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What the harder parts of being an M.F.A. Student in English?

I'm going to be pursuing an M.F.A. in English, Creative Writing next fall, and I want to know some things to look out for.

fall25 graduate-school english creative-writing mfa
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Tom’s Answer

It's likely that people will scoff at your choice of degree, plain and simple. What you do with it will depend solely on you, and the level of discipline you have when it comes to seeing things through to the end. I can only speak for my experience, but an MFA is not always considered one of the most prestigious degrees available unless you're willing to endure the hardship of making yourself known in the field of writing. This is an endeavor that, honestly, is worth it, but also comes with a lot of caveats and isn't to be undertaken lightly. Ask yourself, how dedicated are you to this course? If your answer is anything within the vicinity of "determined to succeed through every last shred of maddening doubt that can crush your soul and leave you wondering why you ever wrote your first sentence".....then you've already crossed one of the most crucial hurdles.

This isn't meant to scare or even mildly unnerve you, it's meant to educate and remind you that Creative Writing is a valuable and worthwhile pursuit. But it's not going to be easy unless you're willing to surrender a bit of yourself to the process. I do wish you the best and hope that you'll become another in the long line of writers who are fully dedicated to preserving and continuing the written word. If your desire to write is strong enough, then you'll do fine.

Just write, and let the words flow.
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