EN 200 or 300?
EN 200 or 300:
Which Course is Right for You?
Rather than having two semesters of freshman composition, for the past four decades Washburn University has chosen to require one semester of freshman composition and a second required course, EN 300: Advanced Composition, in the junior year. EN 300 is designed to prepare students for academic writing pertinent to their majors-either through specialized emphases or through a writing-across-the-curriculum approach.
For several years, the English Department administered a placement exam to determine whether students were ready for EN 300 or would benefit from a refresher course, EN 200: Intermediate Composition. That placement exam no longer exists and we ask YOU to make the choice about whether you need 200 or are ready to enroll directly in EN 300. The choice is one that you should make thoughtfully, and we recommend that you consult with your advisor and with the professors who know your writing best.
You might think about some of these guidelines to see which course is right for you:
" I read newspapers and magazines regularly.
" I read books for my own enjoyment.
" I consider myself a good reader and writer.
" I am comfortable with the conventions of grammar and punctuation.
" I have written essays for many of my classes in the first two years
at college.
" My instructors have rarely commented on problems of clarity, organization,
development, and conventions when grading my written work.
If the answer to these questions is "yes," you are probably ready for EN 300. If, however, you answered "no" to several of these questions or if you would like to brush up on your writing skills, EN 200 can be a valuable course in your educational career at Washburn.