Friday, January 19, 2007

Odd Coincidence

In the nearly three years I've been studying english at uni I've written many lengthy and dull essays; I think the total stands at nearly 30 individual pieces and probably enough paper to choke an elephant.

Amongst this heap there have been four essays - two in the first year, one in the second year and one - so far - in the third - which, as a result of various blunders* and personal issues**, got written in 24 hours rather than a more sensible amount of time: like, for example, a week.

Only one of them was actually entirely constructed in one day, all of the others were just high speed condensing of the notes and research I'd done a few weeks earlier before I was distracted by something (usually another essay - they hunt in pairs)

The strange thing is that these essays, despite being marked by different people, on different subjects and written in different states of mind, have all received the exact same mark.

It seems that when I write an essay in 24 hours it is automatically given 68% (a high 2:1) and left at that.

considering I often get lower marks than that for essays that I labour over for weeks it's a bit strange, especially when you consider the fact that these essays, whilst they do have a sort of nervous eloquence that comes from being very stressed and tired, are generally shite.

not that I'm complaining.

-Ben

**Like forgetting which week it is, how many essays you've been set, what your network password is, etc.

*ie, drinking too much.