Writing papers in college
I totally understand teachers in Junior High and High School requiring a specific length for writing assignments. We were bratty teenagers who just wanted to be lazy and we didn't think we could even write 2 pages. We needed the length requirement to teach us how to write. Once we reach University level we should already be capable of expressing ourselves without someone forcing us to come up with content to fill space. If you ever, in your career-life, are given a writing assignment, I highly doubt your superior will tell you that you must fill three pages and each paragraph must be at least a half page in length. No, that's ridiculous. He will ask you to address all aspects of the topic maybe even as concisely as possible. (Which we all know I'm awful at). Sure, some of your paragraphs may be a half of a page or longer, but what of that one that's just a quarter page? Requiring that it be a half page almost ensures you will get a quarter page of redundant crap...