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A Literary Organ
That is, things you really don’t want to find written on your draft chapter when you get it back from your supervisor. A potentially continuing series.
Number one: “cliché-a-rama”.
Ouch!
Your Comments
Matthew Smith writes:
Yikes. I don’t want to know the other comments – this person obviously isn’t trying to save your feelings. But I know you academics live for pain.
Posted: 12 05 2008 - 12:04 | Permanent link to this comment
dishhead writes:
Thought I’d better anonymise for this one, for obvious reasons, but some comments on my drafts stick in my memory:
“Lazy, journalistic – do you really want to be an academic?”
“From here, the entire chapter is rubbish. Almost opaque – substituting theory for thinking.”
“Remember – the idea of a PHD is to make an ORIGINAL CONTRIBUTION”
“How many times have I asked you to fix this passage? Why don’t you listen to me?”
It was all to the good, though. Got me through and we’re best of friends now.
We all like to think that we’re our own worst critics but except for a few geniuses, we actually let ourselves get away with quite a lot of sloppy writing.
My supervisor guessed, correctly, that I needed some goading in order to work myself up to being clear and direct in my arguments. Worked a treat.
Good luck!
Posted: 12 05 2008 - 12:58 | Permanent link to this comment
Catriona writes:
I don’t have written proof of this, but at during the reading of my last chapter, my supervisor paused at one section of the argument and said, “I’m sorry, but I just think this is dreadful.”
He was absolutely right, though.
Posted: 12 05 2008 - 18:03 | Permanent link to this comment
adam writes:
Perhaps not as harsh as those mentioned, but “Remind me: which f*#cking school are you enrolled in again?” seemed a fair comment on my chapter on various “types” of ecology. :)
Posted: 13 05 2008 - 02:20 | Permanent link to this comment