Southern New Hampshire University Online Reviews of Bachelor's in Creative Writing

"I've looked at the school's website to see if they had any statements about their methods and curriculums, but I haven't seen anything. I know there are generally mixed reviews out in the public, and I can definitely understand that lots of people have had varying (and some negative) experiences with SNHU--but for me, what I'm wondering is why people aren't as excited about all the things I love about SNHU. I feel like these things are what everyone should be talking about! I transferred to SNHU last fall after experiences with two universities and a community college in the last 3-4 years. I'm not very far into my program at SNHU yet, but I just wanted to say that there are some key things that I adore and want to praise in comparison to my previous college experiences: 1. Their innovative term system: 1 or 2 classes at a time with short, 8-week terms. I've found this simplified, decompressed method to be significantly more effective than the traditional semester system. It may seem that doing classes in half the time would double the work, but I've found all four of my classes so far to be extremely manageable, considerate, and humane. Instead of splitting yourself among 4-6 classes, barely scratching the surface of each one, you get a much more thorough learning experience being allowed to devote your time, energy, attention, and creativity into just a couple. I've asked myself daily at my past universities: how can professors at traditional universities rationally ask of their students the amount of work that they do? Between going to classes, doing daily assignments, trying to handle the financial, physical, and social pressures of life--and to top it off, the dreaded semester-long projects that loom over you for four months. In that constant state of of panic and chaos, I never found it possible to have a learning environment where I felt free to really learn instead of simply chug out requirements out of fear. I subscribe to the Montessori method, which asserts that learning happens when students pursue their natural curiosity and feel like they're exploring instead of obeying and surviving. In the traditional system, there is no time to explore, but at SNHU, you can extend your learning as far or as little as you have the time and interest to. You are free. 2. Inquiry and Project-Based Learning: To date, I've taken two completely inquiry-based (gen ed.) classes at SNHU: "Applied Social Sciences" and "Applied Natural Sciences". They are both of a Montessori education vein, in that you choose a topic in that field that you're passionate about, and then they guide you through researching that topic yourself instead of dictating info to you. Every step of the way, there are choices. Every step of the way, the courses are set up to relate every single thing to the real world, to you as an individual human being, and to your own interests and curiosities. And instead of ending with a terrifying exam full of information you'll forget the next day, they culminate in creative term projects that they've guided you through every step of the way. These extremely manageable, highly personalized term projects have been like paradise to me in comparison to the semester-long projects that have haunted me in the past. They've felt like such an authentic way to demonstrate the inquiry-based learning I've been engaged in throughout the term. And at the end, I feel like I actually accomplished something satisfying. 3. No lecture videos: In-person lectures have questionable learning value, since they rest on the assumption that the teacher has to fill the students' empty heads with information, and they take place in an environment of 30 silenced individuals with vastly different social skills, interests, and ideas--making the ideal "class discussion" where every voice can be heard and learned from nothing but a fantasy. For online classes, however, lectures take on a whole new level of ludicrous. From my own past experiences with online classes at traditional universities and mine and peers' experiences watching class recordings or live lectures over Zoom: lecture videos are actually the absolute worst. I'd rate them at about 5/100 in learning value, whether that's in STEM classes, the humanities, or otherwise. For digital natives like me, the online world is set up to give instant gratification to our brains. When we open our screens, our brains expect to be entertained, and we're so wired this way, we don't know how to live in any other. You can imagine how often we squirm during, skim through, speed up, ignore, and sometimes skip lecture videos. I've done it. I've seen it. I've heard of it everywhere. Because the fuzzy, muffled image of someone ranting about a subject we may or may not be interested in is the last thing our brains think it should pay attention to. (And heaven forbid it's a Zoom recording where the professor spends half the time begging people for input only to receive painful silence or half-baked statements from the same people in reply.) Put all that aside, my SNHU experience has not included a single lecture. It makes me want to get up and dance. It's like they actually notice us! It's like they've finally realized that lecture videos are a 100% waste of time for everyone involved. (I apologize to anyone reading this who may love lecture videos; I'm speaking in general terms.) For anyone wondering if online classes at SNHU will be excruciatingly boring because they'll have to watch lecture videos, think again. 4. Last but not least: interactive online textbooks. A notch or two below the dreaded lecture video, we have the boring textbooks. Granted, I love reading, and I often enjoy reading my textbooks. But that's not always the case. And I know a lot of other students who struggle a lot more, especially if there's not going to be an in-person discussion about it. Doing the readings for my online classes would be a much bigger struggle if they didn't have the interactive e-textbooks for a couple of the classes. Granted, I've used one print textbook so far, and an online text that wasn't interactive, but for my two more science-based classes, the interactive textbooks have been fantastic. They're so good at keeping you engaged and keeping it interesting. They vary the media with a mix of video and different kinds of texts and graphics. They have multiple choice questions that help you recall what you just read and even little games to help you organize your understanding. They're also so great at tying everything into outside, real-world sources, so that everything feels relevant and integrated to your general world view. And while you're reading the text, they're guiding you through your assignments and term project--all in one! I've been extremely engaged by the interactive online textbooks so far. So, those are top 4 for why I've been praising SNHU to all my friends and family since I started. I could also add that they've been really good at registering me for classes in advance with little to no effort on my part, and disbursing my FAFSA funds with again, little to no effort on my part. My academic advisor really cares about me personally, I feel like I can communicate with my professors whenever I need to, and they have so many extra resources--including free written feedback on papers, which I haven't used yet, but I'm planning to since I'm a Creative Writing major. Yes, I could also talk about little complaints. No organization or person is perfect, but overall, I've been bursting with my delight for this school and the newfound freedom I have since I transferred, so I had to share."

