?
​

The 4+1 program allows Writing Arts students to take graduate and undergraduate classes during their senior year as they work toward their Bachelors and Master’s degrees. As a senior, I’ve taken four graduate classes (two each semester) along with my undergraduate classes. These graduate classes count toward both my Bachelors and Masters degrees. This means I’m taking twelve fewer credits overall (four less classes). On top of this, I’m saving money! During my senior year, I’ve paid an undergraduate tuition rate for my graduate classes. Also, because I have already completed one year of graduate school as a senior, I only have one year of graduate school left! (that’s the +1) Less time in school means less money to pay after!

To recap: the 4+1 program allows you to save time and money while pursuing a Bachelors and Masters degree. When I heard all this, I was hooked — I knew I had to apply.

Writing Arts students can apply for this program during the spring semester of their junior year. When applying, you’ll submit a hard copy of the following: the application form, a short essay on why you want to enter the program, and two pieces of writing that you feel demonstrated your abilities as a writer in specific areas (such as creative writing, journalism, and academic writing). Also, two letters of recommendation will need to be submitted via email. All these documents will be submitted to the 4+1 Coordinator, Ronald Block, who reviews your application. Then, later in the spring semester, you’ll find out if you got accepted! This year the application is due before March 15th.  

Everyone has different reasons for applying to the 4+1 Program. Some may want to go to graduate school. The 4+1 would give them a head start and save them money. Some may apply because the career they are pursuing requires a Master’s degree. Or maybe they’re looking to challenge themselves in a demanding environment. The list goes on! 
For me, it was a combination of all these reasons. I knew that having a Master’s degree would benefit me in the long run, and doing it while I’m still in school, as opposed to returning to school later, seemed like the best option for me. In the future, I want to teach at the college level, and that requires at least a Master’s degree. 

My workload has increased sharply since joining the program, and balancing my classes is a challenge. In my experience and opinion, graduate classes require more time and responsibility than most undergraduate classes. In the first two semesters, I’ve had to learn how to manage the increased demands of these graduate classes while also taking my senior level undergraduate classes. I’ve improved my strategies of time management, organization skills, and kept an up-to-date planner to ensure I’m completing my assignments on time. There are days when I’m on campus for ten to twelve hours at a time for all my classes. Much of my free time is dedicated to school, more than ever before.

Despite these challenges, I’ve gained so much from the program. The graduate classes have improved my abilities and expanded my knowledge of writing immensely. I’ve found a passion in creative nonfiction, one I might not have discovered had I not taken Special Topics in Nonfiction last semester. I also feel at home in these classes—everyone is a writer! It is a privilege to be among peers of great and passionate writers. I will carry the lessons I’ve learned and works I’ve produced long after my stay at Rowan has ended. 

I’m glad I made the jump into the 4+1 Program, and I know my future-self will be thankful I did. If you’re interested in learning more about the program or applying, click here to see the application instructions. 

