Adding weights to pen while writing, does it work? (1 Viewer)

[Leadmen4y]

My teachers have been stressing about this quite a lot, one even made it compulsory for everyone in her class to have a battery wrapped around their pens while writing. I'm quite sceptical and to an extent don't think it actually works, though I'm not sure, so what do you guys think?

 

[jimmysmith560]

You’re not wrong, this approach doesn’t seem to work for most people.

For English, you are probably better off knowing your essays and then practising writing them under timed conditions until you can finish writing them in a timely manner. I kept doing this until I was able to write my whole analysis in around 30 minutes.

It is worth mentioning that I write in cursive. Perhaps it's something you'd like to try (if you don't already).

 

[Directrix]

yeah the battery pen thing works, I do most my work with heavy weighted pens but in the exam I use this really light plastic pen from overseas with no lid so it reduces the weight of the pen even more

Apparently the battery around the pen doesn't work and is less effective than putting pen to paper and just writing everything and focusing on getting quicker and quicker. You could try changing your writing style? Cursive is typically quicker for me and I focussed on making my writing a bit smaller as I found that under exam conditions I would write super big. You still have a lot of time so maybe try writing important notes and then moving to past papers and memorising essays by hand writing them, especially for subjects like economics, pdhpe, the history subjects etc

Just writing more should help, and knowing the content better so you don’t pause much to think of what to write. I personally wrote around 800 words in 40 mins I think for my HSC essays because my pen grip is really weird and I write really hard!

I tried that through attaching a weight to my pen just a few months before trials. It worked for me by allowing me to write faster, but my handwriting became really messy and illegible.

Battery is useless (even harmful) from what my friends have experienced. Once you take the batteries off, the pen is too light and tends to fall out of your hand because you’re not used to it. I found that using big open strokes (like a year 3 kid) increases speed AND legibility under time pressure although that may differ for you.

Mixed Bag of Thoughts:

Consider the type of Pen and Writing Style

But in the end quality is better. Some kid who wrote 8 pages for English got 9/20 because they couldn't answer the question effectively.

 

[Leadmen4y]

You’re not wrong, this approach doesn’t seem to work for most people.

For English, you are probably better off knowing your essays and then practising writing them under timed conditions until you can finish writing them in a timely manner. I kept doing this until I was able to write my whole analysis in around 30 minutes.

It is worth mentioning that I write in cursive. Perhaps it's something you'd like to try (if you don't already).

Yeah, after some personal experimentation myself, I found that it made writing awkward and even made my hand ache after a while. Thought I just needed to give it time, not going to do so anymore haha XD

 

[Leadmen4y]

Mixed Bag of Thoughts:

Consider Type of Pen and Writing Style

Do you have any of your own thoughts on this, Directrix?

 

[jimmysmith560]

Yeah, after some personal experimentation myself, I found that it made writing awkward and even made my hand ache after a while. Thought I just needed to give it time, not going to do so anymore haha XD

Ahaha yes that's exactly how I felt as well when I tried it

 

[Directrix]

Do you have any of your own thoughts on this, Directrix?

I've been writing practice essays for a while daily and that's the best way IMO, OR practice explain responses (7-9 Marks) from science especially Acids and Bases. No battery bullshit. Used the same thing each day. Saw tremendous. neatness increase and pace increase. Helps build knowledge and improves writing speed instead of some gimmick.

And plus answering the question effectively is better than bluffing 8 pages. Good students can get key points across without communicating as much.

But the ultimate advice is do whatever is comfortable and suits you instead of following the pack.

 

[Leadmen4y]

And plus answering the question effectively is better than bluffing 8 pages.

Absolutely.

I've been writing practice essays for a while daily and that's the best way IMO. No battery bullshit. Used the same thing each day. Saw tremendous. neatness increase and pace increase. Helps build knowledge and improves writing speed instead of some gimmick.

I think I write at a reasonable speed at about 20-23 words per minute, non of my teachers complained about legibility, though they do all agree that 'it can be neater'. Is it worth sacrificing a bit of speed for the sake of being 'neater' when it's already legible?

 

[Directrix]

Absolutely.

I think I write at a reasonable speed at about 20-23 words per minute, non of my teachers complained about legibility, though they do all agree that 'it can be neater'. Is it worth sacrificing a bit of speed for the sake of being 'neater' when it's already legible?

That's around 1000 words in a 45 minute response, that's real good.

No, I treat neatness as a bonus (provided that the normal writing is already legible). But it just improved through my technique as a side product. If there were marks awarded for neatness I would say yes to that question otherwise a no brainer NO.

 

[Leadmen4y]

That's around 1000 words in a 45 minute response, that's real good.

No, I treat neatness as a bonus (provided that the normal writing is already legible). But it just improved through my technique as a side product. If there were marks awarded for neatness I would say yes to that question otherwise a no brainer NO.

Thanks for the insight. I wish they would just give us the option to type out responses with a Chromebook or something instead of pens, no more worrying about neatness and legibility or even word count/speed to an extent (for fast or just average speed typists). Oh well, that probably won't be implanted for years or decades, if ever at all, after we graduate.

 

[Directrix]

Thanks for the insight. I wish they would just give us the option to type out responses with a Chromebook or something instead of pens, no more worrying about neatness and legibility or even word count/neatness to an extent (for fast or just average speed typists). Oh well, that probably won't be implanted for years or decades, if ever at all, after we graduate.

true like how I did naplan on like a lockdown browser where we can't go on other sites

went hard on the laptop and at least typed 2500 words for a band 10 (because they scared us saying if you get below a band 8 you can't do hsc)

 

[Leadmen4y]

true like how I did naplan on like a lockdown browser where we can't go on other sites

went hard on the laptop and at least typed 2500 words for a band 10 (because they scared us saying if you get below a band 8 you can't do hsc)

Damn, what's your wpm?

 

[Directrix]

Damn, what's your wpm?

130 but obviously had to stop and think

i'm a rookie ok (i see you idkkdi)

 

[Leadmen4y]

130 but obviously had to stop and think

130 is staggering high with membrane though... I never got past 110 with my laptop keyboard lol

 

[D94]

My teachers have been stressing about this quite a lot, one even made it compulsory for everyone in her class to have a battery wrapped around their pens while writing. I'm quite sceptical and to an extent don't think it actually works, though I'm not sure, so what do you guys think?

Your teacher is being ridiculous. What's more important is a good flow rate pen so that you don't need to push down so hard to get the ink out. Less pressure to get the ink out means less strain on your hand.

 

[dasfas]

The best technique is to write big and double space everything. That way, you can write rapidly and it'll remain legible

 

[quickoats]

The best technique is to write big and double space everything. That way, you can write rapidly and it'll remain legible

Second that (maybe not the double spacing) but big wide letters are always legible even if they’re messy. Ugly but legible >>> neat but indecipherable.