I got an A- on a 5-page RTVF paper I wrote in 2 hours the night before it was due without even reading the article I based my entire argument upon, and without even seeing one of the films I used as detailed evidence of my claim.
It’s not something that one should be mad about, but I sat there in class (4 hours!) contemplating the bad grade I would surely get, I have to say that I was disappointed to flip to the last page and find out I not only passed, but apparently did well…
The comments said that my “analysis of the theories of authorship is thorough and well-done.” That’s bullshit. My whole paper was bullshit.
There’s a certain formula for writing a film paper, and once you discover it, it’s almost impossible to get a bad grade. I think I discovered it around the end of my sophomore year.
And now, there is no incentive to try, and I’ll probably write the next paper (7-pages) in 2-hours the night before it is due and with no greater engagement of the readings or the films. And I will probably get it back and be disappointed with the result again.
I find myself less and less interested with material in class, recognizing that the thoughts you have can be completely stupid if you organize them in a certain prescribed manner. It makes the assignments not an opportunity to engage in a particular discourse, but just a simple obligation to fill pages with words in a certain order.
This is something I never would have believed I would complain about.
3 years ago.