Expressing my opinion

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I decided to take my History and Government classes online this summer specifically in order to avoid getting on my instructors' bad side. Then, I found out I'd have to write discussion posts and an essay. I hope I do better on the essay, because I think I just blew it in my history class. The instructor asked that we write about a new Texas law which allows concealed carry permit holders to carry handguns on college campuses, saying whether we think this is a good idea or a bad idea, and how it will affect our lives, and I responded with the following...

When you go to type out stuff, do it in Notepad first. Then when you've gotten all that stuff out, go and do the real one. I actually do this sometimes, I find it quite helpful. It's really the act of typing it out that satisfies the need, you don't actually have to post it.

Also, online teachers don't give two s**ts. You can pretty much post anything as long as it's more than one sentence. I took online "science" and it was the easiest thing ever.

Jones, that's a great response. If I were the professor, I'd be thrilled to have such a thoughtful student in my class.

Many students just write what they think the instructor wants to hear, which is boring. Others plagiarize and you can tell right away. I think your writing is original and interesting.

I hope one of you got it right. Thanks for the reassurance, anyway.

I will try saving my draft in Notepad, doing something else, then reading it again later.

I don't see anything wrong with your reply. As previous poster said, your instructor will probably be pleased that you made a thoughtful (and grammatical) response to the question, and may ever get a laugh out of that last line.

I guess I freaked out over nothing. The instructor replies to all the posts, and his reply to mine suggests that he found my response interesting. I just want to try to approach this college experience as a way to learn how to interact with people in a more socially normal way, and I felt like I let my iconoclastic tendencies take the reins when I wrote that reply. I'd like to try giving people what they want rather than what I think they need.

Jones,

You are great the way you are. IMO, in most cases, authenticity has more appeal than phoniness.

CindyDale, thank you for saying so, and I agree, but I think I can get even better. I won't give up iconoclasty, but I want to control my behavior rather than having my habits control me.

Thanks to everyone, btw, for the positive critiques of my paragraph.

I don't believe you ought to change your writing style. But if you want to go through the exercise of controlling your habit instead of it having control of you, my solution was to write TWO answers, the real answer and the "academic" answer. I'd turn both of them in, and tell the professor to grade the one he liked better. I guess that was weird of me, but not one of them ever complained, and afterwards they'd do me little favors since my name always stuck out in their memory as the two-answer girl.

BTW I agree your answer was 100% correct. I always use the same reasoning when people tell me it's dangerous to walk alone after dark, etc., and they are always astonished at the logic no matter how often I've told them.