Tag: advising

Braving the Professional Writing Department

writing in a notebook
My first professional writing class

By Anne Marie Lovell

As someone who is not an English major, signing up for a professional writing class can be intimidating. I was nervous not only because I am an Art major, but also because it had been years since I’d written anything that could be described as professional.

What would it be like to be in a class full of people who’d been honing their writing skills in college via beautifully crafted essays, with nothing to offer in comparison aside from my rough, run-on sentences?

Before finding the proper resources and receiving encouragement, I doubt I would have enrolled in any of these classes. Now, I am planning to get a minor in professional writing.

Professional writing is something that non-English majors can benefit from, but that many probably haven’t heard of. It isn’t only about writing and editing articles; the professional writing department includes classes on medical, business and technical writing. You can learn how to build a website or how to develop digital documents.

The professional writing club even hosts resume and cover letter workshops—something that all students could use. The professional writing minor (or even just a class) is something that any future professional should seriously consider.

I was lucky to have been told to look into writing classes by my academic advisor. After some research, I found Dr. McComiskey, who is both the contact and director for the Professional Writing program. I wrote to him, explaining that I was an art major interested in taking one or two classes to work on my writing skills, and I promptly received a response.

He told me about classes that would be offered in the upcoming semester, as well as other classes that would be offered in the future. Dr. McComiskey also suggested that I consider the minor in Professional Writing, which was something I never would have done on my own.

With the encouragement of my academic advisor, the helpful email from Dr. McComiskey and a little bit of nervousness, I signed up for my first professional writing class. A few weeks in, I’ve realized that this is something that many students should be doing. Instead of intimidating, the class is interesting, and will no doubt be of help when applying to jobs. I earnestly suggest ignoring any fear of writing you may have, and to look into these classes yourself.

The Advising Center and You

Advisors are stocked with a wealth of knowledge about the ins and outs of each major and are willing to share their advice to help the student follow their dreams and get into a major that will be most conducive to lifelong happiness. At least, the kind of happiness that can be accessed with a college degree.

Freshmen and new transfer students are required to meet with an advisor instead of picking classes on their own, perhaps because of the advisor’s access to the materials to help students better understand degree requirements, course selection, and schedule planning. It can be daunting for new students to learn what it means to build a proper schedule. Campus maps without any real basis to understand the distance between buildings can be confusing. 8 AM classes are to be avoided at all costs, but to a student that is used to having their parents get them up and out of the door from their home at 7 AM, it may seem like a part of the usual educational process. It can be difficult to initially grasp the process of choosing courses that apply to your major directly and the idea that a single class can apply to two separate facets of one’s concentration. Advisors have experience with these pitfalls, and much like academic sherpas, can help inexperienced travelers reach the summit of graduation.

Advisors are not only there for the process of helping students understand classes they may potentially take, but also to give students every available resource that they need to succeed in said classes. An important part of the job description of an academic advisor is to refer students to resources that can help them succeed in their chosen field of study. The most important and helpful resources differ from major to major, and sometimes even between different concentrations within the same major. These may include resources like writing centers and clubs, which unite many people in the same path of schooling. These clubs are quite valuable for students to gain a deeper understanding of their path, as they are almost always moderated by professors that have already been successful in the real world with skills they have learned at school. In addition to advice from people that have had experience in the world at large, the clubs can be valuable forums in which students can form lifelong connections which can be useful not only for growing as a person, but also with the process of searching for a job after graduation.

Academic advisors are in a unique position to properly guide new students, and are a decidedly underutilized resource. Next time you find yourself registering for classes, consider these advisors when making big decisions.