In The Diamondback’s at-issue feature, students generally reply positively to the question, “How would you describe the quality of your academic advising?”
Unfortunately, from where I’m sitting, students rarely get the right information about professional writing courses (ENGL 391-395).
How else do you explain the computer science major who signed up for ENGL 392: Advanced Composition: Pre-Law because the time slot fit her schedule and then was unhappy when the course wasn’t relevant?
Or the communications major with no background in science or medicine who walked into my ENGL 395: Writing for Health Professions on the last day of the drop/add period thinking he could manage “because all these junior writing classes are the same?”
First a word about names: It’s the Professional Writing Program, please! Junior Writing is a term left over from the program’s origins 25 years ago. It doesn’t begin to describe the breadth of courses we offer today, and it implies – erroneously – students must take the course during their junior year.
Rather, the further along you are in your major and the more carefully you choose the type of PWP course, the more you will benefit. These benefits include learning to produce clear, effective, well-organized texts that will help you succeed in the workplace.
In fact, some students have gotten internships, scholarships and even jobs as result of projects they worked on in PWP classes (see student testimonials on our website, www.engl-pw.umd.edu).
As to which course is appropriate, while all students can benefit from ENGL 391: Advanced Composition or ENGL 394: Business Writing, 392 is geared toward students interested in law, 393 may be most useful for engineering and other technical majors and 395 is centered around writing done in the medical professions.
PWP also offers a series of specialized courses:
– ENGL 391A: Writing about the Arts emphasizes how working professionals write about art, as practitioners, administrators and educators.
– ENGL 391N: Nonfiction Narrative Writing and Editing involves writing, editing and reading about nonfiction narrative, a genre influenced by fiction, magazine journalism, memoir and personal essay.
– Engl 392P: Writing Case Studies and Investigative Reports is designed for those interested in becoming police investigators, educators, case workers, insurance adjusters or nurses – any career that involves investigative writing.
– Engl 393E: Writing about the Environment prepares students who want to go into environmental sciences.
– Engl 393S: Science Writing is for those pursuing careers in physical and biological sciences.
– Engl 394E: Writing about Economics examines the rhetoric of economics, including the neutral, political and discipline-specific.
– Engl 394N: Writing for Non-Profits focuses on analyzing and composing texts typical of non-profit organizations; students may also have the opportunity to work with and for a local organization.
– Finally, both 391 and 393 have special sections for Honors students. (For complete descriptions of all courses, see our website).
Some practical considerations as you contemplate registering for a PWP course:
Because these courses are required for graduation, waitlists are usually long, so don’t delay registering, especially if it’s important for you to take the course during a particular semester.
Learning begins on the first day of class, so if you do find yourself on a waitlist, don’t wait until the end of the drop/add period to attend the section you want. If you miss the first two weeks, you’ve missed the starting gun, and experience shows it’s difficult to ever catch up.
Later is better – but don’t wait until your last semester. The more you know about your goals post-graduation, the more you’ll get out of a PWP course. But waiting until your final semester only increases the pressure on you.
Remember writing well takes time, and to do well, and thus earn top grades in a PWP course requires significant effort. If you’re already taking 18 credits and working 20+ hours a week, wait for another semester when you have more time.
You can’t “phone in” PWP courses – attendance is necessary. If you’re not in class and don’t engage, you’ll fail (figuratively, if not quite literally) in this or any studio-type course.
If you blow off your PWP class, you will have wasted your time and money and likely won’t be happy with the resulting grade. Conversely, if you choose with intent and treat writing seriously, you will learn a lot and, to quote a former student, “Although almost four years have passed since I took [my PWP] class, its effects have definitely been worthwhile in my career.”
Or think of it this way: Why not make the most of something you have to do anyway? What have you got to lose?
Lea Chartock is a lecturer and a faculty coordinator for the Professional Writing Program. She can be reached at xwriter@umd.edu.
