If you are interested in pursuing a writing career, you might be wondering whether it is worth investing in a college degree.
However, college can be a crucial piece when it comes to learning about writing and launching your career. Here are some ways that you can take advantage of the resources offered by colleges:
1. Learn About Writing:
Like any other skill, writing is also one that can be taught.
It requires practice and, often, feedback for improvement. If you are focused on becoming a writer, the obvious path would be to do a creative writing program in college. This will help you push your boundaries and experiment with different forms of writing.
Of course, you might not be an expert when getting started, but that is the point of college.
Moreover, services such as academic paper help by WritePaper understand a writing assignment and how to write an essay that will catch the reader’s attention.
These assignments will force you to practice and can be incredibly helpful in improving your skills.
You might be thinking you can learn about writing online these days. However, you might not take the initiative to get out of your comfort zone or might not find someone to guide you in the process.
You might even be making some common grammatical errors that you aren’t aware of, affecting the quality of work. Taking a course in writing allows you to learn about the nuances of writing.
2. Pursue Other Courses:
You don’t need to get a degree to become a proper writer. Some of the best in writing history did not have a writing degree.
Stephen King did a BA in English, whereas John Grisham studied law, and Ken Follet pursued philosophy.
However, what they studied also significantly impacted their writing styles and the subjects they picked. This means that you can immerse yourself in the topic you wish to write about.
For instance, if you wish to write historical fiction, it might be better to study history rather than write. A degree in history can be more useful in doing research and bringing more accuracy to your writing.
3. Get Feedback:
Writers often tend to be very private about their work. Sometimes, this also means that you never show your work to others or have a positive approach towards criticisms.
But if you are doing a college course in writing, you will find yourself in scenarios where you have to share your work with others and engage in discussions.
This can open up another world for you and help you become more extroverted when talking about your work.
It can encourage you to adopt a proactive attitude to share your work unhesitantly with others, publishers, or editors.
Moreover, it will also teach you to take criticisms more positively and use them to improve your writing.
4. Write for College Newspaper:
One of the best ways to start your writing career is by contributing to your college newspaper.
Whether you wish to practice journalism or any other form of writing, a job in your college newspaper can help you get significant exposure.
You can also use your press clippings for your resume or future jobs. You will want to try writing the kind of materials that will further your career goals.
5. Write for Literary Journals:
Many colleges also have their literary journals, and editors always look for more voices. You can make it a goal to be published in your literary journal or get involved with it.
If your college does not have a literary journal yet, find out how to start one. You can set one up yourself and even become the editor – which can be a rewarding experience and a highlight in your resume.
6. Choose a Professional Path:
Your goals as a high school student might change once you explore different forms of writing in college. The opportunities you get in college will give you a better idea of which career path to choose.
You can decide to write fiction or desire a career as a poet. Or, you might want to become a screenwriter and see their words transform into plays or movies.
You can even take a different turn and become an editor instead. And college can help you figure out the right path for you.
7. Build a Portfolio:
In college, you will get plenty of opportunities to work with different types of writing.
In other words, at the end of college, you are likely to have a collection of writing samples that can help build your initial portfolio.
Depending on your path, getting a job or getting published can be challenging. You will often need to show some of your writing pieces to impress the employer.
There is no doubt that it can be a long road to complete a novel or curate writings that you like.
However, in the meanwhile, if you are looking for an entry-level job, you might be able to use your college portfolio to land some interviews.
8. Join a Literary Club:
If your college has a writing program, it is also likely to have a literary club that brings together those who aspire to be a writer.
This can be a less formal setup when compared to classrooms and will help you engage in activities to accomplish your goals.
You can share opportunities and connections or attend off-campus writing workshops and events together.
9. Reach Out to Teachers and Alumni for Contacts:
Writing instructors often are experts in their fields and are likely to have lots of publishing credits. If you are confident that your work is of publishable quality, you can ask your teacher if they agree.
You can then politely ask them whether they can recommend an agent or editor and introduce you to them.
You can also arrange to meet alumni, tell them plans about your writing career, and ask for advice or contacts.
10. Get an Internship:
College students also have a unique opportunity to intern at publishing houses and companies that might not be open to others. Interning at a company may lead to a job after graduation.
If not a publishing house, you can also seek internships on media companies and even digital platforms.
All high-quality websites use plagiarism checkers and prefer writers who can offer original content. You can also try to work as a guest writer on websites, which will help you build a portfolio of bylines.
11. Do Campus Readings:
Finally, no matter which course you are pursuing in college, you can use your stature as a student to make the most of the resources.
Most colleges have specific locations, such as coffeehouses where talent performs.
If you have any work you are confident to read in public, you can get on stage and share your writing with others.
These will help you get feedback on your readings from those who could be your future audience.
These are only a few steps that you can take as a student to get ahead in your writing career.
You will also find several online platforms and publications that welcome students to submit writing pieces if you want to look outside your college resources.
The key here is patience and perseverance. It will be, undeniably, a tough task to get noticed as a writer. But if you are confident about your voice and are willing to work towards your ambitions, the world is indeed your oyster.
Awesome one; I hope this article answered your question.
Editor’s Recommendations:
If you find this article good, please share it with a friend.
- Increase your Writing Skills by Studying Abroad
- 4 Best Tips for the Student on the Go Who Needs to Write an Essay
- 5 Useful Tips for Students to Manage Their Lives
- Professional Essay Writers Online: Who Are They and Why Should I Trust Them?
- How to start an essay? The peculiarities of an essay and how to choose the right topic
