Vague Assignments.

I hate VAGUE. I do not think it has any place in a University Syllabus. I am currently in the process of trying to write an essay. I've written the first page of this essay about 17 times because I cannot figure out what I am actually supposed to write it about.

I've got an article called "why do drug dealers still live with their moms?" from a book called freakonomics. It's all about how Drug Dealers don't actually make very good money ($3.30 an hour) and that crack selling gangs are actually based on a very similar structure to corporate america. Great, it's a nice straightforward, if a little bit shocking, article. That's great. Now listen to my syllabus describe my essay:

"This essay is your brief discussion of knowledge as presented in one of the articles..."
"Discuss the evidence, the argument, and the values in your article and give an evaluation"
"In my own words describe the argument the author makes, what is their position? What are they trying to convince me of? What is their reasoning?"
"what values are reflected in the argument? Discuss the author's point of view this may entail discussing underlying assumptions, you may need to read between the lines"
"Evaluate the article and the argument it makes and the conlsuinos it draws has the author convinced you?"

These aren't descriptors of an essay, IN MY HUMBLE OPINION, they are short answer questions! A good solid essay question is. "given what this article says about black poverty in relation to crack cocaine usage, what do you see as a positive solution" or "what are some ways the authors may have twisted evidence to make their point" not 14 different little questions that you should answer in 5-7 pages double spaced with some obscure way to cite all sources made (which there are like 100 of anyway)

This is my rant after an hour of staring at a screen that is refusing to be filled with pixels that represent letters that will hopefully make words, sentences, paragraphs, and sense... 15% of my mark on this... why can't the exams be worth more I got an A on those...

Well back to it bitterly! dREW~