|
Welcome to Rowan University, where you can actually major in Writing Arts, not to be confused with English Literature. Here the University doesn't group writing in with English, we have our own department to excel in. This leaves opportunity for many different Writing Art’s classes that each have valuable information to teach. The question is, how do we decide which ones to take? I have conducted a survey, to determine the top 3 Writing Arts classes here at Rowan University, with the help of students who have seen the magic that happens in said courses. They have taken the time to rank the classes offered in the major, and explain why they felt so strongly about each course. My hope is that other students, even ones who aren’t Writing Arts majors, will feel inspired enough to take these student recommendations, and enroll in one of the courses mentioned.  The responses that the Google Form received were from Writing Arts students who all had a creative writing concentration in common. This common ground may have influenced the answers to sway more towards courses geared towards creative writing, but one could argue that all writing is creative. For the final reveal, the top 3 Writing Arts classes are….
Writing Children’s Stories had an 80% vote in first place, Creative Writing I had a 60% vote in second place and Intro to Writing Arts had a 40% vote, in third place. Are these results surprising to you? I honestly would have to agree with my peers, as I believe this is a fine list of the top 3 classes in the Writing Arts department, but of course every course has something specific to teach that can be beneficial to an individual's writing. That’s why section tally is a great tool to utilize, in order to see all of the wonderful courses the Writing Arts Department has to offer. Students were asked, what was the most memorable Writing Arts class to you, and why? A senior Writing Arts major had responded, “My most memorable Writing Arts class was my Creative Writing 1 class with Professor Romano. It was the first class I took for my Writing Arts degree, and she really pushed us to leave our comfort zone and try new things. There are so many writing techniques and ideas that I likely would not have tried, had I not taken that class. I have carried those things with me to other classes, both Writing Arts and not.” What a beautiful answer, thank you for sharing! I remember taking Creative Writing 1 in the Spring, and I also learned many different writing techniques, due to workshops and lessons that pushed me out of my comfort zone. Writing is about taking risks, and going outside of the box. Sometimes you may surprise yourself, and create something you didn’t know you were capable of. Creative Writing 1 was definitely a memorable experience, and I think many Writing Arts majors would agree.  Students were asked, Which Writing Arts class would you recommend to someone who is considering majoring in Writing Arts at Rowan? Why would they enjoy it? Quite a few students had responded with the course, “Writing Children's Stories” as their answer. A graduate student in the Writing Arts MA program had responded, “I would suggest the class Writing Children's Stories. The writing involved offered a wide range of age groups to study, each with its own structures and nuances. It really helped me grow as a writer and understand how to choose a target audience that fits my writing preferences. Poetry is also a good choice. It teaches the subtlety of language and the use of metaphor and imagery. These skills recommend themselves to any form of writing.” A senior Writing Arts major had also responded, “This was such an enjoyable and light-hearted class, especially for anyone who wants to write for a younger audience. You get both the opportunity to read excellent examples of children's fiction, and also to write some for yourself, using the techniques you learn in class. I always looked forward to going to this class.” I couldn’t have said it better myself! Writing Children’s Stories is a wonderful class that teaches writers how to write for many different age groups starting with picture books, and ending with young adult novels. It’s set up to dabble in each age, and show you the differences as the class goes on. I remember when I took the class, we actually wrote and illustrated our own picture books. Although picture books were an entertaining task, it was also eye opening to see how much work goes into them. The focus surrounding picture books was on, “page turns”, you wanted to make the story interesting enough on each page, that the reader would have a reason to turn it and read more. That lesson stuck with me in writing, not only children’s stories, but writing in general. I find myself questioning if what I’m writing is something that an audience would feel compelled to keep reading, if the answer is no, then I know revision is needed. It’s a tool you can use in your writing life, ask yourself, would you turn the page?  A few senior Writing Arts majors had responded that, Intro to Writing Arts, would be a beneficial course to recommend to a new student in the major in order to get them acquainted with how the course work is organized. I would have to agree, although it is a requirement to take this course, it was extremely helpful for me, especially as a transfer student. When I transferred into Rowan, I had joined a group of students who had already been in the major for 2 years, where I was completely new. Intro to Writing Arts taught me many different styles of writing, and it explained many opportunities and events that the major had to offer. Definitely don’t wait to take this course if you're a Writing Arts major, it will help you on your road to success. What are you waiting for? Writing Children’s Stories is the number one class here in the Writing Arts department, take a chance and add it to your Spring schedule. You might just find your all time favorite class, and a new love for picture books. BriAnna Sankey
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
Archives
May 2024
Categories |
RSS Feed