What is COMM 120/220 (FWIS Writing Studio)?
COMM 120/220 is a pass/fail one-hour writing studio that acts as a writing lab for your FWIS—it’s somewhere between a study hall and writing group, but instead of always working independently, you’ll have the support of the studio leader (experienced undergraduate writer) and your peers.
The writing studios at Rice are student-led and student-driven, meaning that experienced undergraduates lead the weekly sessions and the studio students decide what to do during class. You may participate in guided workshops on elements of college reading and writing, engage in peer review with other studio members, complete reading/writing assignments for your FWIS, or meet one-on-one with the studio leaders. Here’s how one student from spring 2025 described the FWIS Writing Studio:
The primary goal of the FWIS Writing Studio is to provide you with a structured, supportive space to develop strong reading and writing habits tailored to your individual writing needs, and to improve your thinking and writing through peer review and meetings with the studio leader.
Who can enroll? Why Take this Course with my FWIS?
Anyone who is currently taking a FWIS can enroll in studio, and we find that the experience is helpful to writers at all stages. We find that it’s especially helpful for students who…
• struggle with procrastination and deadlines
• want to improve their writing through peer review
• want to learn to revise their own writing
• worry about completing their FWIS work
• are feeling nervous about college writing and would like a supportive writing community outside of their FWIS
Testimonials
“I loved taking studio and encourage everyone to do it! It gives a lot of support to students who want to learn how to write well in and outside of FWIS. I learned a lot about how to peer review as well. The endless support provided by this class makes it very worth taking. It required little to no time outside of class, and only added to my writing abilities.”
“This course was SO helpful. Instead of adding on any extra writing work on top of my FWIS, it provided the space to receive feedback on my FWIS essays, ask questions about writing, and directly work toward developing my academic writing. Even when I didn't have writing assignments to work on, I could still use the hour to complete workshop activities that boost my writing skills, or I could use the hour to get some reading done for my FWIS. Overall, I think the feedback that I've received in this writing studio has changed how I view academic writing and has bolstered my confidence when it comes to writing.”
Questions? Email Dr. Parker | s.parker@rice.edu