I am a doctoral student and I have a lot of writing to do. I am not a great writer. I am not sure if my problem is organization or flow. I am looking for someone who can help me with my papers. I need someone who writes well; someone who can review my papers tell me where I have gone wrong, suggest corrections and provide helpful tips. I am seeking my doctoral degree in Higher Education Administration. The majority of my course work is writing. If you are familiar with doctoral writing, it may not be beneficial for you to work with me. The average paper length is ten to twenty pages. The topic is always related to higher education. I am not looking for a ghost writer. I will write my won paper. What I need is someone who can help shape my paper and keep the paper on topic, help me 'does this make sense' part of the paper. I typical do not have grammar issues. I may have typos but not grammar issues. I have received comments on past pays like 'this awkward and unclear' or 'this is extremely vague'.
If this helps you understand my need, please reply. I have two more papers before December 10. Each paper is fifteen pages in length. APA is absolutely necessary. Much of the grade is how well you cite both in text and references.
Thank you.
- Location: Durham
- Compensation: $15.00 per hour
- Principals only. Recruiters, please don't contact this job poster.
- Please, no phone calls about this job!
- Please do not contact job poster about other services, products or commercial interests.
PostingID:3435358124
Wait, 'Durham' as in 'Durham, North Carolina'? Doesn't Duke have THE pioneering writing centre for students, on the whole continent? Why isn't this student going there for help and saving the $15/hr.?
ReplyDeleteIt might be tough being the candidate for a PhD showing up at a center utilized largely by undergrads, some of whom may be dude/ette's students if s/he TAs or has done in the past.
ReplyDeleteThey could also be at North Carolina Central and not the Tabacco Vanity Project.
ReplyDeleteOr any of the other schools in the area.
DeleteIs it reasonable that a grad course would assign a large portion of the grade to citing things in the right format? Yes, you would want students to do that but don't you evaluate evidence of more higher level thinking instead?
ReplyDeleteMy guess is that someone once gave this student an F for not citing anything, so he has concluded that proper citation format is a large portion of his grade, when really not plagiarizing is. That's my guess.
DeleteHA! I'll add this to my lab report instructions. "Not plagiarizing accounts for a large portion of your grade." Not that they would read the instructions.
DeleteMy guess would be along the same lines as Professor C's. It can be really hard to get across the message (in rubrics and elsewhere) that seriously inadequate citation (or, of course, plagiarism) will result in failure, but correct citation alone won't earn an A. It's also hard not to express frustration when one spends half the available grading time on a supposedly upper-level paper commenting on really basic citation stuff that's covered by the handbook one assigned. One can't not do it, because correct citation is such a basic and important academic value, but it's not really what one wants to be teaching. This leads to expressions of frustration that students sometimes read as "this is what she really cares about," when the real message is "this is what I wish you'd master already, so we can get on to the important stuff."
DeleteThis is what puzzles me about, oh, people. Why the hell, when faced with a deficiency like an inability to write well (yeah, I'm sure the problem is "flow" -- check for leaks), do they hire someone else to do it for them rather than LEARN. It's not hard to write clearly. It doesn't require any talent or skill whatsoever. It just requires learning a few techniques. I see this all the time, not just in academia or among students. If people can't manage their finances, why don't they just LEARN how money works? If they can't get along with their spouse, why don't they just LEARN how to talk to people about the way that they feel? All of this stuff is out there, readily accessible, and isn't rocket science. I'd get it if it was something like trying to do quantum physics; the learning curve there is steep. But my god, writing a paper?
ReplyDeleteI would need so much more than $15 an hour for this, by the way.
Heaven help me, but when I was reading this post all I could think of was Ralphie's theme assignment from "A Christmas Story". Compare:
ReplyDelete"The average paper length is ten to twenty pages. The topic is always related to higher education. I am not looking for a ghost writer. I will write my won paper."
"What I want for Christmas is a Red Ryder BB gun with a compass in the stock and this thing that tells time. I think everybody should have a Red Ryder BB gun. They are very good for Christmas. I don't think a football is a very good Christmas present."
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DeleteYES. Ralphie came to my mind several times this weekend while grading undergraduate themes--which were supposed to be research papers.
Delete"Yeah, that's good." It's what I always imagine my students doing as they construct their papers out of feathers and bits of string.
DeleteI like the "I typical do not have grammar issues" line.
ReplyDeleteI don't know what this person is so worried about. Judging from the communication abilities of admin-flakes I've known who have their doctorates in "Higher Ed Admin," the writing standards can't be that high.
ReplyDeleteI have a second grade niece who might want to earn some cash.
"someone who can review my papers tell me where I have gone wrong, suggest corrections and provide helpful tips."
ReplyDeleteIsn't that what the comments are about? As in, "this writing is awkward and vague"?
It sounds like he's trying to get the right kind of help, which is a point in his favor. I, too, wondered why he didn't just go to the writing center, but I can see Mrs. C's point. Maybe we need writing centers (or parts of writing centers) that serve graduate students? I know some grad-only institutions (e.g. divinity schools) have them.
ReplyDeleteBut, yes, I do wonder why someone who's "not a great writer" has decided that Higher Ed Administration is a good job fit. I'd have considerably more sympathy if the person were a scientist, or someone who wanted to go into counseling, or something along those lines, where writing wasn't such a big part of the job. What exactly does he think he's going to be doing most of the day once he finishes his degree?
Actually, I think Ph.D. programs in higher ed should probably be abolished, or at least discouraged, or perhaps transformed into an MBA sub-specialty (which is probably closer to what they are). I do know some very good people with Ed.D.s, but that was a matter of cost and/or convenience; they were equally capable of earning degrees in a traditional (okay, real) academic field. If these Ph.D. candidates are doing real, solid research, couldn't they get degrees in Psychology, or Sociology, or Economics, (or Communiction, or Comp/Rhet, or even Systems Engineering, or, yes, Business), with perhaps some ed-specific coursework?
Doctorate in Educational Leadership, anyone? This is someone who needs to be in a position of leadership in Education, definitely!
ReplyDeleteWhat Contingent Cassandra said above ^^. I've seen the assignments they have to do (a good friend chose that program b/c her school required her to get a doctorate to continue as an administrator even though she doesn't teach) and they don't get any harder than the assignments I've seen Education majors stressing over on campus... She chose the program b/c she thought it was the easiest of all doctorates to get (aside from going to India to buy a doctorate).