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  • Home
  • Advising
  • Programs
    • Undergraduate Programs >
      • Minors >
        • Writing Arts Minor
        • Creative Writing Minor
        • Technical & Professional Writing Minor
        • New Media Minor
    • 4+1 (B.A.+M.A.) Program
    • Degree in 3
    • Certificates of Undergraduate Study >
      • CUGS in Creative Writing
      • CUGS in Technical and Professional Writing
      • CUGS in Writing Studies for Educators
      • CUGS in Professional Communication
      • CUGS in Writing for the Environment
    • Graduate Programs
  • WA Major
    • Writing Arts Journey
    • Required Courses >
      • General Education >
        • Science and Mathematics
        • Social and Behavioral Sciences
        • Literature, History, Humanities, and Language
      • Introduction to Writing Arts >
        • History & Materiality of Writing
        • Issues in Writing
        • Technologies & the Future of Writing
      • Methods Choice >
        • How Writers Read
        • Tutoring Writing
        • Communication Theory
      • Creative Choice >
        • Creative Writing I
        • Writing Children's Stories
      • The Writer's Mind
      • Writing, Research & Technology
      • Senior Seminar: Methods of Analysis and Evaluation of Writing
      • Portfolio Seminar
      • Free Electives
      • Literacy Studies >
        • Writing With Technologies
        • Situating Writing
    • Elements of Language >
      • Rhetorics of Style
      • Linguistics
      • Semantics
      • Editing for Publication
      • American English Grammar
      • Introduction to Anthropological Linguistics
    • Concentrations >
      • Creative Writing >
        • Writing Comedy
        • Writing the Young Adult Novel
        • Creative Writing I
        • Creative Writing II
        • Writing Children's Stories
        • Writing and Craft for Elementary Students
        • Writing Fiction
        • Writing Poetry
        • Writing Creative Nonfiction
        • Screenwriting I: Writing the Short
        • Screen Writing II: Writing the Feature
        • Magazine Article Writing
        • Fundamentals of Playwriting
        • Film Scenario Writing
        • Tutoring Writing
        • The Publishing Industry
        • Professions in Writing Arts
        • Internship
        • Research Practicum
      • Publishing & Writing for the Public >
        • Introduction to New Media
        • Self Publishing
        • The Publishing Industry
        • Publication Layout & Design
        • Rhetorical Theory
        • Environmental Writing & Rhetoric
        • Writing for the Workplace
        • Writing Comedy
        • Professions in Writing Arts
        • Fiction to Film
        • Participatory Media
        • Photojournalism
        • Online Journalism I
        • Media Law
        • Applied Media Aesthetics: Sight, Sound and Story
        • Internship
        • Research Practicum
      • Technical & Professional Writing >
        • Introduction to Technical Writing
        • Writing for Nonprofits
        • Scientific Writing and Rhetoric
        • Medical Writing and Rhetoric
        • Tutoring Writing
        • Writing for the Workplace
        • The Publishing Industry
        • Professions in Writing Arts
        • Internship
        • Research Practicum
    • WA Learning Community >
      • Publishers
    • Portfolio Seminar Overview >
      • PS Analysis Statement Assignment
      • Checklist
      • Core Values
      • Questions Concerning Core Values
      • PS AS Peer Group Instructions
      • Portfolio Contents and Uploading
      • PS AS Rubric
      • FAQs: Students
      • FAQs: Instructors
  • Internships
  • Careers
  • Faculty
  • Writing Center
  • Alumni
    • Undergraduate
    • Graduate
  • Awards
    • 2021 Emerging Writers Scholarship
    • Denise Gess Literary Awards >
      • Rowan University Award for Poetry
      • Edward J. Czwartacki Award for Fiction
      • Pat B. Tweedie Award for Creative Nonfiction
      • Award Winners
    • Excellence in Writing Arts Medallion Award
    • AnToinette Libro Graduate Medallion Award
    • Past Awards >
      • 2008 Hollybush Writing Competition
      • Write Rowan, Right Now! Contest
  • Student Groups
    • Rowan Writing Arts Club
    • Avant Literary Magazine
    • The Whit Newspaper
    • Her Campus Rowan
    • Odyssey at Rowan
    • Singularity Press
  • Calendar
  • Faculty Resources
    • Best Practices in Online Learning
    • Syllabus Requirements
    • HyFlex/Remote Learning
    • Canvas Support >
      • Writing Comedy
    • Accessibility in Online Courses
    • Racial Equity Online
    • Supporting Developmental Writers Remotely
    • Building an Online Classroom Community
  • Blogs
    • Writer's Insider Blog >
      • Fall 2020
      • Spring 2020
      • Fall 2019
      • Spring 2019 >
        • An Interview with Devon James & Rachel Barton
        • Confession Travel Writer
        • Self-Publishing: A Change in Perspective
        • CCCA Career Fair: Having Your Future in Mind
        • Alumni Success: Entering the Working World
        • Behind the Scenes of Rowan's Hiring Process
      • Fall 2018 >
        • Singularity Press: Rowan's New Start Up
        • Writing Arts Club
        • How Can We Evaluate Creative Writing?
        • More Inclusive Events for Technical Writers
        • Guest Speaker Manuela Soares
        • Glassworks Reading
        • Spotlight: Taylor Henry, Recently Published Rowan Alum
      • Spring 2018 >
        • Publishing and Writing for the Public: A Reconstructed Concentration
        • What You Think You Know About Technical and Professional Writing is Wrong
        • The Toni Libro Medallion Award Winner: Myriah Stubee
        • An Interview with a Publisher
        • Excellence in Writing Arts Medallion Winner: Sara Skipp
        • The College of Communcation and Creative Arts 6th Annual Student Awards and Showcase Ceremony
        • Rowan Alum, Marissa Cohen, On Self Publishing and Advocacy
      • Fall 2017 >
        • Upcoming Classes in the Writing Arts Department
        • The Writer's Journey Blog by Earl Garcia
        • Rewriting The Department's Social Media Platforms
        • Rowan University Writing Arts Club Reinvents Mission
        • Glassworks Launches Issue Fifteen
        • For Futuristic Consideration: An Exploration of Careers in Writing
      • Spring 2017 >
        • Technical Communication: An Overview
        • A More Inclusive Future for Technical Writers
        • Easing the Tension: Breaking Down Technical and Professional Writing
        • Growing the Technical and Professional Writing Concentration
      • Fall 2016
      • Spring 2016
      • Winter 2015
      • Fall 2015 >
        • 2014 and Prior >
          • Archive
    • The Bulletin Board
    • RU Writing? Podcast
  • ECCCA
    • RU Deptartment of Writing Arts - Home
    • News & Announcements
    • Rowan University - Home
    • Ric Edelman College of Communication & Creative Arts at Rowan University - Home
    • Student Groups