There were so many things that I learned this week and all
of them I desperately needed to learn. However, this week one concept in
particular stood out to me. Part of my job as an Ambassador for Weber is presenting
students with different programs, majors and degrees offered through the
university. After reading the PowerPoint slides and AP Stylebook this week, I
realized that I have been saying a few things wrong during all of these
presentations I have given to perspective students. How embarrassing! I have always
told students that they can “receive a variety of academic degrees through
Weber State; everything from an associate’s degree in health science to a
Bachelor’s of Fine Arts!” In the AP Stylebook under “academic degrees”, it
states that one should use an apostrophe when talking about a bachelor’s degree or a master’s degree. However, even though
the other two follow the same style, associate’s
degree is incorrect and the word associate degree does not need a
possessive. It should read associate
degree. The second phrase I constantly use incorrectly is Bachelor’s of Fine Arts. The AP
Stylebook says that when specifying a degree by stating the major as well, no
possessive should be used. Instead of saying it as Bachelor’s of Fine Arts, it should be said or printed Bachelor of Fine Arts, without the
possessive.
This week’s editing mistake comes from a flyer for a local
grocery store in my hometown. The phone number listed on the flyer is (435)
257-7014. As we learned this week from the AP Stylebook, the parenthesis are
unnecessary. The flyer should read 435-257-7014.
There are so many different ways to do things, it can really just get confusing sometimes. I was also surprised by the rule about degrees, and I'm surprised by how many people make that mistake now that I think about it. (I am included in that group!) It's kind of the same way that people who major in Zoology sometimes pronounce it "zoo-ology" instead of "zoe-ology." My roommate pointed out to me the correct pronunciation a while back, asking "Where's the extra 'O'? Language is such an odd carrier of culture, wouldn't you say?
ReplyDeleteI wasn't sure of how to format degrees until I took my media writing class. I've seen them so many different ways over the years. Oh well. Live and learn, right?
ReplyDeleteI agree that the there are so many rules it can just be confusing at times. The academic degrees is also what I wrote my blog on this week. Academic degrees are important because of how valued they are.
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