The Research Paper is Creating Horrible Writers
I’m a third-year student at Ohio State. If you read any of the humanities papers I’ve written this year, I guarantee that you’d fall asleep before you reached the end. And yet, I’ve managed A’s on all of them. I’ve learned how to write what professors want to read. Professors expect specific content, formatting, and style from the essays we submit. It makes it easier for them to grade and limits the number of “surprise” submissions they receive. But it also limits a writer’s creativity. Pros and Cons of Writing Requirements Here are the four main limitations that instructors impose on students: 1. Word Count Requirements Giving a minimum word count is the easiest way to prevent insufficient arguments. Without it, students may not dive deep enough into the topic and miss expectations. However, these requirements can also lead to papers that are verbose and stretch arguments too far. If you can convey your idea in 1000 words, why struggle to stretch it to 2000? 2. C...
