Three BYUHawaii alumni said they once treated required writing classes as boxes to check, only to realize later that those courses reshaped how they think, not just how they write. Their experiences in these courses reshaped how they approach ideas, arguments and communication far beyond the classroom, they said.

Seven months after graduating, I dont remember every paper I wrote, but I still use the habits those classes helped build almost every day, said Mikaela Montgomery, an alumna from the Philippines. As students continue to move through required writing courses, these alumni suggest the value of those classes may lie not in the assignments themselves, but in the thinking behind them.

Montgomery said ENGL 331 (Professional Career Writing) changed how she communicates, organizes her ideas and presents them. She said one of the most important lessons she learned was that strong writing begins with clear thinking. A writer must slow down, ask questions, organize their thoughts and convey a definitive message, she said.

Montgomery said the revision process reshaped how she approached writing. At first, receiving papers covered in comments from her professor felt discouraging, she said. Over time, she realized the feedback was not about pointing out mistakes but about developing deeper thinking.

Changing your mind or improving your ideas isnt a weakness, she said. Its part of learning.

Montgomerys experience reflects a similar starting point among other alumni. Both she and Bima Kristiawan, an alumnus from Indonesia, said they initially viewed writing classes as requirements rather than opportunities for growth.

I did think of them as requirement classes, Kristiawan said. Just something to introduce us to college writing.

That perception began to change through specific assignments and feedback, Kristiawan said. In ENG 315 (Topics for Advanced Writing and Analysis), Kristiawan said he initially treated weekly reading notes as busywork, summarizing texts for completion. That shifted after feedback from his professor encouraged him to integrate his own thoughts into his writing.

For Renae Buckles, an alumna from Nevada and former writing tutor, ENG 315 introduced a different kind of intellectual discipline. Although she had worked at the Reading Writing Lab (RWL) for three years and was already familiar with the courses assignments through helping other students, she said the class strengthened her ability to plan and organize research.

I learned research and organization skills that helped me finish my undergrad submission papers, she said. Buckles said one assignment that stood out required students to compare a modern piece to its original context while incorporating historical factors and creative adaptation. The process pushed her to think more deeply about how ideas are formed and reshaped over time.

It had me thinking about motivators that go into creating a story and then how that process repeats itself with other authors, she said. She added, the outcome of the course would help for her future career in linguistics anthropology, where she will engage with people and their stories.

Across these experiences, the alumni said writing courses emphasize habits and skills that are not limited to academic work. Montgomery said the classes teach students how to analyze information, evaluate arguments and communicate ideas responsibly. Whether youre writing an email, presenting an idea at work or having a difficult conversation, youre using the same habits those classes develop, she said.

That shift reflects a broader change in critical thinking, Montgomery said. Now, she said she takes more time to consider multiple perspectives before forming conclusions. I try to understand different perspectives first, evaluate the evidence and only then form a conclusion, she said. Ive become much more comfortable saying, I dont know enough yet.

At work as an administrative assistant, Montgomery said she now considers audience, purpose and clarity before communicating ideas. Rather than reacting immediately, Im more likely to ask questions, listen carefully and make sure I understand someone before responding, she said.

Kristiawan said he applied similar skills while updating training materials for a campus Information Technology role, transforming what he described as monotone instructions into more meaningful and engaging content.

Despite these outcomes, all three said many students still underestimate the value of writing courses. Buckles said some students approach them with a bare minimum mindset, missing opportunities for growth.

Drawing from her experience as a tutor and anthropology teaching assistant, Buckles emphasized the value of writing as a thinking process. Students have the advantage to grow in a field they may be turned off to There are no wrong answers so we might as well fail until we understand our potential with writing, she said.

For Montgomery, the misconception lies in seeing writing as only an academic skill. Its a life skill. The ability to genuinely understand other peoples perspectives through how they communicate affects almost every part of adulthood.

