Project archive
Student responses to Creative Writing: Coherence, Progression and Purpose
Level One - Student Narratives
A. Expectations: moving on from school / college
When I first came I felt really out of my depth. A lot of people had obviously spent years on courses specifically designed to prepare them and my English ‘A’ level didn’t seem useful.
I still live at home - I still work at the same shop. I just come to a different place to learn and I’ve found it hard to fit writing into my life. It was difficult moving from ‘A’ levels which demanded so much revision and so on to a course fully dependent on my creative side. I’m getting there though - I’m getting ideas sitting in the pub or on the train and now I just want to learn and read stuff - it’s the fitting it all in which is hard.
As a first year student on this writing course and having been a writer from a young age, I was glad when several theories and strategies I’d thought up privately were being taught.
I knew what to expect from the course as I had read the course content online and had been on similar creative writing courses (summer camp). So far I believe this course is being run efficiently and I am happy with it.
I wasn’t too sure what to expect from university, let alone the actual course ‘English with Creative Writing’. I have always enjoyed reading and writing – it is the basis for me wishing to pursue a career in journalism. I’m really enjoying the course – not knowing what to expect simply adds to the challenge of a degree.
I really enjoy coming to university which is a good thing because I hated college. Uni is totally different - the course itself is interesting and different every time.
I was very scared coming to my first seminar because I wasn’t sure what to expect. I had trouble finding the room and getting there on time combined with the uncertainly made me very nervous when I sat down. I still feel like that sometimes, like I haven’t quite settled down yet.
There has…been a slight concentration on the reviewing of (fairly basic) grammar, which I know a lot of students including myself have found rather dull. My thoughts were that people who have been accepted onto this type of course will have done English A levels and so should already have this sort of knowledge.
I thought the Creative Writing course was a little slow starting as it began with grammar which we already should have known. I was expecting more work developing character, plot, setting, etc. and discussing ways of putting them on paper.
When I first enrolled in the course I expected it to be more structured and set in terms of writing tasks but was surprised to see more flexibility of choice.
When I first signed up… I really wasn’t sure what to expect. I assumed that we would be graded for writing and coming up with our own story. After the first day of class, I realised that it took more to become a ‘writer’.
My ultimate fear was that I wouldn’t be any good at writing. I had an idea of what worked on stage because I studied Drama for three years at College. During my time there I thoroughly enjoyed the writing and devising module and this was something I wanted to restart a passion for. After three years out of education, travelling and working, I am still certain that drama excites me and there is nothing else I would be happier doing.
The creative writing course is something I have dreamed about for while. However, I wasn’t sure if I was brave enough to take the challenge. I wasn’t quite sure what to expect or indeed if I was creative enough but that uncertainty excited me and I am now glad that I took the challenge.
I don’t regret taking [English and Creative Writing], though perhaps regret not preparing myself for other people criticizing my work and having to criticize others.
I’ve always loved creative writing but it was always the area of English that was passed over in school, particularly in the 6th form, in favour of a more analytical style of writing.
I was expecting the lectures to be fairly long-winded and boring as well as probably impossible to understand but the lectures and seminars are really interesting and, surprisingly, often funny.
