I switched my major mid sophomore year to Creative Writing and it was one of the best and most impactful decisions I have ever made. Creative writing classes are run very differently than all of the other classes I have ever taken, in a good way! Here are all of the reasons I am so in love with my major.
1. I like the way my classes are run.
My classes are run like book clubs and I love it! You never feel as though you are being lectured by a professor, it is always an open discussion. People connect to pieces of writing in different ways and in a class with an open discussion format, everyone’e thoughts are heard.
2. My professors are who I want to be when I grow up.
All of the creative writing professors at my school are people who I want to be like when I am older. All of my professors act as role models and speak from experience. They also all know what it is like to be in our shoes.
3. I feel connected.
All of my fellow students understand me. Through sharing our writing we all become truly connected to each other. Reading someone’s poetry makes you feel like you have been best friends with then forever, when in reality you only just met four weeks ago in class.
4. I rarely have exams in my major.
I hate taking tests. Creative writing majors are tested by proving their performance and ability in their writing, without adding scantrons into the mix.
5. I am encouraged and supported to think outside of the box.
My professors want me to see things from my own perspective and, well, think outside of the box! Having the same opinion as everyone else in class is boring!
6. There is never a wrong answer.
In creative writing, you can’t be wrong. Whether you are writing a young adult fiction novel or taking a risk by writing an experimental piece, you are always right! Professors want to say yes to you, and will rarely say no. The limit simply does not exist.
7. I have learned how to accept criticism.
You will get good, healthy, and normal criticism from your classmates. In workshop classes, you learn to take criticism and question your own work. It is normal to have twenty drafts of one poem. Don’t rest until you are content and proud of your work.
8. The smaller, the better!
In my general education classes, I have felt in that past that I can get lost in a sea of people. This is never an issue in creative writing; my creative writing classes are usually capped at fifteen students and don't have lectures.
