ENWR 1510

Pros:
I really liked this class with Professor Davis. She's a graduate student like most, if not all, of the ENWR 1510 instructors, but she is super kind, understanding, and lenient. We did weekly 300-word journals (which she graded for completion and doesn't actually read to allow you complete privacy and freedom with whatever you write), 2 travel journals to complete over Thanksgiving break and the reading days, 2 major essays (1000-1500 words) and a final portfolio (remediation of one major essay into another medium, inclusion of 3 journals and 1 travel journal).

We had so much creative freedom in this class which was annoying at first, but I grew to really like it once I started to put effort into the assignments and explore my own style and try to escape my comfort zone. None of the writing is super traditional academic writing, so I was able to start writing creative fictional stories for the first time in years and explore my own limits. Prof. Davis clearly cared so much about our class which was composed of less than 20 students, and would give extensions on anything if you asked in a timely manner.

Cons:
Most of the class was discussion-based. We would sit in a circle and talk about the readings, she would never force anyone to speak who wasn't speaking on their own will. She would ask vague questions to guide the conversation, but the conversation still seemed to lack direction and get off-task pretty often. Most people probably liked how non-traditional and relaxed the class was, but I personally felt like it was somewhat of a waste of time since all of the graded assignments could be done remotely, and we never did anything in class that was graded or essential to the completion of our work. In addition, Prof. Davis does not publish rubrics for the assignments, so it can be difficult to understand exactly what she wants from you (but still not at all difficult to receive a good grade). She says she grades based on how much you improve over the semester.

Overall, the class is what you make it. The professor is great, but most of your enjoyment comes from your participation. The class was fairly boring until I started taking advantage of having free reign with my writing, and would have been even more enjoyable if I made more of an effort to get to know my classmates.

This class was good. Lots of different aspects of place were explored, some of which I would have never thought of as connecting to place. The professor is nice and they definitely created a class atmosphere where everyone felt comfortable talking. Tough subjects were discussed in a productive and caring manner. However, rubrics were not given for the two major assignments. A lot of times, how something would be graded was unclear. Feedback was not given on assignments very quickly, meaning we were sometimes working on assignments before having feedback on our previous ones. Professor Davis is definitely one of those professors that you know you can go to if you need help. They were always willing to meet in office hours and explain an assignment.

Professor Davis was an amazing instructor to have this past fall. ENWR1510 is a required course for all first-years in the College of Arts & Sciences, however Professor Davis turned her class into both a positive learning experience and an outlet for peer discussion and support networking. I formed strong relationships despite having such a small class of about 20 people. Professor Davis' assignments never felt like busy work and her feedback on our assignments were always helpful and I think I became a better writer because of it. You have to keep up with a weekly journal, which eventually becomes a part of your weekly habits. The prompts she provides are thought-provoking and allow you to reflect on your first-semester of college that you wouldn't normally get outside of this class. It was oddly therapeutic in a way, haha. Additionally, exploring various mediums for our writing definitely gave me a new perspective on writing, and I would definitely recommend this class to any incoming first-year who is looking to have meaningful discussions and form strong relationships with both their peers and Professor Davis.