first semester

[u/lovedthatforme]

this is my second week in my mfa program for creative writing and i just wanted to say i feel so rejuvenated. it’s been four years since i received my undergrad degree and ive written a memoir since then but the whole time i was severely missing the sort of thing academia fosters. and tonight during my research, theory, and pedagogy class i was so completely enamored by the lecture and being in a space where everyone is dedicated to the analysis and craft of something so beautiful that i almost started crying. i missed taking notes, i missed writing papers, i missed deadlines, i missed being confused and interested and discussion and disagreements and everything that pushed my brain to the limits of what i thought it could hold just to prove that it can hold so much more. this space is so beautiful. i understand why people want to stay in school forever. you could take the same class a million times and learn something new each time. i have such a renewed respect for teachers and professors for taking the time, care, and energy to impart their knowledge on others and to continue to learn from their students. last week, one of my fellow classmates asked me a slew of questions after class, and after i answered them she told me i must be a great teacher. i’ve never taught anything in my life. but now maybe i will. i hope this semester is going as swimmingly for all of you as it is for me!

[u/sleepingblossom]

This was so so sweet to read. Thanks for sharing!

I’ve been mulling over doing an MFA in creative writing for so long. So many conflicting voices on whether it’s “worth it” or not, but this experience you’re sharing is exactly what I loved about college and why I want to go back for a grad degree. What was the process like for applying?

[u/lovedthatforme → u/sleepingblossom]

i think a lot of people put stock into whether it’s “worth it” or not in terms of whether or not it will give them a leg up in publishing. they decide it’s not “worth it,” worth the time, money, or energy, when they realize that an mfa doesn’t guarantee a publishing deal. i’d love to come out of my program with published essays, short stories, and poems, or with a publishing deal. but that was never my goal. my goal is, was, and always is, to be a better writer today than i was yesterday. learning literary theory, studying writers that came before me, and going through workshop is the best way to do that. it’s absolutely worth it if you care more about the journey than the end destination.

applying for me was the easiest thing in the world. in the spring, i was invited to a prospective grad student mixer with current mfa students and faculty. i was the only prospective student that showed up, but they won me over. everyone was so kind. i applied immediately and received my acceptance very shortly after. full disclosure, my particular program is not fully funded, which seems to be most everyone’s goal, but it’s much more affordable than i ever could’ve dreamt of. even what ive experienced so far is too great to put a price on, but because everything has a price, im currently paying $3500 this semester for two classes including my assistantship.

im just easing back into the world of academia but its everything thats been missing from my life. i wouldnt trade it for the world. i have my first workshop on wednesday and im so pumped!