<p>I’ve got a cumulative portfolio of assignments due… The instructions:
“If you wish, you may re-conceive and rewrite as many as two response papers and include them and the original papers in your portfolio. Your rewritten papers will be graded, and that grade will be averaged into your portfolio grade. I will grade your portfolios on completeness, overall quality, and improvement shown over the course of the quarter.”</p>
<p>We had 5 of our 10 papers graded. My first 4 weren’t graded and got comments on them saying how ****ty they were (basically). The five that were graded i got a 3.5, 3x3.6, and 3.9. I’m happy with those grades (these grades, however, are separate from the portfolio grade).</p>
<p>Anyway, should I rewrite two of my earlier bad papers?</p>
<p>If you have the time, it seems like a nice ‘insurance’ policy, especially given the apparent upward trend in your papers. If you’re not confident that you can rewrite them up to the standard of your later papers, it sounds from the grading description like you could also rewrite your 3.5 and one of your 3.6 papers (taking care of whatever comments were made and presumably raising those grades). </p>
<p>If you’re happy with what you’re turning in, then hey, why worry about it? But if you’re at all worried and you can do some rewrites without bending over backwards, then I’d say go for it. Since this portfolio sounds like it’ll be rather subjectively graded, it can’t possibly hurt you to send a subtle message of “Yes, I care about this grade and I’m willing to put in some extra effort in this course.”</p>
<p>Speaking personally, I know I’d be annoyed at myself if I blew off rewrites that I could’ve done and then I didn’t do as well as I would’ve liked on the portfolio. But if I really felt comfortable with my work before turning it in, I probably wouldn’t bother. Really just a personal call.</p>
<p>Remember that you could also just do one rewrite (no real reason for mentioning this, just reminding you that it’s an option).</p>
<p>I think I’m going to rewrite my first paper. Because looking back on it, it’s a piece of crap. If I feel compelled to do so tomorrow, I’ll rewrite another one that I think is excessively poor.</p>