<p>Do some people proof their college student's papers? What is your opinion of this?</p>
<p>I read my D’s college thesis in the week before it was due - after she had worked on it for around 6 months. It is always good to have another (fresh) set of eyes check for typos when you’ve been looking at a paper for so long. And I did find both typos and a couple of numerical errors so I was glad to have checked.</p>
<p>So far, the only things I “proofed” for our college students were the cover letters for their job applications (to make sure that they had just the right % of the needed buzzwords :)).</p>
<p>No. Never. Of course he never asks me. If he did I wouldn’t refuse. :)</p>
<p>I have done it on rare occasions, when asked.</p>
<p>More commonly, I proofread their resumes and cover letters. I think they feel a greater need for a second set of eyes in this instance because the turnaround time is fast, and people don’t see their own errors in a document ten minutes after they typed it. But if the document can sit until the next day (as most academic papers can, unless you’re foolish enough to write them at the last minute), a good writer will probably pick up most of the typos on the reread.</p>
<p>But then, I’m an editor by profession, and I have worked for commercial proofreading services. I expect my family to take advantage of my skills in this area, just as I take advantage of the computer skills that other family members possess and I don’t.</p>
<p>My son has frequently emails papers to us to proof - just a final set of eyes - to catch any glaring mistakes. We never offer up suggestions on content [having not done the reading] but will point out an occasional rough transition. He never asked in high school…</p>
<p>My D sometimes sends me papers she has particularly enjoyed writing, for my reading pleasure only. I am grateful to see them and sometimes I can even understand them :).</p>
<p>My D1 emails me papers to see when she is completely done and has already edited; just to make sure that someone who has NO knowledge of what she is writing about thinks they make sense…</p>
<p>What I find interesting about this is that the papers she says she has the most difficulty writing are usually the ones that are written the best…weird…</p>
<p>I actually enjoy reading what she has written; alot of it is very interesting…</p>
<p>My younger daughter (entering college in the fall) hasn’t let me read anything since 9th grade…don’t know if that will change…</p>
<p>If he ever did send writing assignments to us for input, there’s no way I’d be able to offer coherent comments at 3am on a paper due that same morning.</p>
<p>My older son sent in one paper once freshman year. My younger son sends us most of them, sometimes for comments as well as proofing. I enjoy reading them. The first paper he wrote he had lots of questions about what needed to be cited and I told him he needed to ask the Writing Center at his college to find out what their standards are, but I don’t think there’s any harm in comments. Mostly minor spelling and grammar errors, but sometimes I might tell him that an argument hasn’t convinced me, or that there aren’t enough examples or that I am confused by events since not everyone knows as much about Pakistani-Indian relations as he does now. The more substantive comments are rare though since he doesn’t always give enough lead time to do more than give a quick read. I really don’t feel the papers need much input though, somewhere in the last couple of years he’s learned to write pretty well.</p>
<p>I read and sometimes edited D’s papers in HS (I write professionally and it was just too hard to read and not edit) and helped her with her college essays. I really thought she would want some help in college, but that has not been the case. She apparently learned all she needed to and does not need Mom any more, for this at least. She did occasionally discuss what she was doing and read a paragraph or two to me, but not for editing, just to share something she found interesting. She made A’s in her extremely difficult essay class both semesters. My job is done!</p>
<p>No, I never have and I don’t think it’s appropriate except for the most disciplined of parents who are certain they wouldn’t go beyond proofing to editing and re-writing.</p>
<p>Once in senior year of college when S was busy interviewing for jobs, he asked me to help him think of a good topic for a paper because he was just too tired and stressed to think clearly. That was it for him. Then once D called to just talk at me about a paper that she couldn’t find a way to pull together. I hadn’t read the book, so I wasn’t much help beyond just asking her some questions. </p>
<p>I have helped D edit cover letters, though I’m not sure how wise that was, since I don’t work in business. S went to his career office for that assistance. He’s a smart boy, lol.</p>
<p>Have never helped either S thus far. They’ve never asked. S1 has graduated. S2 is a rising senior. Not saying it won’t ever happen. Just hasn’t so far.</p>
<p>I’ve looked at 3 papers in 2 years for my daughter. The first one was way too early for me to look at & I told her so. The last one was a week ago. I reviewed it only for typos and a couple of specific grammar bugaboos. There were one or two awkward transitions that I brought to her attention.
Like others have said, it is really to add a fresh set of eyes. She has a very distinctive writing style, and there is no way I could revise anything and have it look like it was all her work. She is always surprised at the number of typos I find.</p>
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<p>Same here.</p>
<p>I sent my mother a few papers last semester. She never rewrites anything, she’ll just send it back to me with her notes or thoughts in a different color font. I’m not a very confident writer, so I either had several of my friends look through my papers or went to my school’s writing center as well as emailing her.</p>
<p>Um, hell no. I think my kids would have been way too embarrassed to ask me, and probably knew I would have told them absolutely not. (And not in my wildest imaginings would I ever have expected my own parents to look over my college work.) When does this sort of dependency stop–sophomore year, senior year, grad school, never? At some point students have to take responsibility for your own work, down to the typos. They have to learn to finish assignments sufficiently in advance that they can set them aside and look at them the next day with eyes fresh enough to catch errors. Commenting on the content of a student’s work is entirely inappropriate, if not completely unethical, unless the parent also plans to walk on the stage arm in arm with the graduating senior to accept the degree. Mama won’t be there to check their work when they’re employed–let your kids make their own mistakes, earn their own grades, and grow up.</p>
<p>MommaJ, it never stops. That’s why people have secretaries and assistants and colleagues look over their work. I don’t see anything wrong with it, and, in fact, would find someone who thinks they don’t need an extra set of eyes quite arrogant. Even an editor needs an editor.</p>
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<p>So funny. So true. :p</p>
<p>Nope, have never seen any since elementary school, except occasionally after they were turned in and graded. The schools my children attended had strict guidelines (honor codes?) wrt who was supposed to see their work, and the amount and types of collaboration or editing acceptable for papers or projects.</p>