Handwriting help (1 Viewer)

[iniv]

Hi!

I was just wondering if any of you would have any advice on improving handwriting, because mine is pretty much atrocious…

I know they say that in exam conditions you shouldn’t worry too much about messy handwriting as long as it’s legibile, but mine quite often does border on illegible- in the prelim history yearly (3 hours-3 essays plus short answers- so A LOT of writing) I got one of my essays back with the comment “your writing is VERY hard to decipher. In the HSC, markers will not bother and you will loose marks” argh!!!.... I guess she did spend a lot of time deciphering it because I did get close to full marks, but if HSC markers are less lenient…


My main problem seems to be that I can write pretty neatly if I really really try, but my hand gets very cramped up after about a paragraph, and I can’t sustain it, so I just tend to revert back to my usual scrawl … on the plus side I can write pretty fast in exams but I guess there’s no point in trying to write so fast in exams, if no one can read it…


So advice would be wonderful!

-Any of you had and or overcame similar problems-how????

- do fancy pens (eg Parker pens) really help? (at the moment I’m using regular old ball point pens- Paper mate kilometrico)

- would it really be worth it buying (and putting the effort into using) those handwriting exercise books??? (like the one you use in primary school…buahaha…)

-is it too late to bother now?

Thanks in advance




first post! Yay!!!..ha ha

 

[nitnit]

if your handwriting is that atrocious I think you can submit letter/application form to BOS and if they approve, they will allow you to use the computer under exam conditions.

Personally, you should use pens with grip and are fat ie. medium sized. The uniball eye is recommended by Leading Edge. you can always attach a rubber at the end of your pen during school days and when it comes up exams, just take off the rubber and it should help you write faster.

I think everyone has the same problems, because I can't write that fast and my hand kills but at least it is legible!

Good luck!

 

[xoCandyGurlxo]

i dont think they are eamining ur hand writing i could never read my brothers handwriting and he passed his HSC exams so i dont think you have to much to worry about.

 

[watatank]

Use a GOOD pen.

 

[pritnep]

Welcome to BOS.

The old debate on handwriting and is it legible or not seems like a never ending debate that is without fail brought up every year by some worried student.

A good pen does help a lot and so does practice. But usually in a high stress, exam sitatuation all that usually goes out the window.

If your handwriting is that bad you might want to suggest to your teachers to see if you could get a writer or the use of a laptop for exams.

Other then that practice, practice, practice and swap the pens up and try and find the best one for you.

 

[iniv]

wow...thanks to everyone who replied!

On the whole getting a writer/typing idea- sorry... maybe I exaggerated a little- I don’t think I’m quite at that extreme - I’m quite sure special provisions like that were only for people who have like actual medical conditions which prevent them from being able to write properly and not for people who’s writing just sucks

But I will definitely try out some different pens (adding uniball eye to my stationary shopping list now!...oh how I love stationary shopping ) and practice, practice, practice…

At the moment in 40 min, I can get about 4/absolute max 5 pages out... nothing spectacular, but maybe its better if I sacrifice a little quantity to make my writing more easily readable?

 

[Sprinkles~]

Yeah, they're really on for people with medical conditions (whether physical or learning disabilities etc) who aren't able to write properly cos you need all the documentation and all that. I think you'd have to be REALLY bad, to be considered. Its actually much harder having to use a lap top or a writer in exams anyway :/

Get comfy pens they definentely do help! Maybe you could try out pens that are a bit fatter than usual, it can help your hands cramp up less. There's actually these reallyyy fat pens with comfy grips (i cant remember what they're called, or what brand they are which is heapsss of help lol) which might make it a lot easier! I've seen them at most places that sell stationary, so you could always try them!

In exams, remember its quality not just quantity. A shorter well written essay can get higher marks than a 10 page long one that just goes on... and on... on and on

Apart from that practice practice practice!!

 

[cupcake08]

yeah, one of my friends has practically illegible handwriting so shes applied for special provisions and the deputies reckon she'll be able to use a laptop in the hsc and everything (she doesn't have a medical condition or anything, its just a kind of ..weird style) . but thats fairly extreme, maybe you can do a like a remedial handwriting course or something?

 

[pinkly]

If you don't already yet, try running writing. Print writing seems to cause more cramps. Fancy Parkers and doctor pens don't work for me as they're a bit heavy. Kilometrico works fine.

Maybe, if you want, you could post up a bit of your exam handwriting and we'll be the judge of whether it's easily legible or not.

 

[ybnormal]

as someone who, up until last week, had the most awful handwriting ever, ill say wat worked for me

i got a 'high-ink' pen, where youve got to write well with, otherwise it smudges. after a couple of weeks with that i went back to a pen with normal inkage, maintianing my new style.

in the timed modern tests i can write almost as fast and quite a bit more legible.

if your hand is cramping try holding her pens in different ways. if youre still holding it the way you were taught in primary, change it, IMMEDIATLY. nothing is worse for your hand then holding a pen like that (it warps the muscles, tendons and probably everthing else)

for me, the remidial handwriting books didnt work

 

[pritnep]

wow...thanks to everyone who replied!

