The First Word
TEN REASONS By Marjie Killeen ’09
2. The school was close and convenient and I could go at my own pace. I had two small children and a husband who traveled. I relished the fact I could take evening classes once a week in a nearby location and take a semester off if I needed to.
collaborate on a self-published anthology of pet stories. Check me out on Amazon! Two of the stories in our book “Heavy Petting” are mine. 7. The faculty was personally committed to my success and remains so.
I cannot say enough about Dr. Joanne Koch, the head of the
3. The classes were small, personal, and hands on.
Written Communication department and my advisor. She spent countless hours helping me develop and refine my blog, which began as my thesis project. She remains a valued resource to this day, as does Patty Tennison, who runs the simply amazing Paris Cafe Writing program I attended in December.
As an undergraduate, some of my lectures had hundreds of students. No one knew or cared if I attended. At NLU my classes ranged from 6 -18 people. We all knew the professor and one another, and a good portion of the class time was participative. We shared and discussed our work in class.
Courtesy of James Richards IV, NLU
Marjie Killeen attended National Louis University in order to pursue her passion for writing. (Note: This is an excerpt from a post published previously on Marjie’s blog, Fortyfabulous.com) In my early 40s, after a long career in marketing and a stint as a stay at home mom, I went back to graduate school at National Louis University. In ways, my education in NLU’s Written Communication Program was better than my Big Ten undergraduate experience. Here are ten reasons NLU was right for me. 1. The program offered exactly what I wanted to study. In my 20s I had no idea what I wanted to do. In my 40s, I knew I wanted to become a writer. NLU offered a program that covered all the disciplines of professional writing - fiction, screenplays, feature writing, journalism - as well as fundamentals such as expository writing and editing.
8. My thesis project got me the work I wanted.
4. The instructors weren’t just professors - they were professionals.
I’d never have got my True/Slant writing job or become a columnist at Make it Better if it hadn’t been for my blog, Forty Fabulous!
All of my professors were working successfully in their chosen fields. For example, Laurie Lawlor, who has published dozens of young adult fiction books, taught my Young Adult Fiction class. My instructors were doing the work I wanted to do, not just teaching it. 5. My coursework focused on real world application rather than theory or research. We didn’t learn the theory or history of writing; we studied the craft. We learned how to write so we could sell our work and earn money.
9. NLU put me in one of their print ads. I was featured in a calendar too. How fun is that? 10. I grew up. I gave more of myself to my
graduate classes because I was a mature student and eager to learn. Plus I was paying my own tuition. Making a personal investment made me more committed to my education and I was surrounded by students doing the same.
6. I formed connections with fellow students.
Marjie Killeen M.S. in Written Communication, 2009
Soon after I earned my degree, I joined a group of NLU alums to
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