Hello! My name is Carly Shaner. I’m a sophomore studying professional writing and information design (PWID). I’m from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and I currently live in Willetts Hall. Come join me for a normal day in my life at Cedarville!
I thought I’d get some work done this morning since I don’t have any classes before chapel. I didn’t feel like making coffee this morning, so I headed to Rinnova to get my usual — a vanilla iced coffee — then headed to the Centennial Library. My roommate works there, and it’s so much fun to see her there. There isn’t always an open computer, but if you go early in the morning, you can take your pick.
Before I do any school-related studying or even look at social media, I do my personal Bible study. I turn on a piano study playlist and use Bible study methods I was taught in my Bible and the Gospel class. This morning, I studied Matthew 10:16–11:1. I always end my Bible study with a 1-to-2 sentence reflection of what I studied and what it means for me. Here’s what I wrote today: “In his instructions, Jesus provides forewarning but also hope. By trusting in Jesus and the Spirit and acknowledging them whatever the circumstance, we have found the reward of everlasting life.”
After Bible study, I wrote my to-do list for today, which I divide into two sections: things I have to do today and things I can do today but aren’t a priority. After that, I resume a short paper I’m writing for Interpersonal Communication called “The Burden and Responsibility of Truth and Deception.” I think everyone should take Interpersonal Communication, not just because Dr. Fultz is amazing (he is!), but also because it makes you think about how you communicate and how to better interpret others’ communication.
Today’s chapel was a praise chapel, which means we worship through song the whole time. The theme was God’s worthiness. I always enjoy joining every Cedarville student in praising the only One who is worthy of it.
I have four classes after chapel, and I enjoy all of them. My first two classes are PWID-related. The first one is Editing in Publishing Contexts, and today, we talked about what goes into a good query letter and evaluated some examples. We also discussed a new project that involves editing a query letter according to what we had learned. My second class is Writing for User Experience, and since it’s in the same room as the editing class, my PWID friends and I quickly grab lunch at the Cafe in between. I love how quickly I can get food between classes. In my second class, we furthered our discussion of different kinds of analyses to research in user experience and how they’d fit into a project we’d do later in the class.
I chose the PWID major because I want to be a writer but wasn’t sure of the kind of writing I wanted to do. This program opens me up to the various kinds of writing in the industry, and because of this major, I’ve seen and done a lot of writing I’ve really enjoyed. I’m still learning and deciding what kind of writing I want to do, but with the PWID major, I’ll be prepared for any writing job that’s thrown my way.
My third class is Interpersonal Communication. I love that Dr. Fultz always starts his classes with prayer and a short but insightful Bible study. My fourth and final class of the day is New Testament Literature. We started class with a quiz on our textbook and finished going through the Gospel of Mark.
I think one of the best places to study besides the library is the Stevens Student Center (called the SSC). The lighting isn’t too harsh, there are numerous study spaces with conveniently placed outlets, and you never know who you’ll see. I studied there for a while, getting ahead on some reading.
Besides studying, I worked on a post for the Inklings, Cedarville’s creative writing student organization. I’m the secretary this year, and part of my job is running our Instagram page, so I made a story for this Thursday’s weekly meeting. The Inklings have rekindled my love of creative writing. I joined fall of my freshman year at the Involvement Fair (which I strongly recommend you attend as a freshman) and have stuck with them ever since.
For dinner, I met up with a friend and we went to the Dining Hall. My favorite thing about the Dining Hall is the ice cream! They have a lot of interesting flavor options that taste exactly like their names sound!
I ended the night with a little more reading and writing, both for PWID and for fun. My roommate and I often talk about God, our major (we’re both PWID!), and interesting events in our lives, so we usually go to sleep later than we should.
What I love about the PWID community is that we genuinely love each other, and the professors know and love us too. We have a great time with each other in classes and other interactions around campus. If PWID interests you, you check out more about Cedarville and the Professional Writing and Information Design program here.
Thanks for joining me for a day in my life at Cedarville!
Major: Professional Writing and Information Design
Year of Graduation: Class of 2027
Tags: #academics, #cedarville, #college, #experience, #helpful, #major, #professionalwritingandinformationdesign, #student, #studentguide, #studentlife, #students
Posted in: College Life, Student Guide, Student Life