Obligatory thread: the Lit Exam 2012

[Lolly]

Hi everyone!
How are you feeling about next week?
How are you all going with your preparations?

[cassettekid]

I'm feeling alright at the moment!
I'm just trying to really cement my ideas and plan how I'm going to tackle the exam at the moment... I'm just hoping to get at least one passage that I love on the exam! How about you? What texts are you doing?

[Lolly]

I'm feeling alright at the moment!
I'm just trying to really cement my ideas and plan how I'm going to tackle the exam at the moment... I'm just hoping to get at least one passage that I love on the exam! How about you? What texts are you doing?

I'm doing Hamlet and Mrs Dalloway. I love them both. After spending a year with them they're almost like old friends, y'know? Haha.

I'll probably do a prac exam every day this week, reread my texts, and form a plan of attack.

That said I think my essays are getting a bit tired. I've perhaps done too many - how many have you done?  I've been trying to refine my style but instead I'm making a lot of stupid mistakes and my expression is getting too fluffy and obscure. So I think before my next prac exam I've got to sort all of that out.  I need clarity.

[cassettekid]

I definitely agree! I'm writing on Blake's poetry and Hamlet and I adore them both. It's such a shame that this year is the last year Hamlet's on the syllabus! Do you have any hopes for the Hamlet passages?

Yeah I'm hoping to do a practice exam a day as well.. I'm a bit cautious of overwriting too. A friend of mine who did lit last year told me she fell into that trap and didn't ace the exam..

Honestly, I couldn't tell you how many I've done.. I haven't really kept track! I've been attempting to write one essay everyday for the past few weeks. Haven't really stuck to that aim though.

[Genericname2365]

I'm feeling a lot more confident than I was the other week, but I'm still wary that I could end up not making the time limit. I guess I can't really know until it happens. I'm doing Mansfield and Harwood; for Mansfield I'm predicting that either Je Ne Parle Pas Francais or one of the German Pension stories will definitely come up.

I've also been trying to write an essay each day, but with mixed success. (Haven't written one for two days now I think.)

I'm a bit cautious of overwriting too. A friend of mine who did lit last year told me she fell into that trap and didn't ace the exam.. 

I was thinking of doing two essays each day from Tuesday to Thursday, but my teacher said to me before that I should be careful that I don't burn-out. I guess that's what happened to that lit student?

[Lado]

I'm feeling a lot more confident than I was the other week, but I'm still wary that I could end up not making the time limit.

This. My biggest issue is timing, so I'm going to have to nail that down this week. As far as preparation goes I'm going to complete two practice exams (one on Tuesday and the other on Wednesday). Then on Thursday I'm just going to read over notes/old essays and maybe take out a few passages I haven't written on yet and annotate them.

[brenden]

Well I wrote six essays in a day about a week ago. Still kickin' it. Two essays is no insane ask, you should be fine if you take breaks amongst other work etc.
"Writers write"
Good luck guys.

[Lolly]

Well I wrote six essays in a day about a week ago. Still kickin' it. Two essays is no insane ask, you should be fine if you take breaks amongst other work etc.
"Writers write"
Good luck guys.

Thanks so much Brenden! Six essays in a day? Wow, that's insane, I don't think I could do that.  

I definitely agree! I'm writing on Blake's poetry and Hamlet and I adore them both. It's such a shame that this year is the last year Hamlet's on the syllabus! Do you have any hopes for the Hamlet passages?

Oh yes, I really hope we get "to be or not to be". Basically though, I'm preparing for all the passages that haven't yet been in the exam. What about you? Do you have a favourite Hamlet passage?

I was thinking of doing two essays each day from Tuesday to Thursday, but my teacher said to me before that I should be careful that I don't burn-out. I guess that's what happened to that lit student?

This is what I have been doing since Saturday and it's been working out ok. I've been practising during the time we will have our lit exam. I don't think I've completely burnt out yet. That said, I've run out of passages to analyse and now I have to compile my own, haha - this could be a sign?

Oh btw I was reading that thread about valedictory and awards nights - congrats Hutchoo and Genericname2365 for your lit awards! And to anyone else who got an award.

