When writing a paper for school, a college-aged student typically looks for the word or page count to determine how long the paper will take to write and how hard it will be. With this word or page count in mind, the writer typically does not focus solely on what they are trying to explain. They instead continually check the word or page count to see if they have fulfilled the minimum of what is expected of them.

If teachers were to remove this requirement, then students would not only be encouraged, but be obligated, to use critical thinking skills. Since they cannot find a minimum goal to reach, they would need to fulfill all aspects of the assignment. As long as the professor lays out specifically what they expect in the assignment, then the student would be able to complete the paper without thinking too seriously about if it is long enough. Removing the stress of a minimum page requirement welcomes the potential for a student to determine for themselves what is long enough.

This, of course, may make the papers themselves harder to write. Since they are not aware of how much the teacher is expecting, this will force them to work harder on the papers to make sure they are fulfilling the contextual requirements. In the long run, this will lead to a better writing ability, a better paper and increased motivation to complete their work. Without a minimum page or word requirement, the student will be encouraged to think about the assignment beforehand and determine how much work they want to put into the paper.

On the whole, paper quality will improve with such a change. Students will find creative ways to follow paper prompts without fretting over the arbitrary length requirements. They also have the tendency to place too much structure into assignments that should emphasize critical thinking and creative or academic expression. Length requirements are directly in conflict with that.

Teachers are being encouraged by other faculty to complete a trial run with their class to see the difference in paper quality with and without the word or page requirement. These have been requirements in some cases. It will be a radical change that takes some getting use to. This upcoming few semesters, keep track of how many professors eliminate the page requirement and how the papers written improve.

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