New students often ask: What’s the best first-year writing course for me?
The best writing course for you is one that will challenge you appropriately and help prepare you for the other writing tasks you will encounter in college. The First Year Writing Decision Tool is designed so that once you have reflected on your writing experiences and reviewed the sample student profiles, you can read the general course descriptions (below) and make a more informed decision about the best course for you. If you do have questions, we invite you to reach out to us at writing@wfu.edu and share your thoughts with your faculty adviser in the fall.
Please note that either the WRI 109/110 sequence or WRI 111 are required all students who do not have AP or IB credit. As of Fall 2022, only students with a score of 5 on the AP Language/Composition exam or a 7 on the IB exam will be given WRI 111 credit. (More information about the AP/IB policies can be found here; please note that scores must be reported to the registrar, not the Writing Program, in order to be accepted for credit.)
WRI 109: Writing Seminar, Part 1
WRI 109 is a 2-hour course offered during the fall semester that satisfies the first half of the College Writing Requirement. To complete the full requirement, students who take WRI 109 must also take WRI 110.
WRI 109 is a foundational course in college-level academic writing. Students in WRI 109 learn to write, and they learn through writing, but they also learn about writing. Unlike FYS, WRI 109 offers direct writing instruction while also providing students with space for developing and practicing respectful, critical engagement with others’ views and texts; developing and reflecting on their own claims, evidence, and reasoning; connecting specific writing choices with rhetorical purposes and effects, and composing in various genres. Courses tend to be organized thematically to promote intensive learning about and engagement with a topic. Class size is limited to 16.
WRI 109 course descriptions for Fall 2023 can be found here.
WRI 110: Writing Seminar, Part 2
WRI 110 is a 2-hour course offered during the spring semester that satisfies the second half of the College Writing Requirement. To complete the full requirement, students who take WRI 110 must have also taken WRI 109, which is a prerequisite for the course.
WRI 110 is a foundational course in college-level academic writing. Students in WRI 110 learn to write, and they learn through writing, but they also learn about writing. Unlike FYS, WRI 110 offers direct writing instruction while also providing students with space for developing and practicing respectful, critical engagement with others’ views and texts; developing and reflecting on their own claims, evidence, and reasoning; connecting specific writing choices with rhetorical purposes and effects, and composing in various genres. Courses tend to be organized thematically to promote intensive learning about and engagement with a topic. Class size is limited to 16.
WRI 111: Writing Seminar
This course satisfies one of the five basic requirements that all students enrolled in the College must complete: the College Writing Requirement.
WRI 111 is a foundational course in college-level academic writing. Students in WRI 111 learn to write, and they learn through writing, but they also learn about writing. Unlike FYS, WRI 111 offers direct writing instruction while also providing students with space for developing and practicing respectful, critical engagement with others’ views and texts; developing and reflecting on their own claims, evidence, and reasoning; connecting specific writing choices with rhetorical purposes and effects, and composing in various genres. Courses tend to be organized thematically to promote intensive learning about and engagement with a topic. Class size is limited to 16.
WRI 111 course descriptions can be found here.
WRI 210 : Academic Research and Writing
WRI 210 is an elective course that further fosters the skills needed to succeed in academic research and writing in college. It is a good option for students who have exempted from WRI 111 but want more feedback and practice before major-level courses and/or those who felt during the DSP process that they would benefit from more practice with university-level reading, writing, and evidenced-based argumentation. In WRI 210, students will have the opportunity to develop their writing skills individually with a faculty member who specializes in writing. WRI 210 also serves as a gateway course for the Wake Forest Interdisciplinary Writing Minor.
210 is a good choice for you if you have exemption from 111 through AP/IB. If you are not exempt, you must enroll in 111 or the 109/110 sequence.
WRI 212: The Art of the Essay
WRI 212 is an elective course that focuses on reading, writing, and analyzing the development and various forms of the essay. The course covers essayists from a variety of disciplines. WRI 212 is a good option for students who have exempted from WRI 111 but want more preparation with literary nonfiction writing before their major-level courses. In WRI 212, students will have the opportunity to develop their writing skills individually with a faculty member who specializes in writing. WRI 212 also serves as a gateway course for the Wake Forest Interdisciplinary Writing Minor.
212 is a good choice for you if you have exemption from 111 through AP/IB. If you are not exempt, you must enroll in 111 or the 109/110 sequence.
A Note about the First-Year Seminar (FYS)
This course is also one of the four basic requirements that all students enrolled in the College must complete. It is not a writing course, but most students complete it during their first year. We do not recommend that you take FYS (the first-year seminar) at the same time that you take WRI 111, since it is 4 credits, but it would be fine to take FYS at the same time you take WRI 109 or WRI 110 since they are each just 2 credit hours. You can read more about FYS here.
In addition to the various courses students can take, there is a variety of resources available to Wake Forest students. Visit the Writing Center’s additional resources page for more information.
Other things to consider as you register in July:
Writing is foundational to the production and communication of knowledge, and therefore it is foundational to the mission of the University. We hope the First Year Writing Decision Tool provides you with an opportunity to reflect not only on your writing experiences, but also on the kinds of writing support you anticipate needing once you begin your studies at Wake Forest. We offer a variety of writing resources–from coursework to individual support at the Writing Center–and so the more aware you are of your own needs as a reader and writer, the better you can take advantage of these resources.
Students generally report very positive experiences in our first year writing courses. These courses are unique in that students’ writing takes center stage and your teacher will have special training and experience in teaching writing. You, your classmates, and your teacher will work closely together on reading, analyzing, and producing texts.
WRI 109 and WRI 110 are intended for students with demanding academic and/or extracurricular commitments, who have not practiced writing recently, or who would like to take more time with their writing projects. Alternatively, WRI 111 is intended for students who have practiced writing recently, who feel ready to write frequently, and/or who seek to finish the Basic Writing Requirement in a single semester. If you have high AP or IB scores but wish to hone your skills in a course dedicated to reading and writing, we hope you will consider enrolling in WRI 210 or WRI 212.
No matter which course you take, you can also gain writing guidance and feedback outside of class, by meeting with your professors and visiting the Writing Center. These are two excellent habits to establish early in your careers at Wake Forest.