By Isabelle LaPapa
There I was, sitting alone, nervous, and out of my element. I was the only Professional Writing major in the room. Again. A Film major sits to my left. Another Film major sits to my right. In fact, the room is entirely filled with Film majors. And don’t forget the Film professor, of course.
It’s a ring of sweatshirts and flannels and open Macbooks.
But even in a strange building, in an unknown classroom, with a group of people I’ve never met before in my entire life, I’m excited for a new adventure.
Scriptwriting.
This elusive elective has graced my four-year plan since before college, but this semester, I got in. And now I’m finally in a rickety seat and a desk much too small for my laptop.
It keeps trying to slide off.
This isn’t the first time I’ve taken a class outside my major that was not a GenEd or Foundational Core. Over my time in college, I’ve made it a point to jump on opportunities that take me outside the traditional path. By taking leaps into classes not necessarily required, I have studied film production, taken historical trips, and worked on grants for non-profits.
Through these experiences, I have learned one important lesson: Do not let your major restrict what classes you take.
After taking classes across nearly every academic discipline, I can say with certainty there are three reasons to branch out. Solo adventures have brought me new friends, new experiences, and unintentionally a better grasp on my own writing.
1. New People
These classes are your greatest opportunities to meet people outside your regular sphere of people. As a writing student, I’m typically surrounded by Public Relations, Journalism, and Communication majors. On occasion, I’ll encounter an English or Psychology major. But when I reach out and take a history class about ancient Egypt, I see History majors, Political Science, Philosophy, and Economics majors (PPE), Business majors, and more.
I also have the chance to make connections with professors outside my range of academics. These professors have offered me a new perspective or passed on wisdom.
Even a new friend or connection can make a boring class worth it. Sharing a class is one of the best ways to create new relationships or to network with others.
2. New Experiences
You cannot write what you don’t know, but pursuing new experiences creates opportunities to learn more. Taking trips, especially through classes, is an easy way to have a fun new experience while learning. This gives you the opportunity to share what you went through and learned with others through writing.
Taking a class you didn’t think would connect to writing can bring you some surprises. A science class can give you insight into the mysteries of our world, which can give you a new depth when writing about those topics.
3. New Skills
I didn’t think taking a scriptwriting class would greatly improve my fiction writing since I’ve written in that genre before, but it taught me to make snappier dialogue and integrate a visual element into the script.
Learning new skills doesn’t just improve your writing, it opens doors to future career opportunities. Employers look for people with a broad skillset who can manage multiple areas. If you can gather skills in college such as writing an article about computer science, designing high-quality graphics, and marketing content on social media, you’re already steps ahead.
Combined, new people, new experiences, and new skills all allow you to further your writing craft and possibilities for the future. So get out there, and take that interesting class even if it’s not required. It might teach you a new thing or two!
PWR Blog 