I've finished an essay today, with a measly 1,700 word limit. After getting in everything I wanted to say, it's up to 2,300 words - even after cutting some stuff out

That'll be alright, won't it? I mean, I'm only handing in a physical copy so I guess there's no way of them *actually* knowing how much I've written (unless they count words per line, etc). Anybody ever do this? I don't want the last few hundred words to be discredited, as they're about Alvin 'the Toff' Toffler and his bitchin' third wave theory