Logic please

[sincere]

Is it just me, or is the whole "references" system fucked up? You have to ask three people you probably haven't exchanged a half-dozen personal conversations with to judge your character and worthiness to succeed in the world, and then you're not allowed to see what they said about you -- no, no, it's SEKRIT -- and then, just in case that's not obnoxious enough, you need these references for EVERYTHING. To get into schools, to get scholarships, to get jobs...

So here's me, thinking about grad school, wondering what scholarships I can apply for. But you know what that means? That means I need to ask three people, two of whom I've already pestered multiple times, to give me references -- THREE references, maybe FOUR, each. Am I the only one who thinks that's kind of twisted and unfair to the people writing the references?

If you know a teacher, you should ask them for a reference. They should write one and give it to you. Then can you take it home and put it in a file with all your other references and other such important documents. Then if you need to apply to eight scholarships and a grad school, you pull out your favorite references and copy them and send them.

And, HORROR OF HORRORS, if they don't have anything good to say, they can just refuse. Or you read it and sigh and don't send that one to anyone.

Why all this unnecessary secrecy and difficulty? How many times do I have to ask the same professors to please validate my pitiful existence?

Comments

[muscatlove.livejournal.com]

Well.. to be honest, sometimes it's better not to see. I mean, I think for most things, references just prove that you're the kind of student who is at least recognized by professors/teachers enough that they were willing to write something for you. I mean, you figure 80% of references are totally useless, they all say the same things. For business references, a lot of companies now won't even say anything beyond "So-and-so worked here from (date) to (date) and held the position of (whatever)" because companies either 1.) have nothing good to say about people, or 2.) don't want to be held accountable for saying something untrue about people.

Although.. I asked a professor I didn't know very well (but I had gotten really awesome grades in his class and he had written lots of positive comments on my tests/papers) for a JET reference letter, and he made me sit and talk with him for 2 hours first so that he knew me better.. when he gave me a copy of my letter, it was the most amazing reference letter I had ever seen - and the worst part was that he had not lied/exaggerated whatsover. I was ready to cry, lol. ..BUT.. since then, he has asked *me* to write references letters in return, one for my Japanese professor's tenure review, and then because he liked that one, he asked if I would be willing to nominate him for a teaching award. The guy was amazing, but.. a debt of honor is a lot of work. XD

To sum up: reference letters suck, even more so when you know what they say.