I hate it when I finish my "16-20 page" paper after 12 pages.

Let the BS padding commence!

1/12/2009 12:07:04 AM

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1/12/2009 12:08:42 AM

i remember when i wrote a 30 page paper my SR year

a few of the pages had a big red X on the whole page.

I got a B+ on it though

1/12/2009 12:11:10 AM

papers = easy to bs.

1/12/2009 12:13:47 AM

Yeah, it's not too hard, it just sucks.

I imagine it sucks to read also. I think if I was a professor I would say "When you get done with the topic, stop writing"

1/12/2009 12:15:48 AM

I always just went back and added words/sentences in, instead of trying to add entire paragraphs or pages. Don't know if you could get 4-8 pages by doing that though

1/12/2009 12:18:39 AM

Every experience I've ever had in english and writing classes has consisted almost entirely of a measure of my ability to type up long streams of complete BS.

1/12/2009 12:20:45 AM

^from what i've gathered from watching other people all non scientific majors are nothing but that for 4+ years

1/12/2009 12:23:12 AM

In public administration the papers are usually a mix of BS and research.

1/12/2009 12:32:19 AM

Quote :

"I think if I was a professor I would say "When you get done with the topic, stop writing""

Same. I would argue that if you can manage to make a well thought out argument with lots of researched points to back you up in less than 20 pages that is more worth reading than the extra pages of bs that come along with a page requirement.

1/12/2009 12:45:33 AM

anything I've EVER written professionally has had to be as short and to the point as i can possibly get it. no one in the real world wants to read a bunch of bullshit fluff.

you get in, you make your point(s), and you get the fuck out. otherwise you've lost your audience.

1/12/2009 12:49:58 AM

15.5 pages

DONE

1/12/2009 1:21:23 AM

"Page length" on most writing assignments is a guideline that indicates how broad/deep your analysis should be, and is rarely an absolute. If you get to within 10% of the requirement, you're generally doing the paper correctly. If not, you need to look at the question you're trying to answer or look for a few sources to add depth.

Of course, it's easier to add more pertinent content in some fields (esp. history, where there are dozens of books & hundreds of articles), than others, and some instructors never figure out the 10% rule, but still, n general, it's ALWAYS better to be a page or two short than to "pad" your paper.

If you need to BS the whole paper, you don't understand the subject, and maybe instead of insulting it, you should see if it's possible for you to learn something.

[Edited on January 12, 2009 at 1:40 AM. Reason : aiowh]

1/12/2009 1:38:48 AM

You find that in the back of a teachers manual somewhere?

It's NEVER better to leave a paper short. At least not in my experience.

1/12/2009 1:57:20 AM

A couple of my history professors last semester (Sack, Vincent) said "make the paper suchandsuch pages long OR answer the question." So I answered the question and saved myself a lot of needless bullshit to fill the page requirements.

1/12/2009 2:12:52 AM

^^ I've taught various courses in 2 CHASS departments from 2004--this semester (masters-phd - part of my funding) - since this is my final funded semester, I don't have to teach, just act as a research assistant.

^ exactly - ANSWER the question. The page length is an estimate of how many pp. it should take, based on experience.

[Edited on January 12, 2009 at 2:56 AM. Reason : askdjf]

1/12/2009 2:55:21 AM

i agree, that's the way it should be, and probably most good professors are like that.

but i *have* had experience with lower level undergrad classes that hold the page requirement to some kind of gold-fucking-standard, and if you deviate above or below the assigned range you are penalized.

because, i think, its a way for lazy and/or retarded TA's to think they're adding some value by being able to mark papers and record scores.

1/12/2009 11:25:12 AM

try writing a professional paper....I am up to 15 pages, 9 pictures...12 font times new roman...oh and single spacing.

I figure I will end up with 4-5 more pages before editing begins.

1/12/2009 11:44:07 AM

Quote :

"anything I've EVER written professionally has had to be as short and to the point as i can possibly get it. no one in the real world wants to read a bunch of bullshit fluff."

very very very true.

1/12/2009 11:45:58 AM

Quote :

"EPIC PAPER PADDING"

1/12/2009 12:27:40 PM