Freshman Writing FAQ

I found a course I'm interested in through the catalog. Is there any way of knowing which semester it will be offered?

In general, about half of ENGL 1151 and ENGL 2152 sections will be offered in the fall, half in the spring. This means that students may start the sequence in either semester. Not all students will be able to take ENGL 1151 in their first semester (there will not be enough seats). Advisors might want to recommend other lower-capped courses for students who do not take a writing course. ENGL courses capped at 40 students that may be taken during the freshman year include the following (not necessarily offered every semester):
 

I took an AP English course in high school/I am transfer freshman-level student that took a ENGL 1151 Composition course equivalent. Do I still need to take it my first semester at Bemidji State or can I sign up for ENGL 2152 Argument and Exposition?

Incoming freshmen who are not required to take the first semester of academic writing (e.g., they took it in concurrent enrollment or AP) or who took the first semester elsewhere may enroll at any time, including their first semester on campus, in ENGL 2152 Argument and Exposition.

 

I was looking through the course catalog and I found classes I can't take yet because of prerequisites and status levels, but I want to start planning a four-year schedule now. Can my adviser help develop a plan for me with my interests in mind?

Absolutely! Your adviser can sit down with you, hear the classes you're interested in and together the two of you can begin plotting a structured four-year plan with your interests in mind. Your adviser may make recommendations for courses that you may not have thought of that would fit well with your degree. Here's an example for a student that was interested in electronic writing:

• • ENGL 2150 Technical Writing (3 credits)

  • ENGL 2152 Argument and Exposition (3 credits), if not taken for Liberal Education

  • ENGL 3150 Writing in the Disciplines (junior status required) (3 credits), if not taken for Liberal Education

  • ENGL 3177 Weblogs and Wikis (3 credits)

  • ENGL 3179 Elements of Electronic Rhetoric (3 credits)