Illiteracy at college level, how can they make it that far?

[JonathonWally]

I'm a huge fan of dumb people and underachievers. Easier to step over them and beat them in job interviews.

It's ok to admit your vanity, we all have it inside. We like dumb people because it displays how much above the average most of us are.

Yes it's sad that this happens, but it does. It's like a discussion I once had in a sociology class about education and it's current state with all the hand-holding and self esteem bullshit, and now, they even tell teachers not to use red ink to mark things because "red is mean"

I spent almost my entire education being taught by Priests and Nuns, if I handed in garbage, they let me know it, including physical violence.

 

[SeerSGB]

I'm a huge fan of dumb people and underachievers. Easier to step over them and beat them in job interviews.

It's ok to admit your vanity, we all have it inside. We like dumb people because it displays how much above the average most of us are.

Yes it's sad that this happens, but it does. It's like a discussion I once had in a sociology class about education and it's current state with all the hand-holding and self esteem bullshit, and now, they even tell teachers not to use red ink to mark things because "red is mean"

I spent almost my entire education being taught by Priests and Nuns, if I handed in garbage, they let me know it, including physical violence.

I'll go you one better: (from a friend that's a teacher in TN) she was told not use red cause it was mean and the color of blood and could be taken to imply a physical threat against the child.

 

[RoJoHen]

I'm a huge fan of dumb people and underachievers. Easier to step over them and beat them in job interviews.

It's ok to admit your vanity, we all have it inside. We like dumb people because it displays how much above the average most of us are.

Yes it's sad that this happens, but it does. It's like a discussion I once had in a sociology class about education and it's current state with all the hand-holding and self esteem bullshit, and now, they even tell teachers not to use red ink to mark things because "red is mean"

I spent almost my entire education being taught by Priests and Nuns, if I handed in garbage, they let me know it, including physical violence.

I'll go you one better: (from a friend that's a teacher in TN) she was told not use red cause it was mean and the color of blood and could be taken to imply a physical threat against the child.

Haven't heard the physical threat part before, but my mom (a high school teacher) is not supposed to grade papers with a red pen because it can damage the kids' self-esteem.

She is not allowed to give students failing grades for anything. If a student fails an exam, they are required to retake it as many times as it takes for them to get a passing grade (and in this case, that means a C...they're not even allowed to get Ds!).

Students are also allowed to turn in homework assignments as late as they want. It could be something assigned on the first day of school, and they are allowed to turn it in months later just to prevent them from getting a zero in the grade book.

My mom hates her job.

 

[Kestra]

I spent almost my entire education being taught by Priests and Nuns, if I handed in garbage, they let me know it, including physical violence.

Including physical violence? That's pretty terrible.

 

[sidious618]

She used first person in a research paper, that should be a failure right there.

No, the first person is perfectly acceptable in a university-level research paper. You just have to use it properly.

Yeah, I've never heard not to use first person in a research paper.

 

[RoJoHen]

She used first person in a research paper, that should be a failure right there.

No, the first person is perfectly acceptable in a university-level research paper. You just have to use it properly.

Yeah, I've never heard not to use first person in a research paper.

It's one of those things they teach you in elementary school, much like the 5-paragraph essay format. It's a good way to start learning how to write, but it's by no means a rule to follow as you get older.

 

[sidious618]

No, the first person is perfectly acceptable in a university-level research paper. You just have to use it properly.

Yeah, I've never heard not to use first person in a research paper.

It's one of those things they teach you in elementary school, much like the 5-paragraph essay format. It's a good way to start learning how to write, but it's by no means a rule to follow as you get older.

That's true, they did then. However, every professor I've had has said using the first person is fine. I think it must be a new movement in research paper writing.

 

[CorporalClegg]

No, the first person is perfectly acceptable in a university-level research paper. You just have to use it properly.

Yeah, I've never heard not to use first person in a research paper.

It's one of those things they teach you in elementary school, much like the 5-paragraph essay format. It's a good way to start learning how to write, but it's by no means a rule to follow as you get older.

It is definitely a "rule". It's how I learned it and it is clearly defined in most "classic" style books (Strunk & White, for example).

I had an Prof (for a couple of courses) who made a huge deal out of it. The guy was a total hardass when it came to that sort of thing. His in-class essays where utter hell. Ironically, as it were, I still consider him the best teacher I ever had and learned more about writing and language from him than the collective rest of my education. He also once gave me extra props for using "red shirt" in a paper, and that's just awesome.

 

[RoJoHen]

Well, you can use it, but you need to be able to do it well. It can be easy to overuse it if you're not careful. By learning not to use the first person when you're younger, you develop good habits. You don't want your research paper to read like a diary entry.

Dear Professor, today I researched _____. Through my research, I learned ________.

It just sounds crappy.

 

[RoJoHen]

Strunk & White, for example).

Strunk & White is like my Bible.

That said, there are always exceptions to the rules. You just need to make sure what you're doing is worth making the exception.

 

[sidious618]

Well, you can use it, but you need to be able to do it well. It can be easy to overuse it if you're not careful. By learning not to use the first person when you're younger, you develop good habits. You don't want your research paper to read like a diary entry.

Dear Professor, today I researched _____. Through my research, I learned ________.

It just sounds crappy.

Yeah, that'd sound awful.

 

[CorporalClegg]

Strunk & White is like my Bible.

Mine too.

I even have a leather-bound copy of the 3rd Ed!

