My writing prof can't write!

[Sir Fredrick]

I can't believe it. Her assignments are frought with errors, and completely lacking clarity. This is very frustrating.

Our writing assignment is as follows:

"Write a narrative, 800 explaining a single instance you experienced some form regarding gender difference."

What the hell does that mean?

And how about this, here's her explanation of the page format/setup she wants:

"Double spaced, (format/paragraph [and not one line at a time, by hand], 12pt.font, one inch margins (file, page set-up) and pagination (view/header/footer: tab to left margin/last name, skip a space hit page with number sign. (See Easy Access) "

 

[fatbaby]

<< I can't believe it. Her assignments are frought with errors, and completely lacking clarity. This is very frustrating.

Our writing assignment is as follows:

"Write a narrative, 800 explaining a single instance you experienced some form regarding gender difference."

What the hell does that mean?

And how about this, here's her explanation of the page format/setup she wants:

"Double spaced, (format/paragraph [and not one line at a time, by hand], 12pt.font, one inch margins (file, page set-up) and pagination (view/header/footer: tab to left margin/last name, skip a space hit page with number sign. (See Easy Access) " >>



I see nothing wrong with the second one, i don't quite understand the first.

 

[Sir Fredrick]

Well besides the fact that she has an open paren without a close paren, the last part about pagination doesn't make much sense.

 

[Schlocemus]

Why would you tab to left margin??

 

[Sir Fredrick]

<< Why would you tab to left margin?? >>



lol I wish I knew HOW to tab to left margin/last name.

 

[Jzero]

<< "Double spaced, (format/paragraph [and not one line at a time, by hand], 12pt.font, one inch margins (file, page set-up) and pagination (view/header/footer: tab to left margin/last name, skip a space hit page with number sign. (See Easy Access) " >>



I see nothing wrong with the second one, i don't quite understand the first.[/i] >>

Never mind the assumption that you're using a MS word processor...

 

[HappyFace]

That first part is really confusing. What exactly does she expect you to do? When is the project due? Looks as though her 12 year old daughter filled in the first part of your assignment.

 

[Sir Fredrick]

<< <<I can't believe it. Her assignments are frought with errors, and completely lacking clarity.>>

Before you mock your professor's writing skills, perhaps you should look up the spelling of "fraught." >>



Hey, she's the writer here, not me! I'm just a programmer, and we're notorious for our horrible spelling.



<< When is the project due? >>



Either yesterday or next week, depending on which course page you look at. This is an online class, BTW.

 

[notfred]

Is it still early enough in the semester to drop the class? Taking a writing class from that person is a waste of time.

 

[StinkyMeat]

I agree with the dropping of the class thing. Unless she's really personable. But if she talks like she writes, you're in for an interesting class.

 

[Sir Fredrick]

<< Is it still early enough in the semester to drop the class? Taking a writing class from that person is a waste of time. >>



Yeah, I'm actually just auditing the class, I was hoping to improve my writing skills, because I have to submit a writing portfolio in order to graduate next year, and seeing as how I'm a CS major, I haven't had to write many papers.
I might stick with it and just write some of the papers, if I can manage to figure out what the assignments are. Unfortunately, I don't have the motivation to just drop the class and come up with my own writing assignments, and do the reading...I'll just let it sit on the back burner forever.

 

[Jzero]

<<

<< <<I can't believe it. Her assignments are frought with errors, and completely lacking clarity.>>

Before you mock your professor's writing skills, perhaps you should look up the spelling of "fraught." >>



Hey, she's the writer here, not me! I'm just a programmer, and we're notorious for our horrible spelling. >>


Hahaha
"I'm a porgra"
"I'm a progarmr"
"I'm a progmrat"
"I WRITE CODE!"

 

[Sir Fredrick]

lol exactly.

I think she might be a senile old lady anyway, she keeps going on about how we're in "the academy" now. Last I checked this was a freakin' community college.

 

[gopunk]

a.) there's probably a reason why she's teaching at a cc and not a uni.

b.) maybe it was a joke? hehe...