"I am absolutely appalled by the negative reviews on this school and frankly annoyed because they are bringing the rating down when SNHU is an absolutely amazing school. I studied at a university prior to SNHU for a different major and SNHU shows you what an actual GOOD university is. I left my old school to come here and it was the best decision I ever made academically. I was an online student while attending SNHU and even while studying online, the teachers were helpful, my academic advisor was helpful and my career advisor is absolutely amazing as well. The course work was do-able and I got good grades every semester because I actually went for something I wanted to do and was good at. I never failed a single class while attending SNHU because the staff will help you with whatever you need and they actually want to see you succeed. They are inexpensive compared to most universities and transferred many credits over from my previous university so I didn't have to take unnecessary courses while attending SNHU. If you are looking for a college with an amazing staff that is willing to help you and that is a lot less expensive than most and will help you find a good job after graduation, I HIGHLY recommend SNHU."

"From my initial contact with the school, everyone has been accommodating and guided me in the right direction. When enrolling I was walked through the transfer of my previous schooling and where each class would fit in. Deciding on Southern New Hampshire University because of the reviews I read about my chosen degree- Bachelors in Creative Writing and English with a concentration in Fiction Writing. Once classes started, I was surprised by how much I enjoyed that the terms were structured into eight weeks and the information that was covered by the different professors. The classes that were offered guided me in what I would need to have if I was to be successful in the different areas that would be cover my degree. The professors did not assume that everyone would be the next great author but showed us the different aspects that this degree could be applied to- editing, marketing, teaching, etc. I have always had a difficult time with math, and they offered an alternative math class that was not all about numbers and equations. This class concentrated on math that you saw every day and how it can be applied. It took a subject that everyone was familiar with and made it approachable in a way I had never seen before. I found my whole experience with Southern New Hampshire University inspiring and ultimately decided to continue my education with them and get my MFA so I can teach future generations. Not everyone learns the same way, and it is great to see a school that considers that."

"As I am a current student at SNHU, I feel I can give a valid review. I am a few weeks away from completing the first year of my BA. The first few terms were good, except my advisor was questionable. The last two terms have been horrible - professors with huge chips on their shoulders, trying to knock me down. I am an adult student returning to school after being out 20 years and making a career change. This has not been easy in any sense of the word and no one at SNHU has helped. I so wanted to quit last week but made the difficult decision to continue because I am the only one I am doing this for...no one else cares whether I complete my degree or not."

"I have been attending this school for a couple months and so far I enjoy the school and the online atmosphere. I'm surprised to see negative reviews on counselors. My counselor has been extremely helpful and already has my classes lined up for the remainder of my time here. I am a transfer student and I really appreciated the amount of courses they accepted. The school is extremely affordable which helps military families like me. I like the structure of the online courses. It helps for someone who is older and deciding to finish their degree but may not have the ability to do so at a traditional on-campus school. It has helped greatly and I happy and thankful for it. The only thing I would like to mention is the courses seem too easy for me. I know I am intelligent but I look back at some of my assignments and I know I didn't put forth the amount of effort as I should have on some of them and yet I still received an A. Don't get me wrong I am happy to receive an A, however I am used to a challenge. At my precious school I almost also had some type of crtitique on even my best assignments. I am hoping it is well worth the money and time spent!"

