Comments on: Before you hit “print” http://www.girldetective.net/?p=512 Reading, Writing, Movies and Mothering in Minneapolis, Mostly Fri, 22 May 2026 19:47:18 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.7 hourly 1 By: Erik http://www.girldetective.net/?p=512&cpage=1#comment-5608 Erik Thu, 11 May 2006 00:10:38 +0000 http://www.girldetective.net/?p=512#comment-5608 I'm working on my grad school admissions essay now; it's the one that books and Web forums make out to be a life-defining piece of writing, and it may actually be so. The best advice I've seen is to print it out, and then read the individual words from end to beginning, rather than reading the sentences. The human brain has a wonderful capacity for forgiveness, and if it sees "your" where there should be "you" (as in the application service's instructions for the very same essay!), it may very well glide ahead without registering the mistake. And I'm sure you know that familiarity with the work only compounds this effect. I’m working on my grad school admissions essay now; it’s the one that books and Web forums make out to be a life-defining piece of writing, and it may actually be so. The best advice I’ve seen is to print it out, and then read the individual words from end to beginning, rather than reading the sentences.

The human brain has a wonderful capacity for forgiveness, and if it sees “your” where there should be “you” (as in the application service’s instructions for the very same essay!), it may very well glide ahead without registering the mistake. And I’m sure you know that familiarity with the work only compounds this effect.

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