Incoming Freshmen Enjoy WIC & CC On:Line Program

This year’s Writing Intensive Clinic (WIC) & Common Curriculum (CC) On:Line Program ran from January 15 to 26. Dedicated to enhancing first-year students’ academic writing skills, the WIC & CC Program offers an array of lectures, writing instructions, and personal consultations conducted by UIC's distinguished faculty members. As students from China, Mongolia, Pakistan, Singapore, Germany, and Korea came together, Writing Program Director Professor Seunghei Clara Hong opened the program by emphasizing critical thinking, making mistakes, asking questions, and fostering camaraderie. For the next two weeks, students gathered each morning for exemplary CC lectures focusing on different topics within the CC curriculum—from the Copernican Revolution in Science Literacy to Gender Representation in World Literature to the Great Divergence in Eastern Civilization. In the afternoons, students were divided into two sections under the mentorship of Professors Corey Gibson Steiner and Sarah Yoon. Within these sections, students learned writing skills, delved into specific texts, analyzed and integrated insights into their writing exercises, and were provided personalized feedback and consultations to supplement their learning.

The 2024 WIC & CC On:Line Program was thoughtfully designed to maintain engagement and avoid monotony. Jihyeon Seok (HASS ’24) found the World History, Eastern Civilization, and Western Civilization lectures challenging in terms of content, but they also were her “favorites.” “Listening to these lectures made me look forward to what I will learn in my freshman year,” she shared. Meanwhile, Jiwon Chung (UD ’24) appreciated the lectures on Plagiarism and Academic Honesty, noting their usefulness in providing clear guidance on recognizing and avoiding plagiarism in her work. Beyond the lectures, the program offered individualized essay consultations with professors, granting students tailored feedback to enhance their writing skills. Sihyun Ryu (HASS ’24) observed, “writing essays on my own and getting the professor’s feedback was the best. I was afraid of writing college-level essays, but after attending WIC & CC, I am more prepared with the writing skills I can use when classes begin.”

Despite challenges such as an online program and taking classes across different time zones, WIC & CC classes propelled students to go beyond their “comfort zones” as they traversed through different class materials and participated in in-class discussions. The blend of students from diverse backgrounds also fostered many interactions between Korean and non-Korean students. Jeewon Han (HASS ’22) found the “group discussions helpful because I could practice my English conversations with international students. Exchanging thoughts with other students also made me think further about the readings.” Students not only learned from the lecture materials, but through each other. The camaraderie of the WIC & CC cohort was enhanced by students exchanging their contacts with promises to continue the rapport beyond the two weeks together. 

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Written by Sangyun Kim (ECON & JCL, '22) and Clara Seoyoung Kim (IS & JCL, '22)

Edited by Pho Vu (IID, '20.5)