How to prepare for English trials? (1 Viewer)

[leesh95]

^^

 

[nerdasdasd]

Do past papers, rote learn essays, rote learn techniques and examples and practice short amswefs

 

[Lul]

Read your novels once, then twice, then three times.

 

[Crobat]

I rote learned all my essays and my creatives, but I have to say that this is probably the worst studying technique for English.

You're better off revising the key quotes and the themes/issues you are applying them to and then sit down and hand write an essay, timing yourself as you do so, from memory/ability. Creative writing is more about story boarding and adapting to the stimulus in the exam. Find some past papers and try writing your creative writing idea out using the questions then. Go over the syllabuses and make sure you know everything you need to know about in your texts. That way you can't be unprepared for the questions. Best to have quotes about every different aspect in the syllabus to write about in your essay. Same with related texts.

Good luck! I remember what a stressful time trials are but everything turns out well in the end if you just apply yourself

 

[Drifting95]

lol rote learning, kill me

 

[Spiritual Being]

Create generic essays for modules - adaptable essays, and adapt them to the question.

Creative + AOS generic : also know other quotes in case it's something retarded (i.e. belonging and time).

 

[Nataliexu]

read your novels. write as many practice essays as you can. DO NOT MEMORISE ESSAYS - worst thing you can do

 

[jnney]

I think memorising essays should be your very last option if you have literally and absolutely friggen no idea what english is about at all.

What I suggest doing is having a list of quotes + technique + analysis/explanation for each text you're studying. Take a look at some past questions from the HSC and/or Your Own school and/or other schools and think about how you would go about writing the essay if this was your trial/the HSC. If you're not confident at the moment, take some time to think and brainstorm the things you could write about, and the quotes that you could use. Then, write the essay out, and have someone mark it for you. If you are short of time, briefly outline what you could write about for each essay question you review. By doing this, you will have a thorough understanding of the types of questions that could be asked during your trial, and any additional quotes you may want to add in / cut out.

If you are extremely unprepared, I would suggest memorising quotes, and having a general idea of an explanation for the quote + familiarising yourself with some past questions + very rough plans for them.

Anywho,

Good luck ! I hope you do well.

 

[Combo]

memorise for the least effort and maximum results

 

[Drifting95]

memorise for the least effort and maximum results

Memorising is more effort then you think. It is very inefficient so you're wasting a lot of study time learning it word for word.Furthermore, what happens if you blank out in the exam? You are screwed compared to a person who simply remembers key points, quotes or techniques and can mold an essay on the spot specifically to the question.

 

[Combo]

Memorising is more effort then you think.

*than

It is very inefficient so you're wasting a lot of study time learning it word for word.

Memorise and adapt, seems pretty efficient to me.

Furthermore, what happens if you blank out in the exam? You are screwed compared to a person who simply remembers key points, quotes or techniques and can mold an essay on the spot specifically to the question.

Well, using this logic you can also be screwed if you simply remember key points, quotes or techniques by a blank out too.

 

[nightweaver066]

Rote.

The art of rote-ing isn't just copy and paste. You still have to understand the content to some degree and know what you're doing and how to write to actually get good marks.

 

[Combo]

Rote.

The art of rote-ing isn't just copy and paste. You still have to understand the content to some degree and know what you're doing and how to write to actually get good marks.

+1 this is what i meant and i believe the yield for effort is reasonably high

 

[Drifting95]

*than

Memorise and adapt, seems pretty efficient to me.

Well, using this logic you can also be screwed if you simply remember key points, quotes or techniques by a blank out too.

Everyone studies differently, but you cannot think that memorising a whole essay "word for word" is efficient. If you do that though and find it is successful, good on you.

Learning the concept behind the content is more important in MY opinion, if you blanked out you could logically work it out in the exam. This doesn't specifically go for english as such but generally.

 

[nightweaver066]

Everyone studies differently, but you cannot think that memorising a whole essay "word for word" is efficient. If you do that though and find it is successful, good on you.

