<p>Before when I first chose my major, I was really excited yet now I find myself rethinking my major. I’m a good writer and enjoy it (for the most part…) but I’m not entirely sure if I want to make a career out of it. </p>
<p>Can anyone tell me what to expect first-hand as an English Major at FSU? Good/Bad Proffesors? What fields did or do you plan to go into with your degree?</p>
<p>Thanks for any helpful responses!</p>
<p>{{Class of 2o12!}}</p>
<p>I graduated from FSU’s undergraduate program in Creative Writing a few years back. You could say that I have relevant experience.</p>
<p>Bad news first: CRW is incredibly competitive. Though technically not a limited access program (as Business and Communications are), you will nevertheless be required to pass through a few limited-admission workshops in order to complete the track. The vast majority of students who enter the CRW program with the intent of completing the degree track ultimately end up graduating through the Literature track or a related degree because they are unable to gain admission to the upper division workshops. One adviser told me that about 80% of CRW intent majors ultimately end up with a different degree - I can’t vouch for the accuracy of those numbers, however.</p>
<p>It’s not just a simple matter of registering early; you will have to submit writing samples and an application to the instructor whose workshop(s) interest(s) you. You won’t be the only one applying, of course, so your goal will be to impress the instructor more than your peers do. The numbers alone tell the story well enough: if I recall correctly, there were something like 800 students each seeking one of about 150 seats (across article&essay, fiction, and poetry) during my final semester at FSU. And you’ll have to do it twice. To compound the problem, students who have already taken an advanced workshop are eligible to repeat the same course for extra credit - they’re required to apply like everybody else, but they’re almost always given preference over new students. So, really, only 60-70 of those 100 “open” seats are realistically available new students.</p>
<p>Now for the good news: if you can make it, you’ll be rewarded with a pretty solid education in the subject. FSU’s CRW program is easily one of the best in the entire country, and all of your instructors at the advanced level will be published authors and editors. Not only will you be taught to refine your writing techniques and style (from basic prose to plot and character development, or subject matter), but you’ll learn about the publication process from people who are involved with it on a regular basis. Moreover, they’re all pretty well connected. I can remember one particular time when we were reviewing a portion of a novel written by a well-known author. Halfway through the chapter in question, my instructor halted the class and called the writer on speaker phone.</p>
<p>So the program has plenty of merit if you can deal with the competition, as well as the drama and politics that come with it. If there’s anything I can suggest to give you an edge, it would be to get to know your instructors well. They do talk to one another - and a recommendation from your entry-level workshop teacher (particularly if said teacher also teaches advanced workshops!) can go a long way towards securing you a seat in the upper level workshops.</p>
<p>Concerning careers:
That’s really up to you. Many of my peers ultimately chose to pursue a career in writing, editing or publishing, as was their wont, but I went down a different path. I was initially hired by a business consulting firm to work in their marketing and advertising department (I wrote business plans and financing proposals for clients, in addition to press releases and promotional copy). Through that experience, I learned quite a bit about the banking and construction industries. Eventually, I was lured away to act as the Marketing Director for a privately-held multi-million dollar construction company in Florida. Did that for a while, and then returned to school to study Physics and Geology. Today, I work in the energy industry. I should note that all of this happened over the span of just a couple of years!</p>
<p>You can think of a degree in CRW as a lead-in to writing or editing, or as broad-based preparation for a professional career. In any case, you won’t be pigeon-holed the way you are with other options.</p>
<p>akhbhaat…</p>
<p>All I can say is “Wow!”. This is exactly the kind of information I was looking for. I had no idea whatsoever that this major was so competitive at FSU. I will admit it’s a bit intimidating but I think I’m up for the challenge ;)</p>
<p>A worry I had in the back of my mind was concerning the career path I would soon follow. Knowing I won’t be stuck with only one or two options gives me a much needed sigh of relief.</p>
<p>Thanks again for the great info!</p>
<p>Glad I could help. :)</p>
<p>A few more bits of advice: take the entry level workshops as early as possible (perhaps as early as your sophomore year - but definitely no later than the beginning of junior year). This will give you more opportunities to meet the various people in the department and make yourself known while building up a nice writing portfolio and refining your technique. Once you complete the entry level stuff, start applying to as many advanced workshops as you can, every semester. Taking those classes should be your absolute priority; everything else is secondary. And apply early!</p>
<p>Getting into the workshops is difficult but certainly not impossible. You can make things a lot easier for yourself if you do the right things. For example, a personal e-mail sent directly to the professor teaching your top choice will help you stand out from the crowd. If all else fails, wait until the drop/add period begins for the next semester and then keep an eye on the workshops on the FSU course search - if you see a seat open up in one of the workshops (every once in a while, somebody does actually drop the class), e-mail the teacher immediately with some writing samples. It does work - that’s actually how I got into one of the upper level workshops I took. My opinion is that anybody who really to get through it, will.</p>
<p>As far as particular instructors are concerned, there isn’t much to say. I didn’t have any “bad” (as in avoid for any reason) instructors throughout my time there, but they all have very different personalities, preferences, and some are definitely harder than others.</p>
<p>Great information! :)</p>