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Much as I enjoy teaching, especially demonstrating in lab, I do not love marking student work. I don't think anyone does. It has to be done in one (or two) great big whacks of concentrated effort, and it is tedious.
I'm nearly finished marking 20+ lab reports. (I'm presently avoiding one that was printed in 7-point font in order to remain within the 5-page limit. I checked our specs for the reports. Minimum font size is not among them. Next year, it will be.) It's been an emotional rollercoaster. For example, I recall last night. I marked two above-average but painfully wrought reports. I wanted to hug those reports and tell them to relax and stop trying so hard, and they would be much better. Then there were three brilliant ones in a row, elevating my opinion of humanity to Elysian fields, after which I was tempted to quit because I knew it could only get worse. This was followed by four mediocre reports and one diabolically bad one. I wanted to stab everything, so I had a bath and some hot chocolate and went to bed, still grumpy.
Tonight, I shall choose to remember only this most excellent red-pen moment. Student X wrote: "Infinite frequency contributions imply a proper sampling rate of at least 2 x ∞, which is clearly ludicrous."
I responded with: "Not as ludicrous as 3 x ∞."
And now, for a very important poll.
I'm nearly finished marking 20+ lab reports. (I'm presently avoiding one that was printed in 7-point font in order to remain within the 5-page limit. I checked our specs for the reports. Minimum font size is not among them. Next year, it will be.) It's been an emotional rollercoaster. For example, I recall last night. I marked two above-average but painfully wrought reports. I wanted to hug those reports and tell them to relax and stop trying so hard, and they would be much better. Then there were three brilliant ones in a row, elevating my opinion of humanity to Elysian fields, after which I was tempted to quit because I knew it could only get worse. This was followed by four mediocre reports and one diabolically bad one. I wanted to stab everything, so I had a bath and some hot chocolate and went to bed, still grumpy.
Tonight, I shall choose to remember only this most excellent red-pen moment. Student X wrote: "Infinite frequency contributions imply a proper sampling rate of at least 2 x ∞, which is clearly ludicrous."
I responded with: "Not as ludicrous as 3 x ∞."
And now, for a very important poll.
Poll #5661 Zaphod Beeblecat
Open to: Registered Users, detailed results viewable to: All, participants: 13
How many paws would Zaphod Beeblecat have?
Are you a hoopy frood?
From:
no subject
I wrote "THINK OF THE CHILDREN!!!" in the margins of someone's annotated bibliography last semester, and desperately hoped she'd get the reference.
From:
no subject
I always appreciate it when someone displays a sense of humour in a lab report. It shows an awareness that the marker has to do a gazillion of them and is likely to be grateful for some light relief.
From:
no subject
Oh my god. I'm - okay, actually I'm giggling a little, but it's in sympathy, I swear!
(Also, font size is for amateurs. Indentation, blocking, between-letter spacing, between-line spacing: that's where it's at. And maybe font size adjustment in increments of .1 :P)
From:
no subject