Is a 12-page literature review realistic for my sophomore assignment?
I'm a sophomore in my Intro to Psychology class and the professor gave us a literature review but the rubric doesn't say how many pages we should aim for. I have a two‑week deadline and I'm trying to estimate how many hours I need to spend each day. So far I've drafted an outline and gathered about eight sources, but I'm stuck wondering if 12 pages is too much or too little.
1 Answer
To answer your question directly, a twelve-page literature review is likely a bit too long for an introductory sophomore psychology assignment, especially with eight sources and a two-week window. For a course at this level, professors usually expect something closer to five to eight pages. It is completely normal to feel stressed when a rubric leaves out the page count, as it leaves you playing a guessing game while trying to budget your study time. You are actually in a great position since you already have an outline and your sources ready to go, so try not to let the ambiguity panic you. Think of a literature review like hosting a small dinner party conversation among your sources. With eight guests, you want to highlight the main points where they agree or disagree, rather than letting each person give a lengthy, detailed monologue. If you write twelve pages for eight sources, you might end up summarizing each paper in too much detail instead of synthesizing the bigger themes. Aiming for around six to eight pages will give you plenty of space to connect your sources thoughtfully without burning yourself out during these next two weeks. Spending about an hour or two a day on drafting and polishing should easily get you across the finish line. Since every instructor has their own preferences, the best quick fix is to send a short, polite email to your professor or teaching assistant just to confirm their expectations. In the meantime, focus on writing a strong, well-organized draft using the great outline you have already built. You are already super prepared by starting this early, so trust your process and take it one steady step at a time.
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