<p>Are there any JHU writing seminars majors out there? How is the program quality?</p>
<p>I am an alum, not a student, but the quality is excellent. USNWR rated the undergraduate writing program #2 in the country.</p>
<p>Thank you for responding! Do all the writing seminars majors tend to stick together? What is the vibe on campus? Does everyone tend to be stressed?</p>
<p>^i’d like to know about this too.</p>
<p>Hi! I’m a freshman and I’ll say that any rumor about JHU being cutthroat, frustrating and socially inept is FALSE. People here are very outgoing and I never see people wandering around campus pulling at their hair because of the level of stress. Yes, students will rant at midterms but that’s about it - and what student won’t be complaining once in a while?</p>
<p>OP, my friend is a writing sems major and she enjoys it very much. All her classes are really small and discussion-style; I know that she’s taking something about Greek mythology, philosophy and a freshman seminar. She fulfilled all her sciences reqs in HS through APs so she doesnt have to do any more at JHU. I’m also taking Intro to Fiction and Poetry and it’s a really fun class. You have the freedom to write anything and you’ll have classmates workshop it. You’ll also have opportunities to write outside of class in the newsletter, or J Magazine, and HURJ, and tons of other school publications :))))</p>
<p>Thanks! Thats very informative! I am a prospective applicant so hopefully I can experience it firsthand!</p>
<p>@Platypus1212 What do you mean by stick together? Like form a posse?</p>
<p>I meant like if there was a division between the humanities majors in general and the pre med/engineering students. I’ve just heard rumors that the math/science students tended to look down upon writing sems students…</p>
<p>Current Writing Sems student here! I’d say that between all majors, there’s a sense of respect; everyone seems to acknowledge and appreciate people’s different skill sets. I joke with my friends that I can’t do math to save my life, and they tell me that they could never write poetry the way that I do. I personally haven’t experienced any sense of “looking down.” I think there’s a general misconception that some studies–like Writing Sems–are softer just because they don’t require hours of chugging away on a calculator, but I definitely don’t think that this corresponds to any sort of condescending attitude. I’ve only ever seen an outpour of respect for what I do, and I treat my more science-y friends’ abilities with the same respect!</p>
<p>As for there being a divide, I think the communal dorm atmosphere can pretty much rule that out. I’ve sat in the hallway doing my work (writing a paper, a story, whatever) as my friends complete Chem problems. We all work together and try to help when we can! Also, with IFP (the intro Writing Sems class–Fiction and Poetry Writing I), many non-Writing Sems students take it to fulfill Writing Intensive requirements. In my class, I’m one of 2 Writing Sems students and the others (about 14 or so… it’s a small discussion-style class!) are a mix of engineers and pre-med students. I can say they’ve definitely all acknowledged how difficult it is to get a sonnet’s meter correct!</p>