Isn't it ironic...

I checked my email this morning and found I'd gotten a request from my wife's adopted brother, a 19-year-old community college student, to look over his English paper. The paper was apparently a class assignment to defend the statement that high school prepares you for college.

Whoooo boy! An excerpt:

Highschool does adequetly prepare students for college. One of the things that helps is teachers. They advise you to do several things: two hours of study time per one hour of college classes; sleep well before a big test. They often give verbal reminders on how tough college really is. They say that is even more reason why everyone should attend colege and strive to do their very best. Teachers also stress to students to develope their own version of shorthand for quicker, more efficient note taking.
Highschool adequetly prepares students for college. One of the ways that students get their preparation from is the College Prep classes. CP are usally a little toughr than regular classes. They also cover more material and go into greater detail. Freshman Focus is a college prepatory class that teaches you what college is going to be like. They review study habits and sttudy skills. They also encourage you to allow study time to fit into your evervday activities.

I had a good laugh at the above...shared the irony with my wife...and then thought what a sad commentary on our schools it is that this boy, who got good grades in a college prep course track, produced this paper. At the very least, spellcheck would have eliminated some glaring mistakes.

I'll send it back fixed, to the best of my ability, but correct grammar and spelling cannot make up for fuzzy thinking, and a pretty presentation doesn't make up for a thin premise and scanty evidence.