My language in this is personally atrocious. Be warned.
I really despise my current history professors.
Dear Prof. #1 -
First; You give us four pages to write a critical reflection. Four. Pages. That's twelve hundred words.... for a six hundred paged book. I am not going to be able to give examples of every. single. point. and. argument. It's impossible. There is no word-saving trick, no formatting trick, nothing that is going to change that fact. So for the love of sun dried salami, please stop telling me to cite examples when I don't! Or, at the very least, check the damned footnote I have where I take advantage of margins and font size nine to give you the examples! Otherwise, it's not helpful! It's aggravating!
Second; Honestly? Stop critiquing my writing style. I don't care if you think that that word choice was a poor one. I obviously disagreed, or else I wouldn't have used that word. And yes, actually, geographic WAS the word I wanted to use there. I was discussing how Totenfolge takes place more frequently in very specific geographic locations. And if you DON'T think that's the right word, howsabout you suggest a better one? Hmmmm? Because leaving me the comment, "?!?! wrong word choice!!" is about as helpful as telling me that, somewhere in the great big sea, swims a shark.
Third; Wow. Thank you for writing an obviously subjective rant about my final point. That's helpful. Actually, it really is, even if you were a jerk about it. But what's not helpful is the fact that you wrote said rant on my paper AFTER I fully explained my argument in class, and you admitted that said argument had merit. Were you just backing down to get me to shut up? Because that's not helpful. Or professor-ish.
Also, underlining words in your argument makes you look like an asshole. I don't need the emphasis to understand your point, thanks. Surprisingly, I am intelligent.
Besides that fact, you're wrong. If the SIX HUNDRED PAGED BOOK was supposed to illustrate what a stranglehold sati has on Indian culture, like you outlined for us? Then yes, I fully expect the author to fucking go to India and interview people's reactions and perceptions to it. No, I really don't think that its abolishment in 1829 has anything to do with it. No, I don't think that the fact that it's a crime has anything to do with it. Cultural memory is a very powerful tool. Also, FOUR PEOPLE have committed sati in the last twenty years. Ergo, I think that my argument that face-to-face interviews were necessary to sell his thesis has a lot of merit. Obviously people aren't concerned about the CRIME aspect.
Finally; You conceited egomaniac. No, your atrocious handwriting is not excused by saying, "as historians, you should get used to interpreting hand written documents." I happen to work with hand written primary documents all the damned time - and you know what? Their handwriting is hellaciously easier to read than yours. Did you flunk phonics in grade school or something? Seriously. It cannot be that difficult to write legibly. I've read doctor's scripts more easily than your writing.
Dear Prof. #2 -
Ok, seriously? Exactly how much of your job do you expect me to do for you? It's ridiculous. It's embarrassing. It is not MY responsibility to garner discussion among other classmates. That's your forte. If no one answers the question, then grow a pair and call on someone!
Having a RUBERIC to grade class participation? That in itself is not a terrible thing. What's terrible are the guidelines you have for getting even a "B." EVERYONE is going to flunk in participation with your demands. It is physically impossible for a class of 18 people, in a class time of seventy-five minutes, to talk as much as you demand. Physically. Impossible.
It was juvenile enough when you had us write 300 words min per reading (with three readings per class), but it was bearable. Then you decided that each of us should lead discussion for one class. Even that was acceptable. But NOW you want us to review and answer the ten questions per reading the discussion leader emails us the night before; you want us to think up our OWN question on each of the readings, AND you want us to write 300 word answers to our own question?
I already spend hours more in preparation for your class than for my three other classes combined.
SHOVE OFF ALREADY.
Seriously, what color is the sky in your universe??
Dear Prof. #1 -
First; You give us four pages to write a critical reflection. Four. Pages. That's twelve hundred words.... for a six hundred paged book. I am not going to be able to give examples of every. single. point. and. argument. It's impossible. There is no word-saving trick, no formatting trick, nothing that is going to change that fact. So for the love of sun dried salami, please stop telling me to cite examples when I don't! Or, at the very least, check the damned footnote I have where I take advantage of margins and font size nine to give you the examples! Otherwise, it's not helpful! It's aggravating!
Second; Honestly? Stop critiquing my writing style. I don't care if you think that that word choice was a poor one. I obviously disagreed, or else I wouldn't have used that word. And yes, actually, geographic WAS the word I wanted to use there. I was discussing how Totenfolge takes place more frequently in very specific geographic locations. And if you DON'T think that's the right word, howsabout you suggest a better one? Hmmmm? Because leaving me the comment, "?!?! wrong word choice!!" is about as helpful as telling me that, somewhere in the great big sea, swims a shark.
Third; Wow. Thank you for writing an obviously subjective rant about my final point. That's helpful. Actually, it really is, even if you were a jerk about it. But what's not helpful is the fact that you wrote said rant on my paper AFTER I fully explained my argument in class, and you admitted that said argument had merit. Were you just backing down to get me to shut up? Because that's not helpful. Or professor-ish.
Also, underlining words in your argument makes you look like an asshole. I don't need the emphasis to understand your point, thanks. Surprisingly, I am intelligent.
Besides that fact, you're wrong. If the SIX HUNDRED PAGED BOOK was supposed to illustrate what a stranglehold sati has on Indian culture, like you outlined for us? Then yes, I fully expect the author to fucking go to India and interview people's reactions and perceptions to it. No, I really don't think that its abolishment in 1829 has anything to do with it. No, I don't think that the fact that it's a crime has anything to do with it. Cultural memory is a very powerful tool. Also, FOUR PEOPLE have committed sati in the last twenty years. Ergo, I think that my argument that face-to-face interviews were necessary to sell his thesis has a lot of merit. Obviously people aren't concerned about the CRIME aspect.
Finally; You conceited egomaniac. No, your atrocious handwriting is not excused by saying, "as historians, you should get used to interpreting hand written documents." I happen to work with hand written primary documents all the damned time - and you know what? Their handwriting is hellaciously easier to read than yours. Did you flunk phonics in grade school or something? Seriously. It cannot be that difficult to write legibly. I've read doctor's scripts more easily than your writing.
Dear Prof. #2 -
Ok, seriously? Exactly how much of your job do you expect me to do for you? It's ridiculous. It's embarrassing. It is not MY responsibility to garner discussion among other classmates. That's your forte. If no one answers the question, then grow a pair and call on someone!
Having a RUBERIC to grade class participation? That in itself is not a terrible thing. What's terrible are the guidelines you have for getting even a "B." EVERYONE is going to flunk in participation with your demands. It is physically impossible for a class of 18 people, in a class time of seventy-five minutes, to talk as much as you demand. Physically. Impossible.
It was juvenile enough when you had us write 300 words min per reading (with three readings per class), but it was bearable. Then you decided that each of us should lead discussion for one class. Even that was acceptable. But NOW you want us to review and answer the ten questions per reading the discussion leader emails us the night before; you want us to think up our OWN question on each of the readings, AND you want us to write 300 word answers to our own question?
I already spend hours more in preparation for your class than for my three other classes combined.
SHOVE OFF ALREADY.
Seriously, what color is the sky in your universe??