On the whole getting a writer/typing idea- sorry... maybe I exaggerated a little- I don’t think I’m quite at that extreme - I’m quite sure special provisions like that were only for people who have like actual medical conditions which prevent them from being able to write properly and not for people who’s writing just sucks

Not so true but quite right. Your writing does have to be bad and you will need documentation and supporting documentation from teachers but it is possible if you writing is as bad as you describe.

At the moment in 40 min, I can get about 4/absolute max 5 pages out... nothing spectacular, but maybe its better if I sacrifice a little quantity to make my writing more easily readable?

4 - 5 pages is about what you should be writing in an exam people that say they write more usually have quite large writing and thus is seems they have writen more then it is really their writing. Also think of the marker reading 2 full booklets for one question when you only need one isn't going to excite them or make you look any better - just proves you have big handwriting and can ramble on forever.

 

[kloudsurfer]

If you don't already yet, try running writing. Print writing seems to cause more cramps. Fancy Parkers and doctor pens don't work for me as they're a bit heavy. Kilometrico works fine.

Maybe, if you want, you could post up a bit of your exam handwriting and we'll be the judge of whether it's easily legible or not.

Nooo! Dont running write! Its a lot quicker, but it makes messy writing completely illegible! It just means everything runs together and it looks like one giant scribble.

I have terrible handwriting, and I used to running write. I switched to printing, and now my writing is a lot more legible, althought its still pretty illegible. Its really hard to switch from running writing to printing, but its totally worth it because it works. If you print atm, i advise you try running writing.

 

[pritnep]

Usually the messiest illegible writing is running writing which I assume is what iniv uses as people usually get a little more lazy with running writing and don't if you will dot the i's and cross the t's.

 

[cem]

As an HSC marker some advice - if your running writing is really really really bad then print - you may be slower but if we can't read it we can't give it any marks.!!!


All you have to do is write legibly and most of the most students do do so. In all my years of marking (15 at last count) I have come across two totally illegible scripts. In both cases my Senior Marker and I spent about 20 minutes decifering what we could together and then apportioning a mark.

Remember that markers are expected to mark about 12 - 15 essays an hour which works out at 4 - 5 minutes per essay.


There is a furphy that goes around that totally illegible scripts will see the student called in to read the script to the marker. I have mentioned this to the Supervisers in my subject over the years and they have never heard of any student doing this - based on the very reasonable fact that it would have to be made available to all students and as some students sit the exam overseas etc the time and cost involved isn't feasible.

 

[pinkly]

@Iviv, sorry, don't try running writing then.

It's true, come to think of it, running writing is much more messier than print but I just suggested it because you said the reason why you revert back to your yucky scrawl was due to hand cramps and cursive writing (to me) seems to lessen the severity of the cramps.

Have you tried to hold your pen a little less tightly? Or if you write in slant, twist your page in different ways. It's probably the little things that are affecting your writing.

But, of course, everything mentioned above could turn out to be a load of shoosh.

 

[m0ofin]

Usually the messiest illegible writing is running writing which I assume is what iniv uses as people usually get a little more lazy with running writing and don't if you will dot the i's and cross the t's.

What do you mean by crossing the t's?

 

[SoulSearcher]

Have you tried to hold your pen a little less tightly? Or if you write in slant, twist your page in different ways. It's probably the little things that are affecting your writing.

I find that I have to slant the paper whenever I write, my angle is that bad.

 

[iniv]

A couple of people mentioned that holding my pen so tightly could be the reason for my hand cramping up, and I think thats probably true, but then when I try holding my pen more loosley, my writing is even more messy coz I have less control over the pen or something....argh this is frustrating
I know so many people who write as fast/faster than me, with not just legible bit insanely neat and beautiful handwriting- why cant I do that!?! T-T


anyway, no point in whinging I guess, back to being constuctive lol - I hadn't actually considered going back to printing (instead of writing in cursive), until now because alot of people have told its just too slooooow

but...

after reading your suggestions I've being trying out and comparing my running writing and printing, and while the printing is quite a bit slower, it at least seems to eliminate the tendacy for words to just become one long illegible scribble especially when I've been writing for a long time...maybe if if I practice a bit more with my printing, it hopefully get a bit faster and still be legible!

o and I will try using a a fatter pen with a big squishy grip seems like a smart idea

Thanks again for your help guys! Very helpful site this is, with very helpful people .....so damn distracting though.... just weaned myself off msn and myspace, and now I'll just probably get addicted to this instead lol..

 

[chocolate_lover]

Yes, you will definately get addicted to this site.

Sorry to break the news to you.

Oh, and welcome to BOS

 

[SoulSearcher]

Yes, you will definately get addicted to this site.

Sorry to break the news to you.

Oh, and welcome to BOS

Yeah, she would know all about it