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Word Count

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  • 03-03-2008 5:27pm
    #1
    Misticles
    Registered Users Posts: 13,746 ✭✭✭✭


    Does anybody know, if you hand in an assignment thats limited to say 2500 words, they just get a hard copy, no emailing.
    will they actually hand count the words?
    thanks


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    #2
    Susipoo
    Closed Accounts Posts: 26 ✭Susipoo


    rule of thumb - no. They're human too :) Generally I've been advised to have it so close they won't notice, but it's no harm to run it by the lecturer...


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    #3
    Misticles
    Registered Users Posts: 13,746 ✭✭✭✭Misticles


    the count is 2500. i have 4000! i know know! miles over!! its 16 pages and the last project i did was 14 and was the same. so not much in the difference. ya think the lecturer would notice?


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    #4
    squishywishy
    Registered Users Posts: 400 ✭✭squishywishy


    in a word...yes!!
    There is a big difference between 2500 and 4000!!


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    #5
    Misticles
    Registered Users Posts: 13,746 ✭✭✭✭Misticles


    i know but in page difference theres only two.


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    #6
    Genghiz Cohen
    Registered Users Posts: 7,182 ✭✭✭Genghiz Cohen


    Still, you should try to cut out 1000 or so words, but make sure everything makes sense afterwards (I know, sounds silly, but it happens), that is one of the reasons I hate doing big essays and reports.


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    #7
    AlmightyCushion
    Moderators, Education Moderators, Technology & Internet Moderators Posts: 35,060 Mod ✭✭✭✭AlmightyCushion


    Email the lecturer telling them that you've only just realised that your assignment comes out at 4000 words. Apologise and then ask would it be ok to hand it up with 4000 words or would they prefer if you cut it down. You never know the lecturer might not care.


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    #8
    Lump
    Registered Users Posts: 10,984 ✭✭✭✭Lump


    When I was in college a few people lost marks for going over on the word count, you need to be concise.


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    #9
    gibo_ie
    Registered Users Posts: 782 ✭✭✭gibo_ie


    yes, easy to pick an average line, count the words then count lines per page and multiply by number of pages. There is a limit for a reason! I know lecturers who would reduce marks per 100 words over..


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    #10
    Jay P
    Registered Users Posts: 4,944 ✭✭✭Jay P


    In fairness, it might seem a bit obvious, but there is a word count for a reason. But when my dad was doing an openuniversity diploma, he was generally allowed +/- 10% of the limit.


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    #11
    emeraldstar
    Registered Users Posts: 5,383 ✭✭✭emeraldstar


    Yea I think it's usually a 10% leeway either way, any more than that shouldn't really be ok.


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    #12
    Stepherunie
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,158 ✭✭✭Stepherunie


    Really depends on your course, you need to check it out.

    IN my course if you hand anything in over, you are asked to resubmit and get docked 20% of your marks, you also have to submit a statement of wordcount with everything.

    You also need to bear in mind, if you're in a class with 40 others and they all hand in there assignments within the word count, whilst you may have only given in a hard copy, when they're correcting a lot of them they'll notice that yours takes longer to read.


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