tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9091218950079982154.post3553777091628859877..comments2024-03-07T15:19:55.343+01:00Comments on Copy, Shake, and Paste: Off to a great startDebora Weber-Wulffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01602911135725939409noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9091218950079982154.post-12829929144696759022013-12-01T12:37:24.739+01:002013-12-01T12:37:24.739+01:00@noona Ho, oh, I totally agree, but that is now fi...@noona Ho, oh, I totally agree, but that is now final, since the letter is optional, they only get 0 points for that part. <br />@Julia, well, I'd like to see if they are capable of writing complete sentences that don't all begin with "I", even if the letter is about themselves. I much prefer an honest-sounding letter than one that sets my bullshit-bingo detector off. And I'd kind of like to get to know the people wanting to join the program. If I had my druthers, I'd take 1/3 people who have worked after their bachelor's (they know why they are coming back), at least 1/3 women, someone with business smarts, someone with design smarts, 2-3 who can do the maths, at least a quarter hot-shot programmers, and one person good at organizing parties. But we have to follow a pseudo-quantitative points system. Debora Weber-Wulffhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16036864220530629908noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9091218950079982154.post-63454079320143221902013-12-01T10:54:34.237+01:002013-12-01T10:54:34.237+01:00Hello,
I am a still a student, but after graduati...Hello,<br /><br />I am a still a student, but after graduation I want to do a voluntary service. Since I am not the only one interested, applicants have to write a motivation letter.<br />I understand how many of the applicants have to prepare for the upcoming exams, but still I do not find it fair if those, who do not put much effort into describing their motivation, still get the chance to be the more favored ones since their letters have a better structure, formulation and so on. Maybe they are not even motivated? Maybe this is just something they have to to. Same goes for those applying for a master. This is something they HAVE TO DO so they will have good chances in the future. But one cannot just write into the motivation letter "It's what I have to do." So they copy other people's motivation letter. <br />Writing a motivation letter is not that hard if you are really motivated!<br />So I find it sad and doubtful that those copying applicants still get away with it.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06675521387631890671noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9091218950079982154.post-85764798682685855342013-08-26T17:40:09.250+02:002013-08-26T17:40:09.250+02:00Ich nehme an, dass Sie deutschsprachig sind. Und d...Ich nehme an, dass Sie deutschsprachig sind. Und da ich Ihre Meinung nicht teile, mir Argumentationen in Englisch aber schwer fallen, formuliere ich meinen Beitrag auf Deutsch. <br /><br />Motivationsschreiben sind sicherlich eine nette Idee um über den Zugang zu einem Studiengang zu entscheiden. Aber letztendlich sollte es bei den meisten heißen "Schreiben in dem man nicht über seine tatsächlichen, vermutlich eher unpassenden Motivationen die auf emotionaler Ebene liegen redet. Sondern in dem man, wohl wissend in Konkurrenz zu einer unbestimmten Anzahl anderer stehend versuchen muss, vorgeben zu müssen akademisch relevante Gründe dafür zu haben für einen Studiengang ausgewählt zu werden." <br />Selbstverständlich werden die meisten auf Anhieb zehn passende Sätze hierfür formulieren können. Aber in Anbetracht der Tatsache, dass man mehr als 10 Sätze braucht, das Werk überdurchschnittlich sein muss um Erfolg zu haben und die Studenten die um ihre Zukunft bangen vermutlich mindestens 3 weitere Anschreiben formulieren müssen, finde ich es nur allzu verständlich, dass Menschen die nicht besonders gut darin sind vorzugeben etwas zu sein was sie nicht sind, resignieren und kopieren. <br /><br />Und bitte, Sie hören schon was ich von der Art und Weise wie diese Schreiben verfasst werden sollen um dem Geschmack und den Erwartungen der Prüfer gerecht zu werden halte. Glauben sie nicht ich würde deshalb Plagiarismus im Allgemeinen und bei wissenschaftlichen Arbeiten im Besonderen, gutheißen.Julianoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9091218950079982154.post-22637399921012021392013-08-09T00:57:07.973+02:002013-08-09T00:57:07.973+02:00@Aaron Sigut, yes, the administration advised us t...@Aaron Sigut, yes, the administration advised us to only give zero points for this part of the package. My colleagues and I were not completely in agreement on how to proceed, as I flat out wanted to reject all three, while a colleague felt that the other materials presented by one of the students were just what we were looking for. I pointed out that we don't know if all of these materials are actually from the student in question. We have, however, demonstrated a willingness to cut corners. Unfortunately, we made the admissions suggestions, but it is the administration that finally decides how many to <br />accept.Debora Weber-Wulffhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16036864220530629908noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9091218950079982154.post-35006195273725351922013-08-09T00:42:59.068+02:002013-08-09T00:42:59.068+02:00As the graduate chair of my physics and astronomy ...As the graduate chair of my physics and astronomy department for several years, I simply rejected students with plagiarized materials (such as a statement of interest). Your post seems to imply that while you would have liked to reject, the bureaucracy of your university prevented this. Is this really the case?Matlab Astronomyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12240025486747209260noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9091218950079982154.post-11237095582028911402013-08-08T23:14:38.638+02:002013-08-08T23:14:38.638+02:00Hi,
I'm the author if the articles people co...Hi, <br /><br />I'm the author if the articles people copied from (there are actually two). We already heard about this phenomenon last year and updated the articles with the warning you quoted. By tomorrow, there will be an even clearer warning - even though I had the impression the existing warning was clear enough. It both pains me and makes me angry that I indirectly hurt some people's chances to enter a Master programme.<br /><br />Regards<br /><br />Sebastian HorndaschSebastianhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10514221088994616969noreply@blogger.com