Why do professors require papers to be certain lengths?

[irishScott]

In that case (not even starting with writing a 12 page paper until the day before it is due), you know very little about organizing life.

I notice that you didn't say anything regarding what I posted though. So, I take it that you agree.

I said writing. I've researched the hell out of it. I can crank out a page an hour at this point.

And my point was that I'm having trouble with the minimum, and I actually do know a good bit about the subject. Just because you meet the minimum length doesn't mean you're a poor student. I could easily fluff the paper (ie: irrelevant details in the battle descriptions) to get it to the 15 page max. I'd rather have 12 good pages.

 

[mb]

I became such a bullshitter when I was required to constantly write 30+ page papers in college.

But, I also learned that if you CAN get your point across in less pages then the prof won't care (unless he or she is an asshole). One time I just had nothing more to write on a 20 page assignment that I turned in 8. Still got an A on it.

 

[TridenT]

Yeah, I don't usually have to write long papers... They're mostly 5 pages and double-spaced at most. (Oh and that's usually the maximum size)

 

[kalrith]

Aw, you have to write 2 whole papers? Poor you... I'm writing weekly papers of the same length.

I had a class like that in college. We had a 10-page single-spaced paper due every week, and our semester-long research paper was 30 pages single-spaced.

 

[ChaoZ]

How else will you learn how to bullshit?

 

[zerocool84]

The only thing it encourages is to bs and put in fluff. Grade based on the quality of the writing. If it's only 5 pages long but a great read then it's good but making it be 20, 30 or even 40 pages is stupid. It just makes them put in fluff.

 

[zinfamous]

I would think being able to get your point across efficiently without fluff should be prized more than being able to fill a paper with bullshit until it is the length the professor wants. Why do professors have these requirements? It's not like it makes the papers any better.

shitty professor, or entry-level class.

strangely enough, the only correlation to higher scores on the worthless essay section for the GRE is length...so maybe this influences the request?

I don't remember specific length requirements the last 3 or so years of school, but a proper length was always assumed--meaning if it was a decent research paper, you should probably be at a minimum of 6 or 7 pages.

Length and format shouldn't be enforced beyond the lower level classes, as I imagine you assume the only people foolish enough to continue to the next level with writing or lit classes are masochists with a better-than-ave. writing ability.

 

[grrl]

EDIT: I just love the all inclusive "toxins." Not too long ago I had this discussion with a colleague about something that was supposed to remove toxins from the body. It's just a catchall, she didn't know what toxins they were talking about.

That sounds like my wife. Her understanding of such things exists under a "natural/chemical" duality of her own making.

 

[Strk]

I am a professor myself. I set page minimums and maximums for my undergrad classes only. If you spent time reading undergrad papers you would realize that many people can't organize their thoughts very well on paper. They often have difficulty identifying information that is important to their point and including it in the paper. Without a page minimum I would get a bunch of 2-page papers filled with random information. By stating a page minimum I am increasing the chance that these people will put some relevant information into the paper.

In other words, grades are likely to be higher if I impose a page minimum.

I hated reading other people's papers. Even with what you said, there would still be so much crap being passed around (it was mostly for a writing class where everything was peer reviewed)