Learning the concept behind the content is more important in MY opinion, if you blanked out you could logically work it out in the exam. This doesn't specifically go for english as such but generally.

The better rote-ers do both.

 

[Combo]

Everyone studies differently, but you cannot think that memorising a whole essay "word for word" is efficient. If you do that though and find it is successful, good on you.

Learning the concept behind the content is more important in MY opinion, if you blanked out you could logically work it out in the exam. This doesn't specifically go for english as such but generally.

English is subjective so I believe logic is irrelevant but i do support your opinion (understanding concepts) for all objective subjects (MX1/2,chemistry,physics etc) as logic can be used to derive answers.
Unless you are naturally gifted at making up articulate and sophisticated responses on the spot, rote learning and adapting is the way to go.

 

[hsclover]

Memorise +Adapt

But you really should learn the content as well!

 

[Crobat]

Rote learning is only efficient for English students who have created generic essays that are guaranteed A range and cover a wide range of syllabus content so that the possibility of a bad question is extremely limited.

The hours put into rote learning only equalled about 2 or 3 for each essay for me, but I must admit that the Hamlet question threw me off a little in the exam since my essay was a little bit more difficult to adapt. This didn't really turn out to be a problem for me because Hamlet was my favourite unit and I studied it so in-depth that I had written 5 essays on the text and knew the text virtually inside out (I ended up getting 19/20 in the external for that essay). But this was pure luck that the text I knew in depth was the difficult question. It is easy to say "adapt" but for students who don't understand the text and the syllabus "adapting" is near impossible. My friend who had gotten 20/20 for both our internal Hamlet assessments (trials and term assessment) based off his 1 rote learnt essay received 12/20 in the externals because he didn't know enough to adapt in the end. That is why rote learning is inefficient; because there's too much risk involved.

 

[Spiritual Being]

Rote learning is only efficient for English students who have created generic essays that are guaranteed A range and cover a wide range of syllabus content so that the possibility of a bad question is extremely limited.

The hours put into rote learning only equalled about 2 or 3 for each essay for me, but I must admit that the Hamlet question threw me off a little in the exam since my essay was a little bit more difficult to adapt. This didn't really turn out to be a problem for me because Hamlet was my favourite unit and I studied it so in-depth that I had written 5 essays on the text and knew the text virtually inside out (I ended up getting 19/20 in the external for that essay). But this was pure luck that the text I knew in depth was the difficult question. It is easy to say "adapt" but for students who don't understand the text and the syllabus "adapting" is near impossible. My friend who had gotten 20/20 for both our internal Hamlet assessments (trials and term assessment) based off his 1 rote learnt essay received 12/20 in the externals because he didn't know enough to adapt in the end. That is why rote learning is inefficient; because there's too much risk involved.

+ 1

If one is going to prepare a generic essay based on ideas derived from a few other essays, and have a rudimentary understanding of the text, they are inflating the risk of getting into the exam and seeing an unsuitable question.

I think the issue with generic essays is, kids focus on overarching ideas rather than niche statements. Therefore, they have a propensity to express an overarching concept in response to a very specific question, which automatically gives away the fact that their essay is memorized, and it inevitably deducts from their marks. Moulding is not merely a skill where you alter the topic sentence and you're good to go, it is more moulding the entire essay to fit the question, with a sustained thesis and techniques relevant to the question. This is where the distinction is made between a generic essay focused on one central concept, or an essay that has a good choice of techniques and is readily adaptable to many concepts and thematic elements.

Given this, I cannot in good conscience pose that one can create an excellent generic essay, systematically regurgitate this essay and get close to full marks or even full marks. Ever so rarely is a question going to state "explore how meaning is created". As English is being criticized as a subject which fails to measure analytical skill, it has become progressively devious from generic questions, and more centered towards specific concepts, such as time and belonging. Because of this, it is only fair to say that a prepared generic essay is most effective with students who know the texts in depth and can substitute techniques to support an essay that is directly responding to the question, not alluding to the asked concept through generic ideas.