Have you ever submitted an essay (amateur or beginner) to a free writing contest? What was the experience like?
61-69, F
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ArishMell · 70-79, M
Only once, at school, it was compulsory; I did not want to do it.
This was in the 1960s.
Our school had an annual essay competition for Sixth-Formers, the work to be done over the Summer Holiday between Lower and Upper Sixth, and submitted on our return.*
I forget the precise theme but left it late (as usual), then frantically searched for inspiration. It came in the form of plagiarism. Mine was an uncited, probably carelessy-written, summary of a relevant paper in the Journal or Proceedings of the Institute of Electrical Engineers, of which my father was a Chartered Member.
I do not know who the judges were, nor if they might have recognised it, but unsurprisingly I did not win. Nor really care.
The essay competition was to the memory of a high-ranking Civil Service Scientist who had been very involved in nuclear power research, and in establishing a major research facility in our county. I think he was its first Managing Director or Chairman, or whatever title would have been used before all this pretentious "Chief xxxxxxx Officer" rubbish.
He had been educated at the same school, but there was never any way I could have reached such a level of academic and professional success!
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* By explanation:
The "Sixth Form" is an extension to tertiary-level school education in the UK, for 16-18yo students; is voluntary and comprises intensive two year courses (hence Lower and Upper, in years), in usually just three subjects.
These end in the General Certificate of Education "Advanced Level" examinations. Suitable A-Level passes are, for most students, the entry qualifications for University.
Although funding cuts have hit edult-education courses hard, some of the standard school courses are also taken by adults in evening-classes, as I have done. Some go on to take the exams and if successful at Advanced Level, study for Degrees (usually via the Open University); either for career reasons or simply by serious personal interest in the subject.
This was in the 1960s.
Our school had an annual essay competition for Sixth-Formers, the work to be done over the Summer Holiday between Lower and Upper Sixth, and submitted on our return.*
I forget the precise theme but left it late (as usual), then frantically searched for inspiration. It came in the form of plagiarism. Mine was an uncited, probably carelessy-written, summary of a relevant paper in the Journal or Proceedings of the Institute of Electrical Engineers, of which my father was a Chartered Member.
I do not know who the judges were, nor if they might have recognised it, but unsurprisingly I did not win. Nor really care.
The essay competition was to the memory of a high-ranking Civil Service Scientist who had been very involved in nuclear power research, and in establishing a major research facility in our county. I think he was its first Managing Director or Chairman, or whatever title would have been used before all this pretentious "Chief xxxxxxx Officer" rubbish.
He had been educated at the same school, but there was never any way I could have reached such a level of academic and professional success!
::::::::
* By explanation:
The "Sixth Form" is an extension to tertiary-level school education in the UK, for 16-18yo students; is voluntary and comprises intensive two year courses (hence Lower and Upper, in years), in usually just three subjects.
These end in the General Certificate of Education "Advanced Level" examinations. Suitable A-Level passes are, for most students, the entry qualifications for University.
Although funding cuts have hit edult-education courses hard, some of the standard school courses are also taken by adults in evening-classes, as I have done. Some go on to take the exams and if successful at Advanced Level, study for Degrees (usually via the Open University); either for career reasons or simply by serious personal interest in the subject.