"It's hard to put into words how awesome SNHU has been. I was a poor student in High School and eventually dropped out and got my GED. That experience made it very difficult for me to ever want to go back to school. I joined the military and after serving for 8 years finally got the motivation to go back to school. From day one my academic adviser and the other employees at SNHU have made me feel that I am more than capable of getting my degree. They've motivated me and taken a very personal interest in my accomplishments. I originally was only going to get an associates but after taking 3 courses I decided to work towards my bachelor's which I will receive next spring. Some of the complaints I've read regarding SNHU are that it is not challenging. I would say the entry level courses are not very challenging, but once you move into the upper level courses be prepared to spend some Saturday's studying. Is SNHU as prestigious as Harvard or Yale? No, but they've never claimed to be. If you're someone who has been out of academics for a long period of time I would highly recommend SNHU for whatever degree you wish to pursue. I've had a fantastic time and wouldn't have wanted to attend any other University."

"I loved this school. I tried to obtain a degree in my local community college and the state university here and they were both overpriced and felt like I was repeating high school. Went back to school a few years later to SNHU and it was amazing. Sure, the coursework is contrived by someone other than the teachers but Im finding out this seems to be true for many schools (hey, even in non-secondary schools they have a lesson plan that they dont make!). I had two advisors in my time here and they were blth amazing, tech support was on point. Most of my teachers were awesome. Were a few lazy and detached? Sure, but youre not always going to have professors who genuinely care, a lot are just doing it for selfish reasons or cause they cant hack it in their chosen field. Are some students lazy and lacking? Sure. But I went to an automotive school and someone couldnt read! It was a requirement yet he still got let in, and then failed when he couldnt be taught and helped. The only reason Im not getting a Masters here is because I had my first negative experience: misinformation and a failed callback on the scheduled date (still havent heard back from them!)."

"Once you get used to the online terminology and classroom structure the experience is generally positive. The material was relevant and increased in depth the further advanced. I took advantage of every learning opportunity putting in the extra time and effort to get as much out of my education dollars as possible. My instructors were accomplished in their fields, many holding advanced degrees and many years of teaching. There was only one major disappointment in the coursework, which has since been improved. I learned so much and appreciate the opportunity to have earned my degree without travel. For me, the cost was affordable and worth every dime. Go SNHU!"

"It's disheartening to read these negative reviews since my experience at this school and I know the experience of many others has been absolutely stellar. I started at SNHU in February 2016 and was able to transfer in 75 units so I had 45 to complete for my degree, which I completed in May 2017. From the outset, my advisors were available and helpful in getting me accepted, enrolled, and comfortable in my courses. I never had any issues registering for classes or receiving financial aid and was never charged erroneous or disingenuous fees. The professors I had were largely excellent, with many of them teaching at major universities and many of them were successful, published writers. There were a couple of average instructors in the bunch but none that I would consider to be sub par. The online course as SNHU require a student to be a self-motivated self-starter who possesses a real desire to learn coupled with excellent time management skills. Grades aren't handed out; they are earned and the workload supports this. At no point did I feel overwhelmed with work but the work is no joke, either. In one of my highest-level courses I read three novels and several short stories, plus short essays, discussions, and a final paper and presentation - all in 8 weeks. A serious student should expect to work for their degree, and that's what I did. It's like many other things in life in that you will get out what you put in. I don't understand some of the comments I've read here that indicate that the degree is worthless. I have a lovely diploma from an accredited, nonprofit school and a confirmed enrollment in a graduate program at my local state university for the upcoming Spring semester to prove otherwise. The negative reviews seem like they are coming from people who aren't or weren't willing to put in the time and effort and who were hoping for a degree they could, in the end, purchase. You won't find that at SNHU. All in all, I can positively recommend this school for people who need an online program that fits into their busy work and/or family lives. SNHU truly allowed me to achieve my goals and I will always be grateful."

"I really enjoy going to the Southern New Hampshire University Online. This school is the only one that I have found that has the study program that I always wanted to do since I was in middle/high school. The people that works there are very nice and they work well with you."