Madeline+A's+OpEd+Article

= "Sorry, it could have been better, but I ran out of time." = = // By Madeline Anguiano // = media type="file" key="AnguianoM_opedaudiocomplete.mp3" It takes many different forms – the DBQ, the rhetorical analysis, and the synthesis, among others. No matter the name, it is still an in-class, timed essay. What is it about this apparently straightforward assignment that is so daunting? Is it the feeling of unpreparedness? Possibly, but up to this point, we’ve been actively learning about each topic in the days/weeks before the exam. Could it be the time limit? Undoubtedly, but the pain of planning and writing only lasts about an hour altogether, making it a relatively short period of torture. No, I’ve found that the most uncomfortable part of the essay is the part that comes after the writing – the re-reading and grading of our own papers. Whether the essay is actually well-written or if it stinks “like dead fish on the ground” (Geib), we are forced to compare ourselves to past writers, often authors of essays earning the seemingly unreachable “9”. In an environment where we are already pressured by our peers to be as perfect as possible, the concept presented by the essay is like another straw on the proverbial camel’s back. The idea is that we should be able to form a solid opinion on a complex subject and articulate a coherent thesis, at least a few paragraphs long, that is supported by strong examples – all within 60 minutes. This, presumably, is supposed to be the measure of our writing ability when, in reality, great writing in any profession takes time, thought, and more than often mass amounts of editing. (What’s most infuriating is that there are students who can actually meet the ridiculous standards, writing brilliantly well-thought out dissertations about photography certain topics and preventing people from being able to claim that the standards are impossible.)

Shall aspiring scholars be forever forced to rush through papers as their limited time runs out? Will anyone be kind enough to extend these sessions to allow meticulous perfectionists to finish their thoughts? And who – if anyone – might dare to stop the obnoxious geniuses who complete level 9 essays with time to spare?