Art may appear to be driven by creativity and talent, but for three visual arts students with emphasis in painting & illustration, the process is defined more by discipline, repetition and invisible labor rather than inspiration alone. Across different experiences, they described a shared reality: growth as an artist is built through failure, experiments and continuous refinement rather than natural ability.

Having artistic talent, for me, is having the grit to go through a long process of just doing a lot of ugly paintings, said Liahona Billones, a senior from the Philippines. People see what we produce but they dont see just how much mental work, research and study go into each of those pieces, she continued. They are not just a reflection of the artists skills, but of their interests, efforts and passion after countless hours on the backend.

For Billones, much of that work looks far from polished. She said her time in the studio is often filled with unfinished pieces and rough sketches. Some people are probably not expecting to see me make a lot of unrefined paintings, she said. But those are just part of the process of learning. Even outside the studio, she said, the work continues through taking reference photos, watching tutorials, listening to podcasts and studying other artists.

Ocean Jardiniano, a senior from the Philippines, described a similar routine. She said a typical day involves sitting for hours in the studio, blending colors and working through ideas, often in solitude. Creating art is more than just finishing a painting, she said. It takes hours, days and months of experimenting, iterating and conceptualizing.

Jardiniano said one of the most important lessons she learned was the value of iteration. Before entering the program, she said she would paint based on a single idea without much experimentation. But as we worked on our projects, we were asked to do them over and over again until we made the best out of them, she said. At first, it was frustrating and tiring, but I realized I was learning and growing as an artist."

Boydat Fuiava, a sophomore from New Zealand, said the program reinforces this mindset on both practice and reflection. He explained the studio classes often last three hours, during which students continuously work while receiving feedback from instructors. Outside of class, he said the process does not stop. Basically, in the program youre always making art and always thinking about art, he said.

In addition to repetition, students also said critique plays a central role in their development. Jardiniano said weekly critiques require students to evaluate their own work and respond to feedback from others. We give critiques to others as well as receive them from both our classmates and teachers, she said. This allows us to see different perspectives and understand what we can improve.

Through this system, students begin to challenge common assumptions about artistic talent. Rather than viewing talent as an innate ability, Billones said what people often perceive as talent is actually the result of sustained effort. Similarly, Fuiava defined artistic talent as the willingness to experiment and commit to ideas, while Jardiniano emphasized the importance of connecting personal expression with others.

This combination of discipline and self-exploration becomes especially visible in one type of assignment many students identified as representing their growth: the self-portrait. Across their experiences, the self-portrait became more than an artistic exerciseit served as a space where technical skill, personal identity and emotional vulnerability intersect.

For Billones, creating a self-portrait sculpture required confronting personal insecurities. She said she had previously avoided self-portrait work because of self-confidence and body image concerns. During the project, she worked from mirrors and reference photos of her own face, forcing her to examine features she had long felt uncomfortable with. As I worked on it, the way I saw myself and defined beauty was shaped for the better, she said.

Jardinianos self-portrait took a more symbolic approach. Instead of representing herself literally, she used vivid colors, patterns and imagery to express her identity as an artist. Creating this project helped me understand more about myself and my artistry, she said. Making this piece made me feel free.

Fuiava also described his self-portrait as an experimental work, combining multiple mediums such as charcoal, acrylic, oil paint and marker. Rather than depicting himself in a traditional form, he represented himself symbolically as a black cat, based on how others have described him. Everything in it was just me experimenting while trying to depict characteristics about myself, he said. Despite the visible outcomes displayed in galleries or exhibitions, students emphasized that much of their work remains unseen.

Students interested in the BFA emphasis program must apply by submitting a portfolio that demonstrates a few strong, completed works. The faculty will also consider an applicants artistic process, looking at sketchbooks and techniques to better understand the students development and familiarity with different media. Students typically begin in introductory courses such as ARTS 119 (Drawing and Design Principles).

These classes provide opportunities to create artwork, receive feedback from the faculty and determine whether their work is ready for the program application. The same application process also applies to students pursuing the BFA emphasis in Graphic Design.