What does my prof really want from an essay?

Most students would do well to understand the difference between a political opinion and an academic opinion. An academic opinion is the result of research involving a certain degree of rigour, while a political opinion might have absolutely nothing to do with careful analysis. Penalizing students for “inappropriate” political opinions is wrong and offensive. Having your ideas called out on the basis of academic study is part of university.

Professors have built careers defending some academic approaches, while debunking others. Some might grade you harder if you are premising your argument on research that they challenge, especially if you are lacking sufficient evidence or rigour. Some professors will even tell up front which sources they are not sympathetic to. Again this is academic, not political. So if your professor uses Marxism as a theoretical base, and he/she dismisses your poorly researched and weakly argued paper on why globalization is awesome, get over it.

Of course if your professor is adamant that the theory of gravity is a farce, have the dean check his/her breath for whiskey.

Others, wedged firmly to the belief that all ideas are created equal, are able to distance themselves and will grade you according to the level you are at, no matter how silly your paper is. So pay attention.

A quick note on style. Many essay assignments will come with strict directions on font size and type, as well as a preferred notation style. A professor may demand footnotes, or in text citations, and if they don’t specify, find out what they use in their own writing. Every little bit helps. Some professors grade heavily on grammar, while others will give you an “A” despite 37 spelling mistakes, so ask around. And remember, length requirements exist for a reason.

Happy writing!