Return to FOJ Menu

JOUR 1030 L

Each weekly lab is worth a total of 30 points.

20 for the original, timed writing

10 for the revision

One goal of the weekly lab is enhancing your skill of writing on deadline. As a journalist or anyone else in the business world, you will often be asked to write something (report, budget, memo) "right away." You can be assured your boss will want it complete, clean and clear.

In-lab writing:

You will be asked to write stories in lab that, frankly, you may not know how to write. Why would you need to take this class if you already know how to do all this?

Your instructor will give you important instructions and suggestions before you begin writing. Be on time to lab and you'll know a lot more about what you're expected to do for each assignment.

However, you will lose points on your papers only for what you have already been told and skills you have already learned, such as using the AP Stylebook or writing a good lede. What that means is that you will be expected to know more and more as we go along.

Revisions:

Each weekly lab paper will be revised. On these papers, you are expected to correct everything the lab teacher marks.

• Revisions are required, not optional. Even if you make a perfect score on the paper you write on deadline, there will still be ways to improve it. Your revision will be due one week after the original is returned.
• Save your papers! The original lab exercise must be submitted with each revision. Forget the original and you lose 5 of your 10 points automatically. (Original means the exact paper you turned in during lab, with the instructor's marks. A reprinted paper will not do.)
• Mistakes will only be circled. If you don't know why it's a mistake, ask your instructor or Mrs. Rachal, in person or by e-mail. If you make an error repeatedly, the lab teacher will not mark it each instance, but you must correct each one.
• DO NOT rewrite your paper to avoid having to correct a mistake in your paper.

Either e-mail your finished story to yourself or buy a "memory stick" on which to save your work. We cannot guarantee that the story you left on your laptop will still be there when you need to revise it.