Hand-written? Really?

[Haruki-kun]

I have a question for you guys. Do you ever get asked to turn in a hand-written research, essay, or other written paper?

My teacher just asked us to. Everyone was very confused. Even before computers college students were expected to turn in assignments done by typewriter, or so my parents lead me to believe.

We were... confused. I wondered if I'd just traveled back in time without noticing. Usually, we don't turn in hand-written assignments because nothing says "done 5 minutes before class" like a hand-written assignment.

Do you guys get asked to turn in hand-written assignments? Because I haven't since fifth grade.

[druid91]

I have a question for you guys. Do you ever get asked to turn in a hand-written research, essay, or other written paper?

My teacher just asked us to. Everyone was very confused. Even before computers college students were expected to turn in assignments done by typewriter, or so my parents lead me to believe.

We were... confused. I wondered if I'd just traveled back in time without noticing. Usually, we don't turn in hand-written assignments because nothing says "done 5 minutes before class" like a hand-written assignment.

Do you guys get asked to turn in hand-written assignments? Because I haven't since fifth grade.

Nope. Drafts could be handwritten but the paper itself had to be typed.

[Haruki-kun]

I don't even turn drafts in hand-written.

Although the aforementioned fifth grade teacher had a weird policy: Drafts may be done in computer but the final paper has to be hand-written in ink and cursive.

[Ceric]

A friend turns in hand-written essays for his Chinese class (written in Chinese), but that's it Usually my teachers prefer typed essays because they're easier to read than students' handwritings.

[The Rose Dragon]

There is only one reason I can think of asking for hardcopies in the first place, let alone hand-written ones: you don't have a Turnitin account. Hand-written copies mean that even if it is word-for-word plagiarism, the person who wrote it put effort into reading the source material and putting it to paper, which is slightly better than direct C&V.

[shiram]

I'm guessing this teacher just wants student to practice hand writting, as it is a skill that is losing ground, in this computer age.

It is still quite weird though.

[Emperor Ing]

You obviously have people in your class who can write magnificent papers, maybe your teacher is looking to deduct points based on handwriting.
Of course, this is me thinking out loud.

[Icewalker]

What year is this in in school?

And no, that's ridiculous. You're being required to handwrite a paper? Really?

[Telonius]

Never heard of such a thing on the college level. The only handwritten work my professors ever received were from in-class tests, and I graduated eight years ago. Good thing for me, since my handwriting is just a couple steps up from chicken scratches anyway.

By the way, by not requiring the computer file, your professor is making it much easier for the students to commit plagiarism. In order for him to check any hardcopy, he either has to know the original paper in question, or re-type the papers into a plagiarism-checker.

[Killer Angel]

The police suspects that in your classroom is hiding a dangerous criminal, and they need a handwriting comparison, without alarming the suspect; your teacher is working with them.

OK, maybe not.

[Keld Denar]

Slightly on topic...I heard something disturbing a few months ago. Apparently schools here are discontinuing the teaching of cursive writing. Print will be the only method of hand writing taught, and cursive will be an elective additional assignment to be learned on ones own time.

Crazy...

[factotum]

I left school some 23 years ago now and I don't recall ever having to turn in homework typewritten, to be honest--it was always handwritten! University was a slightly different matter, and believe me, it's a royal pain in the whatevers to type up a multiple-page report on a typewriter that has a random tendency to insert a space after every "e"...

[Starbuck_II]

I never liked cursive writing. I never remembered all my capitals. I know the lower case but not all the capital cursives.

[Gwyn chan 'r Gwyll]

In IB, you have to learn how to do Hand-written assignments, because your English and History exams, at least, involve essays written in-class, as the exam. So we've been practicing by writing all our essays in a time limit, exam-like situation.

It's going to be insane.

[Castaras]

Quick question: All you guys keep mentioning "Cursive" handwriting. I'm guessing it's the same as "Joined-up handwriting"?

[OverThoughtName]

Quick question: All you guys keep mentioning "Cursive" handwriting. I'm guessing it's the same as "Joined-up handwriting"?

Yeah, exactly the same. Personally, I'm glad it's dying. They tried teaching it to us in the third grade and gave up half-way through. Never mentioned it again, mainly because after that we were supposed to turn in papers printed off anyway.

Speaking of which, I had one bright-idea'd, first-year professor who decided she wanted everyone to turn things in handwritten. Didn't last long. I've been told before that I have the most horrible handwriting; not only is it chicken scratch, but I apparently write "too small" anyway. Must've driven the poor girl to tears trying to read it.

[Haruki-kun]

I'm guessing this teacher just wants student to practice hand writting, as it is a skill that is losing ground, in this computer age.

It is still quite weird though.

But it's SOUND class.

Yeah, exactly the same. Personally, I'm glad it's dying. They tried teaching it to us in the third grade and gave up half-way through. Never mentioned it again, mainly because after that we were supposed to turn in papers printed off anyway.

I learned to write in cursive.... and then I was eventually told no one uses it. <.<

[Form]

Huh, that's weird. The teacher didn't give any explanation as to why?

I wouldn't dare think of producing papers by hand and with my awful handwriting it isn't exactly a good idea either. It's probably best to space out your work on the assignment, lest you end up with a wrist that really hurts.

