>>15 I wouldn't say Creative Writing is a waste of time...I don't think I would have ever written a pantoum on my own, so I guess I can credit my previous Creative Writing course to that much. You are completely right in your description though: very much an awkward, blind-leading-blind experience.

As for "success" with Creative Writing, I wouldn't exactly say that anyone is really successful during -- or immediately after -- a Creative Writing course. Creative Writing will make you feel like you can write anything, like you're ready to go and don't need any of that other crap you're required take.

Realistically though, all English courses are designed to give you a fuller, more robust appreciation of literature -- no one college-level English course is going to magically turn you into a successful, publish-ready writer. If there's any course that does do just that, Creative Writing certainly isn't it. It really just serves to make you aware of and get you actively involved in the more creative, abstract side of writing, and also to provide a balance to the courses that teach form, structure, and the technical aspects of writing.