First Look: NCC Creative Writing Course

I’ve recently signed up for a Creative Writing course through NCC Online. I’ll be posting a full review later, but I just wanted to give my initial thoughts on the course setup, as it might be handy to compare to my opinion once I’ve finished the course.

Reviewing a writing course like this is actually very interesting for me, as I’ve enjoyed studying in bricks-and-mortar universities, but recently I’ve wondered if the physical experience of attendance in person is worth the price, or whether a similar outcome could be achieved by doing a course from home.

First impressions

At a glance, it definitely inspires confidence.

With 14 modules it certainly appears comprehensive and holds the promise of value. The modules cover a wider range of writing styles and genres than I had anticipated; there is always the worry that an online course may come up thin, but so far, so good.

The Quick Start Guide PDF is excellent for letting you know exactly how to go about actually using the material  presented to you – it’s worth reading through it straight away and not skipping over it just because you’re at home in your pyjamas.

Starting out

I didn’t know what to expect when I signed up for this… how different would an online course be to the methods of learning I’ve already tried?

Right now, I can honestly say I’m genuinely excited. In the first evening of sitting down with the course materials, I found myself in one of the exercises pouring out words that had only rattled around my mind for years. I had to pull myself away – that can only be a good sign!

In fact, I have to pull myself away from saying too much right now, as I want to reserve most of my insight for my final review in order to give a full picture.

Criticism

There is a glaring error in the overview section that deals with the Creative Writing exam where it states, “Once you have read through the Underpinning Knowledge you should of gained the Knowledge to take the Exam”.

Should of?

I’ll be honest: this severely dented my confidence, but I was willing to see this as an oversight by an administrator tasked with drawing up brief descriptions, and not as a foretaste of what would be in the course itself.

Small things like this are extremely important when it comes to convincing learners of academic merit when it comes to courses, especially learners like me, who have been through extensive formal education and expect a high standard of provision. Still, nothing in the course material has given me reason to doubt its usefulness.

Overview

The course materials seem to be well-written and thought provoking, and I’m looking forward to digging deeper into them and seeing how this experiences affects my writing. Come back for my full, in-depth review at the end of the course.

 

Read my initial thoughts on NCC Home Learning's Creative Writing course.