Class Alienation Research Paper

In relation to my life, alienation from the product of my labor is most noticeable when it comes to writing and submitting papers. As a college student, I have no control over the product of my labor due to the fact that I write papers because I have to in order to receive a grade, not because I want to. Much like how a worker exchanges their labor and its products for wages, I exchange my papers for a grade. Furthermore, once I submit a paper, I lose ownership of it, especially since my professor, not me, solely determines my grade. Additionally, I lose even more control over the product of my labor since I cannot reuse any previously graded paper in another class without facing accusations of plagiarism. Despite the fact that I am constantly striving to produce quality papers, it is almost all for nothing since I only lose control over my products once I have done my job and submitted them. …show more content…
In every single class I have taken, there have always been guidelines determined by either my professor or the university for each of my assignments. For instance, I must write all of my assignments in English, my papers must follow either MLA or APA formatting, and my work oftentimes has to be a certain word count or page length, just to name a few restrictions. In fact, every one of my assignments have also possessed restrictions regarding what I can write about and when it must be submitted. Without a doubt, failing to meet any of these criteria, even if it means I have the ability to complete assignments the way I want to, results in penalization. Consequently, the way I complete my work must comply with the guidelines set forth by both my professor and the university to avoid consequences, effectively alienating me from the labor