Got an F on a college essay for swearing?

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Most historians of science go further. Scientists are able to get their point across to other scientists, almost never to lay people, because they have an extremely specific methodology and language along with a specific culture in which a number of language moves are understood as meaningful and permissible without actually saying much to anyone that isn't of that culture. It's not just jargon either, but a fundamental insular communication. There aren't that many problems with that in the abstract, but it practice it's made understanding what scientists do very difficult for others and essentially impossible for scientists.

Communicating science to people within your field is a fundamentally different problem than communicating it to laypeople. The latter is akin to telling a captivating story, that might bear little resemblance to the truth, while the former is about being as unambiguous and accurate as possible, while still being succinct. There is a middle ground between the two, communicating to other scientists who are not within your field.

Most science isn't going to be interesting to laypeople, and a tiny, tiny fraction of all science will get the majority of public interest. I have a friends who work on things that is fascinating on a conceptual level, and communicating with the public is much easier for them than for most scientists. They don't have to do much work to make people interested. It's the reason why you can find thousands of videos on relativity on youtube, but not that many on Noether's theorem (maybe not the best example because there are videos on that as well of course, but it's still disproportional).
 
I checked the assignment, which more than filled the criteria and used the word fuck and shit twice to make my feelings clear and add extra concern to the topic (abuse of elderly people by whoever) and I had a lot to say about that honestly.

She commented this "name here--Cursing and swearing in your written work is not acceptable. Learn to use regular written language."

My problems with this are both words are proper English and in the course syllabus it is never stated curse words are grounds for lower grades. In my English 104 course I've used swears multiple times without penalty. Is this bias on her part or am I really supposed to censor my writing?

Your English 104 course often constitutes prose, this is an assignment which should be devoid of emotional use of words. Meaning you cannot swear, you can't say your personal feelings, you have to state your case, experiment,findings, your view on the findings and possible solutions/final word.

There is never a need for cursing or emotional words in a paper or essay. Unless it's fiction, opinion piece or everyday interaction.
 
This thread went fast... wow.

Okay, so it looks like I'm in the wrong, but, this doesn't explain why I need to censor myself as a writer. Maybe I'm simply unfiltered but I think that's a good thing, I figured in high school you'd avoid that, but in college you're an adult, you can freely write how you want and get your opinions across without having to worry if you tailor it to whoever is reading it, since it's your work. Maybe I'm getting angry about nothing however I don't understand how your choice of language is something you can be penalized for. I re-read the essay and admittedly I recognize some things that could be fixed but even with that scrutiny and barring in mind this isn't my writing course a B seems perfectly fair. Have a read but I know I'm about to get dogged on like crazy regardless. No, I'll just post the relevant uses of swears. It's partially too personally and I'm not rewriting the damn thing.

"Watching the film was really sad, quite morbid, fucked up, and too close to home"

"It went from "I don't care about you" to "fuck you" and I still feel that
way to this day"

"They're awful, sickening, fucked realities"

"The emotional problems my REDACTED still suffers from REDACTED, I've came to the point
where if REDACTED REDACTED died today, right now, I wouldn't give a shit"

"Apologizes that are all bullshit and
emotions that end up with the person hurting more and more"

If you fail out of college you could always become a blogger.
 
Sorry OP, but this is all on you.

I mean, for gosh sales, swearing is usually considered poor form. And you decided to swear on a college essay. Where they expect an ounce of professionalism in assignments?

Like did you take your essay to be looked over in a writing lab before you turned it in? Because the writing lab would agree that swearing in a college essay is frowned upon.
 
Example #1456323215232354234 of "who are these people??"

Seriously how do you make it to college and not have that kind of common sense? What's next, sending dick picks to your professor in the hope of getting a better grade?
 
Maybe, just maybe, you should not swear.
That's actually absurd, fight that shit. If your professor is a conservative hammer home that he's too politically correct to piss him off.
Fight what, exactly? The professor makes the rules and honestly, swearing on an essay? There is nothing to fight here.
 
Please don't use fuck and shit in your resume either. No matter how much more you think it makes you look more passionate.
 
This thread went fast... wow.

Okay, so it looks like I'm in the wrong, but, this doesn't explain why I need to censor myself as a writer. Maybe I'm simply unfiltered but I think that's a good thing, I figured in high school you'd avoid that, but in college you're an adult, you can freely write how you want and get your opinions across without having to worry if you tailor it to whoever is reading it, since it's your work. Maybe I'm getting angry about nothing however I don't understand how your choice of language is something you can be penalized for. I re-read the essay and admittedly I recognize some things that could be fixed but even with that scrutiny and barring in mind this isn't my writing course a B seems perfectly fair. Have a read but I know I'm about to get dogged on like crazy regardless. No, I'll just post the relevant uses of swears. It's partially too personally and I'm not rewriting the damn thing.

