School shortcuts

[Ektar]

So I'm writing a paper right now, and, as always, am employing my many skills of shortcutting my way through it. Specifically, I just added a superfluous, yet not unwelcome, 3 word phrase that put the last word of the paragraph onto the next line, so that the beginning of the next paragraph goes to yet the next line. Obviously, I have a required page count.

I was wondering if anyone had some brilliant ones they used to do or still practice. Some more of my favorites off the top of my head are:


When the margins are not definitively specified, shrinking (or leaving microsoft word default rather than changing it to proper 1 inch) or enlarging (on the rare occasion you need more room) the margins to make the paper look longer/shorter than it actually is.

Along those same lines, changing the font of the entire paper so that it looks longer or shorter. Times New Roman and Arial are often universally accepted, but arial is larger than times new roman. The other way, I change to "Garamond" when I want it to appear shorter, since it is a normal-looking font but FAR smaller than times new roman.

Along the same lines as the trick in the first paragraph, enlarging the font size of a punctuation point, or maybe a small word like "a" or "the" in order to pop the paragraph down onto the next line when it's JUST about there but you just CAN'T think of another word.

Moving off papers, my favorite humanities class trick is to read a particular section of a massive reading, or in whatever way become very informed on what would be one or two questions the teacher may ask, raising my hand and demolishing it. You're basically off the hook for the rest of the day there.

[deakolt]

Originally Posted by Ektar [You must be logged in to view images. Log in or Register.]

So I'm writing a paper right now, and, as always, am employing my many skills of shortcutting my way through it. Specifically, I just added a superfluous, yet not unwelcome, 3 word phrase that put the last word of the paragraph onto the next line, so that the beginning of the next paragraph goes to yet the next line. Obviously, I have a required page count.

I was wondering if anyone had some brilliant ones they used to do or still practice. Some more of my favorites off the top of my head are:


When the margins are not definitively specified, shrinking (or leaving microsoft word default rather than changing it to proper 1 inch) or enlarging (on the rare occasion you need more room) the margins to make the paper look longer/shorter than it actually is.

Along those same lines, changing the font of the entire paper so that it looks longer or shorter. Times New Roman and Arial are often universally accepted, but arial is larger than times new roman. The other way, I change to "Garamond" when I want it to appear shorter, since it is a normal-looking font but FAR smaller than times new roman.

Along the same lines as the trick in the first paragraph, enlarging the font size of a punctuation point, or maybe a small word like "a" or "the" in order to pop the paragraph down onto the next line when it's JUST about there but you just CAN'T think of another word.

Moving off papers, my favorite humanities class trick is to read a particular section of a massive reading, or in whatever way become very informed on what would be one or two questions the teacher may ask, raising my hand and demolishing it. You're basically off the hook for the rest of the day there.

Yup dude. Employ many of the same strategies. You seem to have it mostly figured out, just wanted to elaborate a little bit-

Speaking specifically to paper-writing, I've found the best strategy is to enlarge the size of every punctuation from 12 to 14 (I'm talking , " ' ; : _, even spaces); the only stuff you don't enlarge are alphanumeric characters. This will easily gain you half a page or more.

Also, raise the "after" for paragraph spacing by .5 of a point.

[Polixenes]

Instead of letting spell check autocorrect, use strikethrough on your errors and put the correction right next to it.

That's all I got. We used biros when I went to school.

[Ektar]

is that like a typewriter or something?

[Polixenes]

It's a kind of pen. Kids today!

Seriously, nowadays, do you email your essays for marking or do they expect you to print a hardcopy? I'm wondering what happens if you don't own a computer...I expect it's mandatory now?

About the whole "increase the font size on all your punctuation" thing....wouldn't it be quicker and less effort just to write more words?

OK enough old fart questions, here's a suggestion - pad it out with some relevant quotes from the internet.

[Ektar]

it depends on the teacher.. usually the age. basically how accustomed he is to technology. in undergrad it was like (completely made u pstatistics)... half hard copy, quarter hardcopy or email, and quarter email. now in grad it's been all hardcopy

and yes, owning a computer is basically expected now. They have "computer labs" available to anyone who doesn't have a computer, buuuut yeah it's expected to own a computer and have internet access.


and it IS quicker to write more words. but when your paper is done but it justi sn't long enough, what do you do? Already having inserted extraneous words all over the place and not making it, then you start increasing spaces and punctuation. Adding a quote from the internet will likely only detract from the quality of the paper. Because this is likely beyond extraneous and just doesn't belong.

Don't confuse these shortcuts with lack of intelligence. I'm actually quite smrt. my 4.75 page paper on a 5-6 page requirement is going to be far better than a paper written by some dolt in the class who wrote a 6 page paper. The shortcuts are just so it fits the arbitrary length.

[Jake1ef]

white and nerdy!

[Ektar]

hey man. even jocks have to write their papers. black people too. I know because my roommate was black and he wrote papers.

[Nedala]

Originally Posted by Jake1ef [You must be logged in to view images. Log in or Register.]

white and nerdy!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N9qYF9DZPdw

[Slathar]

Grad school is a whole lot of back-patting and independent research. It's nothing most reasonably intelligent people couldn't do provided they have adequate background knowledge in their field. The hardest part is being accepted (Gre and subject test scores) and research that is published from undergrad.