Description of Course Goals and Curriculum
The aim of writing seminar is to teach freshmen the Princeton writing expectations. Although some students may be used to the classic five paragraph essay (intro, argument 1, argument 2, argument 3, conclusion) often taught in high schools, writing seminar stresses that Princeton professors free their students from this rigid format by assigning three types of papers: an argument about a tension or puzzle between two narratives, an argument about a single text using a theoretical lens and other contextualizing sources, and a research paper. Students will learn how to take advantage of the library’s resources, a skill that will follow them throughout their liberal arts education. Finally, during finals, each writing seminar section does a fun project. For instance, in my class, we wrote personal narratives.
This course is challenging because students must be self-reflective about the writing process by questioning and evaluating their own works. They must figure out what the professor expects from their papers by listening closely to constructive criticism while also finding their own voices.
Last, time management is a part of the hidden curriculum of this course. Paper drafts are often returned with comments with only a few days before revisions are due, so students must learn to start papers early.
Learning From Classroom Instruction
Before seminars, do the readings while holding a pen. Take margin notes with summaries, literary devices (and their effects), discussion questions, and things you find confusing. Create a list of at least five talking points for each seminar, so that you are ready to participate. Of course, listen to your classmates and bounce ideas off of them rather than rattling off your own talking points as they become off-topic.
During the seminar, students will analyze texts, discuss key writing concepts such as motive, and critique classmates’ works. I found the discussions critiquing papers to be very helpful (even when we were not discussing my own paper) because freshmen often make similar errors. Although it might be challenging to stay focused when discussing some else’s paper, keep in mind that you should offer feedback as a courtesy to your classmate and also to force you to think critically about a piece of writing. You may notice, for example, that Professor Young will ask, “What is this person’s argument? How do they support it? Does it work? What function does this section serve?” You may consider learning from Professor Young’s questions and comments by later asking yourself these types of questions as you write on your own.
After class, make a schedule (see more detailed suggestions below) and be sure to take advantage of small chunks of time you have in-between class and activities, which may be another new concept because a lot of high schools do not have any breaks except for lunch.
Learning For and From Assignments
It is not uncommon for freshmen to stay up all night finishing writing seminar papers. However, some freshmen soon learned the benefits of making a schedule and avoiding staying up late. For instance, a student might benefit from working in the library in-between classes, even if he or she only has 50 minutes to spare. Using small free chunks of time can add-up. Also, consider setting daily goals, so you do not write the full paper in one night. Perhaps one day the goal could be to take notes and write an outline, the next day you can write three pages, and the next day you can write two more pages and edit. Do what works best for your own schedule, but I cannot stress enough the value in making a plan with daily goals far before the paper is due, so you do not end up writing a paper half-asleep and you also have time to go to office hours for extra feedback. I think this idea is new to a lot of freshmen because in high school, assignments are often given and due the following day, but in college, there may be only be one big paper due in every few weeks, so it is up to the students to take the responsibility of assigning themselves nightly work.
Furthermore, I found the most helpful resource to be office hours. In office hours, Professor Young gives specific feedback, so that you can refine your topic and thesis. Don’t be afraid to ask questions; if the professor did not like working with freshmen, he wouldn’t be teaching writing seminar! Going to office hours may be another challenge for freshmen because they may be intimidated by their professors because they are so smart, but I can assure you that Professor Young loves teaching and encourages students to visit him.
External Resources
In addition to office hours, visit the research librarians. They are remarkably nice and helpful when it comes to finding sources.
Also take advantage of the writing center for free one-on-one conferences with fellows who received A’s in writing seminar themselves. Go to www.princeton.edu/writing/appt to make an appointment. Some students have found it helpful to make appointments as soon as they know the due dates of their papers (see syllabus for dates), so that they can definitely get an appointment and so that they are forced to have a draft done early. However, the writing fellows can help at any stage in the writing process, from brainstorming to editing drafts.
In short, tuition costs already pay for office hours, research librarians, and writing fellows, so it is silly to not take advantage of these helpful resources!
What Students Should Know About This Course For Purposes Of Course Selection
Expect to learn how to write a college-level paper by being introduced to new concepts such as motive. Because Princeton is a liberal arts college, even engineers will be writing papers during time here. This course is time intensive, so students also learn the importance of time management.