Final Exam (Monday, 27 November 2006, 7-9:50pm)

(Use this version rather than the syllabus version.)

Format: in-class or email; open-book, open-notebook.

·        If you take the exam in class, just show up with paper, pen, books, and notebooks. Start at 7pm; finish writing by 9:50pm.

·        If you take the exam by email, simply sit down at your terminal with your assignment, books, and notes and write the exam during or before the final exam period, then email it to the instructor. Like the in-class students, you are expected to spend no more than three hours on the exam, so please keep a log indicating when you stop and start. (Flexible time takes into account the possible interruptions when working off-campus.) Email your answers to instructor by 10pm on Monday, 27 November. Instructor will acknowledge receipt within 24 hours.

·        Since you have the exam question ahead of time, you may research, draft, outline, and otherwise practice your answer ahead of time as much as you find helpful. But limit your writing time to three hours.

More on Times & Lengths:

Write for at least two hours. You are welcome to use up to 3 hours. The essay's length of the essay may vary with lengths of paragraphs, etc., but essays should probably be at least in the 6-10 paragraph range. The better exams tend to have more material than the ones where students seem to want to finish. The best exams produce an abundance of ideas and push ideas beyond their obvious limits.

Other requirements:

Please give your essay a title.

Refer at least once to something you learned or liked from a sample final exam from 2005.

Final Exam Assignment: Write a 2-hour essay describing your learning experience in Creative Writing.

Question / topic:

Based on the Three Genres textbook, your experience in this course’s “workshop,” and your own writing and revision experiences, what have you learned about Creative Writing and about literature generally?

Your essay may concern several highlights or dimensions of learning, but unify the material as much as possible.

Overall unifying theme: How has the course extended or changed your attitudes and skills in writing, reading, or teaching literature?

Required references: 

Make several references (i. e., at least 3) to the assigned readings in Three Genres. (You may refer to stories as well as instruction.)

Refer to challenging or helpful points raised in lecture, class discussion, workshop, etc.

What did you learn from writing and revising your own drafts and submissions? From classmates' and the instructor’s reactions to your writing submissions or drafts? Discuss experiences and learning curves for both poetry and fiction, but welcome to emphasize one more than the other.

What did you learn from the workshop experience in general?

Throughout the exam you are welcome to refer to your developing image of yourself as a creative writer. What have you learned about your abilities, skills, and options? What have you learned about literature generally?

Additional notes

Those of you interested in teaching careers are welcome to include or emphasize what you learned about teaching Creative Writing. What styles or aspects of the class seemed pedagogically effective? What new ideas or techniques would you introduce to creative writing instruction? How might you adjust for students of different ages?

About the details above, you're not expected to answer absolutely every question. Don't march through the material like a checklist, but think about what kind of overall point you want to make and the various materials that can support it. Regard the details as cues or prompts for developing material.

Standards for grading:

Clarity, interest, and development of ideas.

Quality and accuracy of references to sources and examples.

Organization and unity of essay.

General surface quality. (In a timed exercise, small and careless errors may be overlooked, but chronic errors or generally poor syntax, punctuation, and other mechanics have to hurt.)