Pursuing an MFA, Part I

After a brief hiatus, I've returned to my MFA program at USF this week. This semester includes a Nonfiction Workshop with David Vann and a Research for Writers course with Lisa Harper. While I have at times questioned if I might meet my creative and professional goals through more informal (and less costly and time-consuming) means, when I return from an evening with my heart enthralled and mind on excited overdrive, I know that I've chosen well.

While I'm not counting on the graduate degree alone paving my way to a literary career (few job postings ask for my B.A. in anthropology or women's studies either), I am following the notion that an accelerated learning environment under the tutelage of those immersed in the field has its merits in intrinsic value, no matter the outcome. So far, the program feeds me intellectually and exercises my underused critical reading and writing muscles in an environment I crave. (Return for Part II on Friday.)

Dear Reader:
If you're in an MFA program or have a creative writing degree, how has it benefited you? If you haven't chosen that particular path, by what other means have you pursued your writing career?