As I’m about to go into my final semester at Virginia Tech, I’ve had a lot of time to reflect on not only the experiences I’ve had, but the classes that I’ve taken as well. With almost 40 classes under my belt, I’ve been able to have a fair mix of coursework over the past few years. There are classes I hated, yet, there are always those I still think about semesters later. Even though I’ve had my fair share of fun electives, my English classes have always been my favorite. So, as a senior English major, here are the classes that you should add to your schedule.
ENGL 3315: PlaywritingÂ
Dare I say the best English class Virginia Tech offers. Playwriting allows students to explore what it means to write for the stage. As someone who grew up involved with theater, this was a class I knew I wanted to take. However, the actual class structure proved to be more than what I expected. While doing small projects throughout the semester, all things led back to each student writing their own one-act play. It was really one of those classes where you could simply have fun. And, surprisingly enough, I was one of the only “theater kids” in that class. There was no expectation that you had to know the craft going into the class, so it made for a very collaborative and welcoming class environment.Â
ENGL 3724: Creative Non-Fiction
Staying on the creative writing trend, creative non-fiction went from a genre I knew nothing about, to being one of my favorites. This class was one of the most beneficial classes that I have taken so far. I never really thought of myself in my own writing, but this class forces you to do just that. It helped me be more descriptive with my writing as I try to convey the events that my piece centers around. Being a class that centers around personal experiences as the main form of writing, it makes you vulnerable to your peers and may not be for everyone. Even so, the depth of reflection within the genre makes it a very good skill to learn to help improve your overall writing.
ENGL 4204: Hybrid Forms
Now this is a class that I am actively taking right now, but I love nonetheless. Hybrid Forms is one of the three capstone options for creative writing majors, but it’s open to all to take. The entire purpose of this class is being weird and experimental. Leading up to my senior year, I felt like I had a really strong understanding of my voice as a writer. I was writing the same way each time to the point where I feel like I forgot how to write anything besides longform fiction. This class turned that on its head. Each class period we are doing something new. We’re writing in new — sometimes weird — ways. While we mess around in class, the final project really calls on all aspects of your creativity by asking you to create an exhibit within Newman Library. There aren’t any hard guidelines, so the project can be all that you imagine.
ENGL 4964: Words and Pictures
Being one of the field studies that the Department of English offers to students, Words and Pictures gives you a space to practice a lot of tactical skills with the subjects. The entire premise of this class is to learn how to create multiple forms of media while getting a space to air them to the entire department. This class basically serves as an unpaid internship working with the department’s head of communications. You get experience making things like podcasts and videos, working with clients as you design flyers for official department events, and covering different events as a photographer. The class is fast paced, but I felt very rewarded by the time it was over, and I now have something else I can add to my resume.Â