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ohio_mom · 01-07-2005, 01:12 PM

LAgal and happygolucky,
I'm glad you are finding this useful. My son tells me that copy editing is just now being taught in his AP class. It's definitely a skill that can be taught - but teaching it just after most essays are due (if ever) seems a little unfair to you students.

Newt -
"Trust yourself and write straight from your heart. Don't write what the college wants you to say. Instead, be yourself and stand up for something."
Absolutely true. It's a temptation to project what you think the school wants to see, but that will result in a bland and inauthentic essay.

About length - some on-line submissions truncate at a certain character length, so some students will have to shorten their essays. Editors also have no qualms about this, so it's not a bad skill to pick up.

... and deadlines:

"The time to begin writing an article is when you have finished it to your satisfaction. By that time you begin to clearly and logically perceive what it is that you really wanted to say." --Mark Twain's Notebook

01-07-2005, 01:12 PM	#6
ohio_mom Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Northeast Ohio Posts: 3,930	LAgal and happygolucky, I'm glad you are finding this useful. My son tells me that copy editing is just now being taught in his AP class. It's definitely a skill that can be taught - but teaching it just after most essays are due (if ever) seems a little unfair to you students. Newt - "Trust yourself and write straight from your heart. Don't write what the college wants you to say. Instead, be yourself and stand up for something." Absolutely true. It's a temptation to project what you think the school wants to see, but that will result in a bland and inauthentic essay. About length - some on-line submissions truncate at a certain character length, so some students will have to shorten their essays. Editors also have no qualms about this, so it's not a bad skill to pick up. ... and deadlines: "The time to begin writing an article is when you have finished it to your satisfaction. By that time you begin to clearly and logically perceive what it is that you really wanted to say." --Mark Twain's Notebook Last edited by Trinity; 01-07-2005 at 01:27 PM.