 

[JonathonWally]

Well, you can use it, but you need to be able to do it well. It can be easy to overuse it if you're not careful. By learning not to use the first person when you're younger, you develop good habits. You don't want your research paper to read like a diary entry.

Dear Professor, today I researched _____. Through my research, I learned ________.

It just sounds crappy.

Opinion papers, reaction papers, compare and contrast, yes, first person is fine. But in all my college level "pure research" paper it's never been allowed, they're supposed to read like reference books.

I spent almost my entire education being taught by Priests and Nuns, if I handed in garbage, they let me know it, including physical violence.

Including physical violence? That's pretty terrible.

Eh.

 

[Miss Chicken]

It was pretty bad for college level but once again I feel obliged to pull out the worst piece of writing I have ever seen. It appeared in the comment section of my local newspaper

okay dean my (cousin) has been caught right thats a great please do not attack cousin crystal deans sister my female cousin when she not on this websight to defend herself as for somone posting that i should say sorry to pam the answear to that is no way cos dean is not martin bryant. okay i will state this if dean when he and two other acompanying him at the attack of bashing macro to his brain leaked and macro died he would be classed as a killer dean is not a violent person now think about it dean wasent the only one invoved in the attacking of macro its ws two otheres at the scence with dean all the mecury has done is posted my cousin dean pics all over the mecury why mecury wasent the other two invoved at the attack mentioned regardless of them being in jail as well as when dean escape he escaped with two other jail mates why wasent there pics of the other two invoved in the bashing of macro mention or there pics next to deans in your newspaper the mecury is it cos the others where abbos why wasent the others mention one is a cousin thats a abbo and the other abbo is the uncle of my abbo cousin two there pics werent posted discremanantion

and this guy, at least in theory, had ten years of compulsory education.

 

[auntiehill]

Well, you can use it, but you need to be able to do it well. It can be easy to overuse it if you're not careful. By learning not to use the first person when you're younger, you develop good habits. You don't want your research paper to read like a diary entry.

Dear Professor, today I researched _____. Through my research, I learned ________.

It just sounds crappy.

Opinion papers, reaction papers, compare and contrast, yes, first person is fine. But in all my college level "pure research" paper it's never been allowed, they're supposed to read like reference books.

I spent almost my entire education being taught by Priests and Nuns, if I handed in garbage, they let me know it, including physical violence.

Including physical violence? That's pretty terrible.

Eh.

I'll second that "eh."

Catholic high school was a misery, but by the time I got to college, I had a whole semester of extra credits under my belt, never had to pull an all-nighter, and was a favorite of the professors because I a) actually came to class, b) could read and write at the college level, and c) had the self-discipline to meet all my deadlines.

Besides, you can't say you've had a real Catholic education until you've been hit with rosary beads, chalkboard erasers or a ruler.

 

[Starbreaker]

That "paper" reads like someone who is just learning English via Rosetta Stone Volume 3.

 

[scotpens]

No, the first person is perfectly acceptable in a university-level research paper. You just have to use it properly.

Yeah, I've never heard not to use first person in a research paper.

It's one of those things they teach you in elementary school, much like the 5-paragraph essay format. It's a good way to start learning how to write, but it's by no means a rule to follow as you get older.

It sounds like one of those things they used to teach, like never using the present tense of “to be” in a news headline, or the somewhat arbitrary rules for using “shall” and “will” -- rules that are increasingly seen as antiquated and unnecessary.

Is anybody here old enough to remember the genteelism “Horses sweat, men perspire, ladies glow”? That sounds ridiculously Victorian to modern sensibilities. Nowadays, everybody sweats!

 

[JonathonWally]

Well, you can use it, but you need to be able to do it well. It can be easy to overuse it if you're not careful. By learning not to use the first person when you're younger, you develop good habits. You don't want your research paper to read like a diary entry.

Dear Professor, today I researched _____. Through my research, I learned ________.

It just sounds crappy.

Opinion papers, reaction papers, compare and contrast, yes, first person is fine. But in all my college level "pure research" paper it's never been allowed, they're supposed to read like reference books.

Including physical violence? That's pretty terrible.

Eh.

I'll second that "eh."

Catholic high school was a misery, but by the time I got to college, I had a whole semester of extra credits under my belt, never had to pull an all-nighter, and was a favorite of the professors because I a) actually came to class, b) could read and write at the college level, and c) had the self-discipline to meet all my deadlines.

Besides, you can't say you've had a real Catholic education until you've been hit with rosary beads, chalkboard erasers or a ruler.

Father Peter had a 4 foot long bamboo stick and when he thwacked you over the head with it, he smiled.

 

[Amaris]

Some of you would have hated the way my instructors would post assignments on the University of Phoenix boards. Oh, and for the haters, Comic Sans everywhere.
I took AP courses in high school, you know, when I thought I had a future, and I did rather well, scoring straight A's. Of course, ten years later and I'm fairly certain that edge has dulled somewhat, but I still have the basics, and I'm still an awesome speller.

 

[JonathonWally]

Some of you would have hated the way my instructors would post assignments on the University of Phoenix boards. Oh, and for the haters, Comic Sans everywhere.
I took AP courses in high school, you know, when I thought I had a future, and I did rather well, scoring straight A's. Of course, ten years later and I'm fairly certain that edge has dulled somewhat, but I still have the basics, and I'm still an awesome speller.

My AP classes from high school didn't use letter grades. 1,2,3,4,5 only, I thought they were all like that?