<p>Thank God I found this! I have had such an awful time at Bryn Mawr, especially with the way I have been treated by the creative writing department. This will definitely help me pull through.</p>
<p>Don’t ever give up on your talent, NovelNova – and if you don’t get the encouragement
you deserve, be your own best critic for a while. Creative writing may not be one of
Bryn Mawr’s strong suits, but there likely is an English prof who can read your pages!</p>
<p>Enjoy the brownies! What a treat it was to meet Kate when she came back to campus
in '73. Down-to-earth and gracious – but not a word about her recipe.</p>
<p>I’m sorry to hear that you’ve had a hard time, NovelNova2010. I’m graduating this May, and while I can’t say that my four years have been entirely sunshine and roses and unicorns, I do know that this was the best fit for me, and I’m incredibly grateful for my time here. That said, it’s really important to realize that Bryn Mawr is a very unique environment with a very specific feel, and it’s not uncommon for students to find that it’s not for them. There’s nothing wrong with that, it doesn’t mean you don’t deserve to be here or you couldn’t achieve here, it just means that we’re a pretty unique place with a very unique feel, and it’s totally okay to realize that you could be happier elsewhere. I don’t think anyone should be miserable for their undergraduate experience, so I always remind questioning freshmen and sophomores that there’s nothing wrong with transfer, even if it’s just sending out a few applications to have some options available. Your Bryn Mawr sisters would want you to put your health and happiness first, and if this isn’t the place where your mind and body will flourish, then that’s totally okay! You’ll always be a Mawrtyr. Your lantern is mobile, remember ;)</p>
<p>I’m especially sorry to hear that you haven’t had a good time with the Creative Writing department. I’m a minor and have been very, very involved with the department since my freshman year, and I’ve never had a negative experience. I’m not sure if Ottoline has any experience with the department in recent years, but in the past five years alone, we’ve actually become a powerhouse in terms of undergraduate departments. We’re bringing huge names to campus every semester and allowing one-on-one experiences with amazing authors, and we’ve got Karen Russell, the 2011 Best of Lists darling, on staff, leading undergraduate workshops and being a general super talented sweetheart. That said, every professor is different, and if you haven’t meshed with the ones you’ve had so far, it’s always worth trying another class. Every professor has a different approach, and you’re going to find certain approaches and styles work better for you than others. There’s nothing wrong with that, since that’s how it goes in every college department. I’m an English major and I could not love my department more, but I’m aware that certain professors work better with me than others, not because they are horrible people or difficult to work with, but because I learn best with other styles, and that’s fine. Keep writing if it’s what you want to do, but approach everyone with an open mind and a humble heart, because when it comes to creative writing, that’s how you’ll get farthest.</p>