Essays Suck

[electricbody]

Yeah, well as bad as writing the essay might have been, keep in mind that someone has to read it and all the other ones. There's nothing like a weekend and a stack of 75 student essays. Oh yeah! That's why I went to graduate school.

But really _some_ of them can be fun to read. The worst part is making comments, getting engaged in the essay, etc. and knowing that 90% of the undergrads just want to see the grade, file it away, and move on (unless it's a borderline grade and then they want to know why they didn't get an "A"--the ones who get Bs are the worst).

[Bill]

You never know what's going to be valuable in your schooling, so try and get something out of every class, even those that make you write essays. When I was in 7th grade English, I gave a speech about how English classes served no useful function for the majority of people.

I've made my living as a writer for the past 25 years.

Go figure.

I just wish I could find my teacher so I could write her a nice, 500-word apology for being such an idiot.

[Telehackster]

Originally Posted by boris bubbanov

Would a professor actually read the whole of one's submissions on this kind of topic? Do people still exist who are that disciplined?

As Larry stated, absolutely. I read each paper two or three times. Although I certainly mark up the papers, I prefer to discuss the papers with my students so that they can understand better what the marks and changes mean. I've found that a student can get a better sense of this during a ten-to-fifteen minutes conversation than if I were to write a multiple-page note to that student. Perhaps it's not just requirements or discipline on my part: I grant that there is some selfishness involved since I want to read good papers, and it frustrates me when a bright student submits work that is not up to his or her potential.

The fact is, I enjoy finding out what and how my students think. It is a great kick when you see students make discoveries on their own and are able to convey them effectively. Years ago, I had one students who was, frankly, a terrible writer. He was a smart guy but did not seem to think so, and he was so shy that when he read something out loud he stammered a bit. Two young women who sat near him--two of his friends, at that--teased him a bit. I felt for him. I worked with him on all of his papers in a composition course, and he put each one through four or five drafts. When I read the final versions of his papers that semester, I was astonished: they were excellent. (The ideas and words were his own.) Had I not seen each draft, I probably would have thought that two people had written the first and final versions. Not only did he get a well-earned "A" in that course, I had a ivate chuckle when I entered my grades and realized that he scored better than his two friends. I still think about that guy whenever I get frustrated with my students.

Sorry for the rant.

[Tony474]

Originally Posted by BillyG

...turn on the word processor.

And be thankful for its invention and that you don't have to write in longhand as we did. Similarly we took the fountain pen for granted and didn't mourn the passing of the goose-quill...

[asatbender]

I did not start going to college until I was 30 years old. I hate the big business tactics of colleges. I have a family and can only take two or so classes a semester so it is a slow go. I have a family to support and I just want to learn my trade and get on with trying to get a good job. When I have to take a "filler" class I come away with the filling that college is a money making scam!

Right now is a great example, I am taking psychology and for my final write an essay on what I learned and how it relates to my experiences. I would not mind writing a couple of paragraphs but when a word or page limit is set, I feel like it is a big ol' steaming pile of......

[pango_twango]

Ok, sure, but I wouldn't blame the college for the fact that you have to take a psych course. Don't get me wrong: I feel your pain. But blame the employers: they want you to have a degree, not just courses in whatever occupational speciality you are seeking. Believe me, if there was a financial gain in becoming vocational schools, colleges would be all over it. Employers drive the academic market. If people could get jobs with Microsoft just by taking an online tutorial and programming in their mom's basement, there'd be no more "Computer Science" majors, complete with the required courses in art history and "Psychology of the Family."

[wilkat1]

I don't know if essays suck,









but I've sure written some that do.

[electricbody]

Originally Posted by Telehackster

As Larry stated, absolutely. I read each paper two or three times. Although I certainly mark up the papers, I prefer to discuss the papers with my students so that they can understand better what the marks and changes mean. I've found that a student can get a better sense of this during a ten-to-fifteen minutes conversation than if I were to write a multiple-page note to that student.

Sorry for the rant.

Not a rant. I work really hard to get my students to come talk to me as they're writing and thinking about the essay rather than after they've written it. I want them to see writing as part of a process that includes thinking, revising, reading, and writing. Basically, I try to front load the discussion since once I've put a grade on the essay too many students just focus on the grade. As Telehacker says, it's cool to see people think and to help them clarify and deepen their thinking.

[blacklinefish]

Originally Posted by J-man

"Discuss the history and development of sound recording technology within the context of the problem of fidelity. Is it possible to be true to a performance?"

When I first read this I was thinking of how a recorded performance tends to color people's impression of a composition. There are some people that think only Karajan or Furtwangler can interpret Beethoven - mostly because that's what they've heard first and everything else sounds wrong.

Larry F is right, we read it all. I have some essay exams to grade right now, in fact. Also, there are two theses I need to review. A lot of graduate students are incredibly smart people but have difficulty writing. So, bringing them through the entire M.S. thesis (including a defense) is an incredible process.

Writing is like playing - the more you practice the better you become.

--gh

[mrbdxmpl]

I'm sorry, you're complaining about have to write something about music? A question with good practical and philosophical elements to discuss? A course of study that it sounds like no one put a gun to your head to take on?

No sympathy, mate. Feel glad you don't have real job like the rest of us...