My DD would like to learn to be a writer in hopes of someday being a published author, but won’t be an English major. She will be a Civil/Environmental Engineering major this fall and is trying to choose a college from several to which she has been accepted (UVA, UMD, VT, Bucknell, NC State, Clemson). She will have completed English Language and Composition AP and English Literature and Composition AP when she finished HS.
The engineering curriculum doesn’t have a lot of room for outside courses so she won’t be able to take a lot of English classes.
- What courses should she start with in college English? Should she skip the freshman classes?
- What courses would help her the most to be a better writer?
- They are all good engineering schools. Would any particular school provide a better education in English classes?
Thanks!
An author in what subject matter? Fiction? Science?
I might take UVA or UMD for English, but with relatively little room in her program, I can’t see it coming down to strength in English. The actual room she has for electives/minor at each school is probably more important.
Which school is she leaning toward? It’s tough to recommend courses, in general.
Thanks for your reply! She dreams of being a famous novelist someday. So, fiction. She is also interested in professional writing as an engineer. Her top schools right now are UVA and UMD.
–she likely has 5-6 electives, but she may not want all English/creative writing electives.
–smaller class sizes are important.
For UVA…
–a minor in English is available (~6 courses), but I doubt she’d want to use all of her electives on a structured minor when she has more of an interest in creative writing.
–she’d likely require an ENLT 2000-level course.
–she’d probably want an intermediate Twentieth-century/Modern English or American literature course. Nineteenth-century English could work. Whatever interests her. Study the masters.
–there are intro/intermediate/advanced Fiction Writing courses in the Creative Writing section. The intro courses are either general (for 1st and 2nd years) or themed (for 3rd and 4th years). She needs to research where she fits, based on ability. She could perhaps do a themed intro course if she’s sufficiently advanced. Overall, let’s say, 2 ENCW courses. The intermediate and advanced courses are probably competitive for entry (require a manuscript).
–it can be very beneficial to take a playwriting or scriptwriting (film/tv) course, for comparison. These are typically intermediate courses, so she might have to lobby the instructor (drama department). Take in 3rd-4th year.
–I wouldn’t worry about a professional writing course. If she takes a few English/CW courses, she’ll be ahead of the game.
–get involved in a literary club/EC.
–writerhouse.org also offers classes.
–read, read, read (if she has time!).
–she should discuss her writing ambitions with English faculty and try to find a mentor of some sort. Hard for non-majors, but ambition means a lot.
–there’s no hurry for her to produce something in her 20’s. Keep learning and writing!
Thanks for your advice @Dunboyne !