"Spill Chick" Is Not Your Friend.

Your sitting in your English Comp Lit class or some class that requires a paper. It is the day that it is due and you are exceptionally proud because here you have it printed out neatly and ready to turn it. As the instructor calls for the papers to be passed forward you glance down and there, like a big sticky booger on your nice neat paper, is a really gross spelling error. After all you had done finally to, for once, turn a complete paper in on time.

Chances are you have fallen victim to the curse of Spellcheck. Most word processing programs have a feature which when cued will correct spelling errors. Students who have depended on Spellcheck or some such program have often done so to their regret. Usually, the frantic process of getting a paper printed out after laboring till two am does not allow for much personal copy editing. Busy students simply allow the auto-correction device to do it's job and turn in the results. Often this is to their regret.

The problem is all digital based tools are so coldly logical that what they present as a correction often makes no sense. So in the course of a final revision for print, for example, spell check becomes spill chick and who has time to review.

Frustrating.

That haste leads to mistakes on Planet College is not news. There may, however, be help. If you have time, and that is the tough part, take your "final" print and your tired butt to someone who is reasonably alert for a real final review. Who this might be-well- your roommate's girlfriend, one of the nice ladys who staffs the library check out desk- someone. Ask them kindly to please go over your paper to check for any obvious errors. Not to "correct" it for content or facts, simply to spot obvious errors that your weary eyes did not detect. Hopefully there will be few. Your tasks then is to make the indicated corrections and get your now nearly immaculate "final" final printed out so you can hand it in.

Remember, as with all things on Planet College, ask for help. Spill chick is not your friend.