[KristyDanielle]

I am feeling horribly nervous about the exam. I'm doing Mrs Dalloway and T.S. Eliot's poetry. I feel mostly fine with Mrs Dalloway, but I am terrified about which Eliot poems are likely to be included on the exam, as there are about 45 we have to know (and they are so damn complex). I'm hoping they choose some of his most popular poems that I am familiar with, as I don't know what's going on half the time in his later work.
    Lit has caused me so much stress this year and I have tried so hard, only to result in me receiving consistent B's for all my work. I can't wait until the exam is over, because I am sick of my self esteem disappearing every time I try to write. I should have more confidence in myself but I find it really difficult to pin down an interpretation towards a book. Sigh. Nonetheless, good luck for the exam everyone!

[cassettekid]

45 poems? Oh that would be horrible! I feel for you there... I hope the excerpts are ones you like!

Oh yes, I really hope we get "to be or not to be". Basically though, I'm preparing for all the passages that haven't yet been in the exam. What about you? Do you have a favourite Hamlet passage?

To be or not be would be fantastic! I would love "too too solid flesh" and "o my offence is rank" as well.. I've prepared myself for worst case scenarios though haha

[Gazza15]

I am feeling horribly nervous about the exam. I'm doing Mrs Dalloway and T.S. Eliot's poetry. I feel mostly fine with Mrs Dalloway, but I am terrified about which Eliot poems are likely to be included on the exam, as there are about 45 we have to know (and they are so damn complex). I'm hoping they choose some of his most popular poems that I am familiar with, as I don't know what's going on half the time in his later work.
    Lit has caused me so much stress this year and I have tried so hard, only to result in me receiving consistent B's for all my work. I can't wait until the exam is over, because I am sick of my self esteem disappearing every time I try to write. I should have more confidence in myself but I find it really difficult to pin down an interpretation towards a book. Sigh. Nonetheless, good luck for the exam everyone!

hi, im pretty sure you don't need to know 45 poems for eliot. there are only 12 set for study. good luck

[Genericname2365]

Oh btw I was reading that thread about valedictory and awards nights - congrats Hutchoo and Genericname2365 for your lit awards! And to anyone else who got an award.

Thanks!  Have you had your awards night yet?

For how many minutes is everyone intending to plan for the first essay after reading time? I find it difficult to plan as I tend to just change as I go along, but if I don't plan I inevitably get stuck half-way through, which I'm keen to avoid.

[Lolly]

Oh btw I was reading that thread about valedictory and awards nights - congrats Hutchoo and Genericname2365 for your lit awards! And to anyone else who got an award.

Thanks!  Have you had your awards night yet?

For how many minutes is everyone intending to plan for the first essay after reading time? I find it difficult to plan as I tend to just change as I go along, but if I don't plan I inevitably get stuck half-way through, which I'm keen to avoid.

Like, two minutes.
Max.

I guess I usually have in my head which passages I'm going to analyse in which order. 
A question though: Are you meant to write about the most important passage first? Because I do it the other way round: I begin broadly and then build to a high point, and then resolution. So though I integrate most passages earlier on, I only bring actual analysis on the more important passages in the latter part of the essay. Wondering if this is ok??

Yr 12s had their valedictory dinner, but we only get senior school awards night after exams. *shrug*

[Genericname2365]

Oh btw I was reading that thread about valedictory and awards nights - congrats Hutchoo and Genericname2365 for your lit awards! And to anyone else who got an award.

Thanks!  Have you had your awards night yet?

For how many minutes is everyone intending to plan for the first essay after reading time? I find it difficult to plan as I tend to just change as I go along, but if I don't plan I inevitably get stuck half-way through, which I'm keen to avoid.

Like, two minutes.
Max.

I guess I usually have in my head which passages I'm going to analyse in which order. 
A question though: Are you meant to write about the most important passage first? Because I do it the other way round: I begin broadly and then build to a high point, and then resolution. So though I integrate most passages earlier on, I only bring actual analysis on the more important passages in the latter part of the essay. Wondering if this is ok??

Yr 12s had their valedictory dinner, but we only get senior school awards night after exams. *shrug*

I think your technique sounds fine. I tend to just write about whatever passage seems to have the most material for me to start with, although I often end up changing the order half-way through, which probably doesn't help if I'm honest.

[MagicGecko]

I am seriously not ready.........well since i did pretty good on the GAT and in my SACS.........and if for some unknown cause i dont make it to the exam....... and they use those scores........sweet baby Jesus! This might just work.
haha jks! 
yeah i guess im as ready as i will ever be.