 

[Jzero]

<< a.) there's probably a reason why she's teaching at a cc and not a uni.

b.) maybe it was a joke? hehe... >>



From my experiences, CC profs are always a cut above uni profs, for a few reasons: Most CC profs have this amazing thing called real-world experience. They've actually had to work with other people instead of having sat in a classroom for 25 years of their lives getting a PhD and then stood in front of the classroom for the rest of their careers.
CC profs generally have another job and they just teach at the CC for extra cash or b/c they just plain LIKE to teach. Uni profs want to do research and many of them give me the impression that they feel that having to teach classes almost stands in the way of them doing the research they REALLY want to do. They'd go join up with a think tank somewhere, but quite frankly the fact that once they're tenured means they hardly have to do any work any more coupled with the decent pay and huge amount of vacation time, so they just stay at university and whine about how lazy students are who actually expect teachers to teach instead of teaching themselves.
Of the teachers I had at my college, the best of the best didn't even have PhDs. They taught because they LIKED to teach. Ironically the college chased them away by offering them substandard pay and making it hard for them to get tenured. I had a few decent PhD teachers, but a majority of them gave me the impression that they felt they had better things to do than worry about students.

Meanwhile, I've taken 2 community college classes and had a few teachers who also taught at CC and they were the best teachers I ever had.

 

[Sir Fredrick]

My experience has been about the same Jzero, especially when it comes to classes like Calculus...the teachers are my school were horrible, but the teachers at community college were quite helpful and actually explained the material in a way that made it understandable.

I think the problem is that CCs have less quality control though, so you can't be sure you're going to get someone who loves teaching, or maybe you'll get someone who loves teaching but is bad at it anyway. My luck in general has been good, but not this time.

 

[slunk]

She definitely needs a little help with her writing. How did she get that job?

 

[Perknose]

<< From my experiences, CC profs are always a cut above uni profs, for a few reasons . . . >>

Jzero is a wise man whose testicles are bursting with wisdom!

Seems like this shouldn't be the case -- CC profs being better than Uni. profs -- but more often than not, CC profs are younger folks who still care vs coddled, clueless academics in the Uni's. I guess CC profs just haven't reached their Peter Principle pinnacle yet (you know, you keep getting promoted and promoted until you're finally promoted to a position you can't handle).

 

[Sir Fredrick]

Things just keep getting better in this class.

Someone in my class sent a letter to everyone complaining that they emailed our writing prof several times and never got a response.

Our prof sent the following to everyone:

"Email Etiquette Tips,

When I receive a paper you, I reply with history back to the sender with at least a thank you.

I promise to return e-mail, even if it takes me awhile, which it is this semester as my email is flooded.

Once I get caught up, if you do not hear from me, it is because I did not get you email. "

 

[Zenmervolt]

<< Things just keep getting better in this class.

Someone in my class sent a letter to everyone complaining that they emailed our writing prof several times and never got a response.

Our prof sent the following to everyone:

"Email Etiquette Tips,

When I receive a paper you, I reply with history back to the sender with at least a thank you.

I promise to return e-mail, even if it takes me awhile, which it is this semester as my email is flooded.

Once I get caught up, if you do not hear from me, it is because I did not get you email. " >>

I'd send the E-mail back to the Prof. in the following way:

Email Etiquette Tips,

When I receive a paper you, I reply with history back to the sender with at least a thank you.

This is nice, but how is it an etiquette tip? Also, the first line should be "E-mail etiquette tips:". Each word should not be capitalized, and you need a colon and not a comma at the end. Finally, you omitted the word "from" in the second line.

I promise to return e-mail, even if it takes me awhile, which it is this semester as my email is flooded.

Again, this is nice. However, please define "awhile" as it is rather vague and almost completely useless to a person who is trying to estimate your response time. A better choice would have been "within a week", or some other measure based upon a specific, finite amount of time.

Once I get caught up, if you do not hear from me, it is because I did not get you email.

Or it might be because "awhile" has not yet passed. Also, how are we to know when you have gotten caught up? Finally, the second comma in your last sentence is not necessary and, indeed, incorrect.

ZV

Note: This would decidedly not get you on her good side, but since you're just auditing the course it does not really matter.

 

[Sir Fredrick]

I had been considering changing it from auditing to for-credit, but I am definitely not going to do that now. I may just have to do a little critique of her email, as you suggested.

 

[Hammer]

You should not making fun of people not being able to write. I lost both my arms in a horrible car accident and am forced to type this message my hitting my nose repeatedly against my keyboard.

 

[Sir Fredrick]

<< You should not making fun of people not being able to write. I lost both my arms in a horrible car accident and am forced to type this message my hitting my nose repeatedly against my keyboard. >>



That's why you're not an online writing instructor.