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My professor in a freshman philosophy class said my essay was just repeating what I already believed
He wrote 'you're not engaging with the counterargument at all' in red pen on my paper about free will. I mean, I was so sure I was right that I hadn't even looked up the other side. I spent the next month actually reading the philosophers who disagreed with me, and it totally changed how I research anything now. Has anyone else had a piece of criticism that made you completely switch up your process?
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robertlane2mo ago
Sometimes you're right and the critics are just wrong.
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piper7791mo ago
Wait, your boss had to tell you to put the point at the start of a report? That's the real shocker here. I'm with @robertlane on the critics thing, but some basic ideas shouldn't need a wake-up call. Leading with the point is like Writing 101. How do you even get a job writing reports without knowing that? It feels like showing up to build a house and not knowing what a hammer is.
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My friend got a similar note on a film review she wrote... she kept going on about how the main character was a bad person. Her teacher wrote "you're just judging the character, not reading the film" and it blew her mind. She started looking at camera angles and music choices instead of just the plot. Totally changed how she watches movies now.
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nguyen.lily2mo ago
Oh man, that red pen note is a classic academic wake-up call. Sounds like your professor did you a huge favor, even if it stung at the time. My big switch-up came from a boss who said my reports read like a mystery novel where the answer was on the last page. Now I lead with the point, like a normal person.
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