As there is virtually nothing without its pros and cons, we will be discussing some of the disadvantages of essay writing in this very revealing content. Although there are so many benefits that come with getting acculturated to the idea of writing, especially essays, having dissected the other side of the coin, it is understood that it can also have its unfavorable sides.
Is it about habit that turns to become addiction? Or the possibility of it being used as a tool of political revenge and propaganda? There are definitely a lot to be considered as capable of positioning the art of essay writing as villain. Well, do not have to think too far, essay writing has more of blessings than the curse it is said to be able to cause.
Disadvantages of Essay Writing
Imbued with the knowledge of the many advantages and importance that the act of writing essays can offer, there is the conclusion that any writer of essays, be it student, teacher, or just anybody, is beyond just a professional trailing a career. Certainly! There are other sides to it. That is why we are going to be looking at few of the disadvantages of essay writing if wrongly utilized.
Wrong Assessment of Student’s Capabilities
Essays are a narrow, limited way of assessing a student’s skill and knowledge. Unless the instructor or reader collects a lot of work along the way, essays are like the tip of an iceberg because you only see the finished product, not all the research and other work that went into completing it.
Essays are Not Oftentimes Objective
Essays are subjective. That is why it cannot be relied on. Many politicians write it with an aim to only speak their opinions which oftentimes are targeted at destroying/slandering an opponent. Nobody seems to know or agree with the truth that essays are not always good.
In other way round, as an instructor in school, it’s easier to grade punitively by marking down or subtracting points for silly, hairsplitting things like citation formats than it is to grade holistically for the overall package. And when an instructor does that, it is admittedly subjective.
It is Time-consuming for High Teachers
Essays take a very long time to mark and give feedback on. Sure, a lot of teachers and professors might just slap a grade on there without feedback – and who could blame them? They’re tragically underpaid. And lots of students never read feedback anyway. Even if you (meaning the instructor) use a cookie-cutter rubric to save time and still give some feedback, it ruins the ability to be subjective…which can lead to arbitrary decisions.
Read Also: The Importance of Essay Writing
Not Realistic
Essays have relatively few applications to real-world skills. I don’t love that I live in a world where most people never read or write unless they’re forced to for school. But that’s the reality. Although many jobs require writing of some sort, there aren’t a lot of jobs that require people to write five-page essays in APA format on a regular basis, or ever.
Essays do require critical thinking, which is a, well, critical skill. But the final product of that critical thinking in the real world is seldom an essay.
Essays are Unnecessarily Long
Essays are an annoying length, which means they often end up being superficial. Longer and unnecessarily more formal than a discussion, shorter than a book or even an article that can delve into a topic in meaningful depth.
Essays are Rule-Guided
The essays that students are forced to write are unnecessarily formal and needlessly rule-oriented, even though essays in the real world have a lot of stylistic and formal variety. A lot of essays in the “real” world are interesting. They’re personal and subjective.
Some of them are downright blasphemous because they use first- and second-person pronouns. Most of the time, your English teacher doesn’t want to admit that these essays exist, and will fail you because you forgot a comma in a citation or used the word “I” or something.
