Top 5 for 2025: English Classes for Incoming Freshman

With First-Year registration for Fall semester quickly approaching, it can be difficult to navigate the plethora of classes offered by Duke. In my own experience, balancing the excitement of choosing from such a diverse selection of subject matter and the logical instinct to fulfill degree requirements has been no easy feat. As an English major about to begin my second year of undergraduate education, here are the top five English classes that I think incoming freshmen could benefit from adding to their shopping carts:

ENGLISH 90S: CONFESSING POETRY

Taught by PhD candidate Will Brewbaker, this course is perfect for first-years looking to deepen their knowledge of poetry. Following a reading-based curriculum, students will examine works by a range of different poets– all of which will sharpen their analytical abilities and add new writing skills to their repertoires. 

Confessing Poetry fulfills multiple Trinity requirements. With the start of 2025’s Fall semester begins a new liberal-arts curriculum– one that requires the study of 6 categories: CE (Creating & Engaging with Art), HI (Humanistic Inquiry), IJ (Interpreting Institutions, Justice & Power), NW (Investigating the Natural World), QC (Quantitative and Computational Reasoning), and SB (Social & Behavioral Analysis). Over the four-year period, two credits must be completed for each category, only one code being obtained from a given class. Students must also enroll in at least three writing courses. Confessing Poetry satisfies not only the HI requirement for the liberal-arts curriculum, but serves as one of these essential writing courses. 

Having taken Will Brewbaker’s poetry workshop class this past semester, I can attest to his lighthearted and dynamic teaching style. He took care to get to know each student individually, filling every class with interactive exercises, engaging discussions, and a surprising amount of laughter considering the 4:40 to 7:10 pm time-slot. All who choose to be instructed by Professor Brewbaker will walk away with not only a newfound affinity for poetry, but a genuinely enjoyable experience.

ENGLISH 89S: MONSTERS, PIRATES, AND EMPRESSES

This seminar caught my attention immediately, largely due to its fantastical name. What place could these three mysterious–and somewhat unrelated–entities have in an academic setting? This is the beauty of the English Department; every class is an adventure in itself.

Adventure is exactly what this particular course has to offer. Led by the contagiously enthusiastic Assistant-Professor Timothy Heimlich–this being his first course taught at Duke–Monsters, Pirates, and Empresses will guide students through distant lands and familiar classics on this journey toward understanding how a quest unfolds in adventure literature. It will analyze not only the written word, but other forms of media such as film. Perhaps most advantageously, students who enroll in this class will learn to mediate academic conversation through weekly discussions. 

Like Confessing Poetry, Monsters, Pirates, and Empresses also offers the Humanistic Inquiry credit. And while first-year seminars are no longer required by the new liberal-arts curriculum, they can still be immensely beneficial for incoming freshmen. 

In my experience, enrolling in a seminar presented an early opportunity for me to get to know my peers; I was able to learn in an environment specifically catered to those just starting college. For these reasons, seminar courses are not to be overlooked when shopping for Freshman Fall classes. 

ENGLISH 101S: IMAGINING AMERICA

Examining the complex portrayal of American society in contemporary literature, this gateway course offers a real-world application of the skills learned through close-reading analysis. Its subject matter transcends that of a typical English class; rather, it ventures into the realm of cultural discourse and its reflection in modern writing. Students who take interest in the political implications of shifting American values should be sure to enroll in this course.

I myself have already done so, as Imagining America (or more generally, English 101S) remains an essential requirement for those pursuing a degree in English. Even if this is not the case, incoming freshmen can benefit from its Humanistic Inquiry and Writing attributes. 

ENGLISH 224S: READY FOR PRIME TIME: WRITING THE DRAMATIC TV EPISODE

Reserved only for first-years, this uniquely structured course presents a hands-on approach to those interested in film and its production. Students will have the rare opportunity to write their own TV episode, modeling their composition on the first season of a commercial prime-time drama— past or present. Because the course offers only four seats, participants will work closely with their peers and form strong connections with fellow first-years. The class fulfills a Creating & Engaging with Art credit, making it a valuable opportunity to check off a more obscure area of study.

ENGLISH 254: FROM HISTORY TO FANTASY: MEDIEVAL RELIGIONS IN FILM AND FICTION

Last on the list of courses to consider is one English 254 of singular interdisciplinarity. “Monks, nuns, knights, crusades, secret societies, suffragists, alt-right, plague,” the course description rattles off matter-of-factly. “Modern novels, commentaries, history, medieval texts, neurobiology, TV, films, ads, games, memes, clubs. Read, discuss, write, research.”

Needless to say, this English class has it all. From its multi-media approach to its curricular breadth, From History to Fantasy: Medieval Religions in Film and Fiction is sure to spark any Duke student’s interest. 

In my opinion, the first semester of freshman year is the opportune time to take advantage of interdisciplinary courses such as this one– even aside from its Humanistic Inquiry attribute, it will allow first-years to explore a variety of academic fields and narrow down potential degree-paths. 

Registration can seem daunting, but with classes as unique and multi-faceted as these, it should be a source of excitement, too. No matter what courses you choose to enroll in, your first semester will surely be filled with not only academic achievement, but meaningful personal growth that will carry you through your years at Duke. Best of luck class of 2029!