Look how far we've come

So high school juniors are freaking out about the written essay portion of the SAT. Not that they won't be able to write it, just that they literally won't be able to write it. Due to the proliferation of computers and texting, for some students this will be the first time they've picked up a pencil in years and they're worried that the exam readers won't be able to read what they're writing. Frankly, we would be worried too, since our handwriting is so bad even we have trouble reading it sometimes.

[Shibuya @ Dec 19th 2005 2:39AM]

I'm 24 years old, and I also have this problem. My handwriting is pretty bad. I just don't.. write even a paragraph at a time anymore. Really almost ever.. I have a Palm PDA, laptop, several desktops, voice memo recorders on my V600, etc. I think this is going to continue being an issue :I

[Omar McFarlane @ Dec 19th 2005 2:39AM]

It's funny that you mention that because I was handwriting a letter draft and the words weren't legible by any standard. It's no wonder I do poorly in class.

[scarabic @ Dec 19th 2005 2:39AM]

I pick up a pen to write my rent check, to sign my credit card receipts, and to fill out my tax forms. That is literally about all. On strange occasions where I need to write multiple paragraphs by hand, I experience not only bad handwriting and frequent typos, but almost immediate stiffness and pain in my wrist and palm. I used to have to do "penmanship" exercises in school. Sometimes it seemed like that's all we did. Sheesh. Learning to write perfect cursive. What a waste!

[Modesty B Catt @ Dec 19th 2005 2:39AM]

...at school, years back I used to type all my essays (early adopter see) and my English teacher had these wise words for me...

"You'll never be able to get through life without handwriting, you can't type everything"

...ah, how wrong she was.

[Shane @ Dec 19th 2005 2:39AM]

Well, these kids better get used to it if they wanna get through college. I don't care how modern you get for papers and notes (heck, i take notes on a palm half the time), you can't type type out an essay question on a midterm or final. For that, my friends, you need to be able to write quickly and legibly; no two ways about it.

[Kate Gladstone @ Dec 19th 2005 2:39AM]

Having worked for 15+ years as "The Handwriting Repairwoman" (teaching MDs and others to handwrite legibly at high speed), this year I've gotten call after call after call from anxious parents, teachers, and (above all) students worrying about SATs which will suddenly hit them with handwriting after decades of people saying "You can blow it off - handwriting can't matter." Particularly chillling for those who grew up not expecting to write legibly at speed and not knowing that one *can* do this: scans of all those handwritten SAT essays will go onto a special web-site accessible only to the Educational Testing Service and college-admissions officers. So handwriting will probably factor into college-admission decisions - given that colleges always have far more applicants than available places.

[Jason @ Dec 19th 2005 2:39AM]

well... im a high school student... although i use the computer for most of the things i do; however, with in class assignments, we have to use our old-style pencil and paper... we dont get a lot of them... but i dont see how the new add-on of the written section would be a harm to the SATs..

[Garg @ Dec 19th 2005 2:39AM]

Response to Hmm (by Shane) - Several colleges and universities already require every incoming freshman to purchase a laptop for coursework. Some schools have already gotten to the point that unless you have a disability of some sort, you are required to type midterms and finals, so that identification by handwriting or lower grades due to poor handwriting are eliminated. Now, this probably won't work in the near-term future for many classes that require special types of writing (e.g. calculus, statistics, chemistry, physics, etc.). But for handwriting intensive examinations such as history, english, psychology, etc., it is entirely foreseeable that most colleges will begin requiring typed exams.

[Nan Jay Barchowsky @ Dec 19th 2005 2:39AM]

Look aroound you. How often do you see people making notes? How often do you make notes? Have you ever had a computer misfunction?
Do you ever show the courtesy of handwriting a note of thanks, congratulations or condolence? Have you ever received a hand-addresed letter? Bet you opened it first!

[Nan Jay Barchowsky @ Dec 19th 2005 2:39AM]

Comments: Look aroound you. How often do you see people making notes? How often do you make notes? Have you ever had a computer misfunction?
Do you ever show the courtesy of handwriting a note of thanks, congratulations or condolence? Have you ever received a hand-addresed letter? Bet you opened it first!