"Watching the film was really sad, quite morbid, fucked up, and too close to home"

"It went from "I don't care about you" to "fuck you" and I still feel that
way to this day"

"They're awful, sickening, fucked realities"

"The emotional problems my REDACTED still suffers from REDACTED, I've came to the point
where if REDACTED REDACTED died today, right now, I wouldn't give a shit"

"Apologizes that are all bullshit and
emotions that end up with the person hurting more and more"
Jesus, not sure if you should even be in university.
 
If you actually think swearing in an academic piece of writing is acceptable, then you'd probably be getting an F regardless of the swears.
 
Wow, I have never cursed in any academic or professional written material or even know of anyone who has.

Where did you learn that was accepted and regular practice?
The only time it's appropriate is when quoting someone or writing fiction. Otherwise, it comes off as lazy to swear when writing.
 
If I see "fuck" or "shit" in any professional article, essay or document, I will think it is totally unprofessional and you are right to be failing for it. Imagine going to a news site and it says "the situation in Syria is fucked up with all that terrorism shit."

How does it even enter your mind that is acceptable writing in a paper...
 
Have to admit I never even thought to use curse words in my school work. Is this a millennial thing?

No lol. Well maybe for those just entering? Haha I've never heard of anyone ever doing this in an academic paper. Not even the prankster types. I'd love to see this paper.
 
"Watching the film was really sad, quite morbid, fucked up, and too close to home"

"It went from "I don't care about you" to "fuck you" and I still feel that
way to this day"

"They're awful, sickening, fucked realities"

"The emotional problems my REDACTED still suffers from REDACTED, I've came to the point
where if REDACTED REDACTED died today, right now, I wouldn't give a shit"

"Apologizes that are all bullshit and
emotions that end up with the person hurting more and more"

This is actually embarrassing.

the fuck
 
Talk to your teacher. Explain your side. Hope she lets you resubmit with corrections.

No. Talk to your teacher. Apologise. Ask politely if it would be ok to resubmit with corrections.

There is nothing he can say which can justify "his side" here.
 
What is most surprising is that the op somehow got into college and has never had someone tell him it's not okay to swear in a paper before.
 
This is great haha. This is the kind of stuff that pops up on the internet in the department of "I can't believe my student submitted this" image dumps.

English is not my tongue language but there seem to be a lot of grammar errors

"apologizes" instead of apologies etc.

F- for you OP.
 
It sounds bad but I'm kinda glad that the paper failed. At least someone, some where gives a shit about formal writing still. I've long been worried about academic papers ultimately starting to read like Deadspin articles.
 
Somehow my mind completely glossed over that they expressed that they wouldn't give a shit if someone they knew died , regardless if that's a justifiable feeling to have in real life (and I'm sure given the context it very well likely is), what the hell is that doing in a University academic essay.
 
And this: "if REDACTED REDACTED died today, right now, I wouldn't give a shit"

cmon man, I don't care how "passionate" you think you are, there is no need to put shit like this in a college essay. Downright inappropriate and on the brink of crazy.

It's not a blog.
 
Any paper with the embedded quotes from OP was probably close to F-tier already. It reads more like a message board post than a formal argument.

If more scientists were actually able to properly communicate their research, then the world wouldn't be in such a shitty state.

I think this undersells the effect of mass propaganda to undercut scientific findings.

Can scientists be blamed for "bad messaging" when most of the developed world believes in evolution and vaccines and big chunks of the US and Turkey do not? Is the problem the message, or the audience?

Is there a mental and financial incentive to be anti-GMO, anti-climate change, anti-gun reform, and anti-EPA in the modern US? Why? Are there existing global power structures and laws that would be threatened by embracing a secular objective reality? Is it scientists' fault the people of Flint Michigan don't have drinkable water? Is it scientists' fault we close Planned Parenthood in neighborhoods where they've proven to help local women's health?

Scientists are certainly not exempt from confirmation bias, but they generally don't have the power to legislate their bias.
 
Read the excerpts and sorry OP, professor was right. Academic writing has no place for swearing unless your paper is on swearing as a topic.

Take a creative writing class and go buck wild though (within academic reasoning)
 
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