[Cealocanth]

Yes, a required handwritten assignment is very weird. I get them every so often from tests and the like, but my teachers never specifically ask for a complete 100% handwritten essay. I feel sorry for your teachers if your handwriting is anything but legible.

As for the other topic that has manifested itself in this thread. I actually prefer to write in cursive. It's faster for me and it's more legible than any print of mine. I'm actually kind of sad that it's dying. There are way too many important things written in cursive to simply stop teaching it. (The original copy of the U.S. Constitution, for example, is one of these.)

[Marnath]

Yeah, exactly the same. Personally, I'm glad it's dying. They tried teaching it to us in the third grade and gave up half-way through.

I agree. Not only is it needlessly more difficult to learn how to use it, no one uses it for anything but signatures, and even if you do write in cursive no one can freaking read it. Seriously, I've never seen anyone's cursive that was legible to any real degree.

Death to cursive!

[Gwyn chan 'r Gwyll]

I agree. Not only is it needlessly more difficult to learn how to use it, no one uses it for anything but signatures, and even if you do write in cursive no one can freaking read it. Seriously, I've never seen anyone's cursive that was legible to any real degree.

Death to cursive!

Really? It's so much prettier, though, and it's way easier to right, much easier on your hand if you have to write for long periods of time. It's simply illegible because we're not TAUGHT to read it, we're never given practice READING cursive, only WRITING it.

[Telonius]

much easier on your hand if you have to write for long periods of time. It's simply illegible because we're not TAUGHT to read it, we're never given practice READING cursive, only WRITING it.

I have to disagree. I've written out a 90,000 word novel longhand before typing it up on the computer, and it never would have been finished if I'd attempted doing it in cursive. My cursive is pretty much illegible to everybody, including myself. The only time my wrists hurt after writing were when I didn't hold my elbow correctly; printing had nothing to do with it.

[Jarian]

You crazy people and your hating on cursive. Cursive (when done right, anyway) is faster, easier, and way prettier to look at. Granted, you basically have to learn to write in an entirely new way to do it, and so many forms ask for printed words anyway, but... Ew, blocky letters.

[Dvil]

I learned joined-up (or cursive, I guess) writing when I was younger. Then I moved to secondary school and figured that, since it was a fresh start, I'd write the way I like to write.
Happy to say I've never joined up a letter since then.

[Geno9999]

@OP, My mom's a teacher and has a few reasons why you would have a handwritten paper:
1: Can you recognize misspelled words without using a spell check? (Guess how many times I had to use the spell check while my mom was dictating?)
2: Do you know punctuation without auto-correct?
3: Since handwriting tends to be slower than typing, you have more time to carefully construct your sentences.
4: No cut and paste to write a report.
5: Believe it or not, there might be a situation where you don't have electricity or technology to write something down.

Also, @ some of the posts about cursive, often it's better/more professional to write in cursive when signing your signature.

[The-Mage-King]

@OP: Only time I had to turn in a handwritten paper was during a Blue Book test. We all know how much of a pain fun those are, right?

[Haruki-kun]

You crazy people and your hating on cursive. Cursive (when done right, anyway) is faster, easier, and way prettier to look at. Granted, you basically have to learn to write in an entirely new way to do it, and so many forms ask for printed words anyway, but... Ew, blocky letters.

I do like Cursive, actually. The problem is I don't like handwriting. Mine is awful. Looks like chicken scratch.

@OP, My mom's a teacher and has a few reasons why you would have a handwritten paper:

OK, let's see....

1: Can you recognize misspelled words without using a spell check? (Guess how many times I had to use the spell check while my mom was dictating?)

Hmmm... I think most of the time I can. I hate that about my classmates, though. They tend to write papers as if they were chatting on Messenger. I live in Mexico and as you may know, Spanish words tend to have the tilde (México, for instance) on vowels. Problem is peopleare lazy and assume it's boring or annoying to add it. It's PROPPER GRAMMAR, people! Not to mention that when you ask a question in Spanish the sentence starts with "¿", as opposed to "?" only in English. But people think "huh, waste of a key stroke".

2: Do you know punctuation without auto-correct?

Gawd, yes. See above. Even when typing on Messenger I don't write "lol wut u doin 2nite?". I like commas. And periods.

3: Since handwriting tends to be slower than typing, you have more time to carefully construct your sentences.

I guess?

4: No cut and paste to write a report.

Fair point.

5: Believe it or not, there might be a situation where you don't have electricity or technology to write something down.

Er.... well, yes, but, see.... I'm a Digital Arts Major. If I find myself in a situation where I don't have electricity or technology, I am, in fact, completely screwed.

[onthetown]

When I was in college, it seemed like each of my courses would bounce back and forth -- one wanted handprinted, the next wanted typing, the next printed... etc.

I don't really see what's so weird about it. It's just a personal preference for some. The only problem is that some people write like they have three claws instead of a human hand, but if you're good at deciphering it... *shrug*

Edit: I don't think the above five items were specifically directed at you, but at the population at large. It makes it harder to rely on spellcheck for people that use it way too much, etc.

[AtlanteanTroll]

Stuff done in class, and that's it. I don't think I've ever taken home an assignment meant to be longer then a page that was suppose to be hand-written.

[Istari]

Ahh its spanish, that makes things make a lot more sense. I know some Spanish and whenever I type something up in Spanish I very rarely use accents(at least that's what we call them). Mainly becuase adding them in Word not designed to type in Spanish takes way too long.