How "Intense" are the Writing-Intensive Courses?

Momwaitingfornew
Thu, 26 May 2011 06:44:53 +0000

TD is correct. A lot of students arrive at college (not just Smith) thinking that they can write, only to discover that their skills are inadequate for college-level work. If you got As on high school papers without expending much effort, consider that a potential warning sign – and definitely register for a writing intensive course. (I’m assuming that they are still optional.) It may be a struggle at first if your high school preparation fell short, but you will learn invaluable skills in the process.

Another word about high school preparation: Don’t panic if you feel or discover that you weren’t well-prepared for college. Smith takes out the first year grades from Latin Honors calculations for a reason: many students experience an adjustment period. If my daughter’s friends were any indication, I’d say that about half of first years struggle their first semester, maybe even their first year. If it happens to you, you’ll be in good company. By sophomore fall, most students have successfully made the adjustment.