I have a love/hate relationship with editing, and let me explain why. I am a thorough, honest reader and reviewer. When someone gives me their paper and expects help or feedback on it, I put a lot of effort to give them my best advice. So, when I write on my own, I hope for the same amount of work back from those I look to for help. Unfortunately, most experiences I have had with others’ editing my papers has been a bit disappointing, to put it straight.

The whole reason for editing a paper is to improve it, right? It’s used to enhance and polish the organization, the structure, the feel and the sense that the paper makes to its audience. Why, then, do some individuals edit solely grammar or spelling mistakes when they get their hands on an essay? What difference does that make? Of course, these aspects of a paper are highly important for a reader to understand the piece, don’t get me wrong. More importantly, though, I feel that when someone only corrects those little mistakes in a paper, they do not actually read it. They don’t get what is being said by the writer and they don’t look deeper into the ideas or push the writer to do better. They only focus on what’s on the surface. Yes, as Richard Straub stated, it is not the job of the editor to change the words or voice of an essay, because it is not theirs to do so. Such action would take away from the originality of work. But more often than not I receive little to no comments or suggestions from fellow classmates that are asked to edit my work and I find it very unproductive and, really, just pointless.

There needs to be a better way of assigning and handling classroom editing. Too often students don’t take the time to fix or tweak each other’s work when they are told to do so. If you are going to edit, make it meaningful. Show the author that you carefully read their draft and you are there for support and to help them grow and develop as a writer. This will raise connections and spirits within the writing community. Maybe time’s the issue; maybe students need more time for editing their and other people’s papers and maybe then they would put more effort into the job. Whatever the case, though, peer editing is not working, at least it hasn’t for me. I hope this changes.

Emily Weiss

03.03.2016