<p>This is directed to current students.</p>
<p>With the freshman writing seminars, I'm wondering if the subject you choose is at all significant. Do most of the courses have pretty much identical content or is it important to choose a subject that's of interest to you? Also, would you call the class an interesting or rewarding experience and what semester do you think is better to take it in?</p>
<p>I chose my seminar entirely on the basis of subject matter. Remember that you will have four writing assignments all devoted to the seminar theme. If you're not interested in that theme, it will make for a long semester. I think the content of the seminars varies widely because the emphasis is on practice rather than theory. I enjoyed my writing seminar because it was on an interesting topic, but I don't think my writing improved. Most people dislike their writing seminar.</p>
<p>When do we find out our writing seminar assignment anyway? I need to know so I can decide whether or not to apply for a freshman seminar this semester or the next as both wouldn't fit.</p>
<p>Joe, I'm not positive, but I think term assignments come out the 28th.</p>
<p>I think that's right, and you have till August 18th to apply for freshman seminars. There is plenty of time to decide.</p>
<p>Yes, the content is significant. You will have to write several papers, including an in-depth research paper, on this topic, so you should like it if at all possible. I really enjoyed my seminar, both because of the topic, which I found fascinating, and because I enjoyed fine-tuning my writing. It is fair to say that a lot of students hate their writing seminars. Take them seriously, though. I work in the writing center, and I see so many "high school" essays that could get much better grades if the kids just paid attention to their writing instructors. They teach college-level writing, which you will need to be able to produce for Princeton classes.</p>
<p>Take a subject that's interesting to you, and read the descriptions pretty carefully. Some people like their writing seminars, most people hate them. I wish I had found mine useful, as I would like to be a better writer, but the types of writing that we were taught (op-edish pieces) were not very useful over the rest of my princeton career. It also seems as if the professors are told to give very low grades on the first assignment so that everyone believes that they have to improve, and then to gradually raise the grades regardless of actual improvement so that it seems as if you have improved.</p>
<p>Also keep in mind the time of day that it meets. I know some people who would have enjoyed their writing seminar a whole lot more if it didn't meet at 8:30AM.</p>
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It also seems as if the professors are told to give very low grades on the first assignment so that everyone believes that they have to improve, and then to gradually raise the grades regardless of actual improvement so that it seems as if you have improved.
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<p>This is very true. A lot of my friends got B's on their first paper and still got an A- in the course.</p>
<p>I have another suggestion. Check the reputation of the writing seminar with students from the previous year. Keep in mind their opinions are really only valid if the professor is the same. This is important because some of the most interesting topics have the potential to be badly taught, while other seemingly random subjects for writing seminars can be fascinating under a talented professor. </p>
<p>To start off:</p>
<p>The CBLI writing course Refugees, Immigrants, and Social Justice comes highly recommended by friends. If it's run like two years ago, there includes a field research aspect that can be very refreshing.</p>
<p>I took Color from Stephen Donatelli. I found him to be a fascinating man, was very proud of the work he drew out of me, and the seminar was pretty chill. The papers I wrote ranged from why two characters who both lost the ability to see color in their life reacted in vastly different ways, to a research paper on the way Chinese Communists co-opted red during the Cultural Revolution. My warning is that Professor Donatelli does not take a technical approach. He'll mention footnotes, but won't go through exactly how to format them. We could choose basically any topic within a broad category for our paper and the paper structure was pretty much up to us. I appreciated the flexibility and already had a strong writing background, so didn't quite need the specifics on formatting (though I would have appreciated them). What I enjoyed the most were the individual sessions I had with Professor Donatelli, because he approaches writing as an art, and tries to draw that out of his students.</p>
<p>"Color" is supposed to be easy. I took one about Darwin and it was ultimately rewarding, though grading was much harsher than other seminars. Writing seminar is NOT something to get excited about. You'll find that out after your first class or two!</p>
<p>It really depends on the professor and the subject matter! Most of the profs are not trained in teaching writing skills - they are simply experts in their field and able to teach an extra class. That being said, my prof was well-versed in the subject matter (world music) but also extremely helpful at guiding the writing process and providing constructive criticism. But she was definitely the exception and not the rule based on what my friends told me about their professors.</p>
<p>Also, try to remember that the more technical/sciency-sounding seminars, like ones about computers or the environment, tend to attract the BSE kids. Many of the BSE kids (not all!!! don't shoot me!!!) are weaker writers, so I know AB kids who were the best writers in their science-themed writing sems just because they were up against kids who were better with numbers and formulas. This principle generally applies in reverse as well - one of my BSE friends took a Shakespeare-themed writing sem and really had a hard time since he was the weakest writer in the class...not a BAD writer, just weak in comparison to hardcore, Shakespeare-loving, English-major-destined kids. Just something to keep in mind.</p>
<p>Definitely choose a subject that you're interested in as you'll be doing a lot of reading/writing/discussing on it. However, keep in mind that just because you like the topic doesn't mean you'll get good grades or improve your writing. The professors are vastly different, since they come from all experience levels and disciplines (some are grad students) so they'll grade and teach differently. In general most people find writing seminars to be a pain that doesn't improve their writing and teaches them methods they'll never use again, but ask around for which profs are good to make the most of the experience.</p>