1st in Advanced English 2016 - Ask Me Anything!

[parikshith]

Hi, btw congrats for ur mark and the lecture was very good.
I just have a few questions:
1) How did u manage ur time in both Paper 1 and Paper 2 for each of the three sections because i find it extremely hard to do responses in 40 mins.
2) Just like u, i am doing Richard III for Module A and WB Yeats for Module B. Is there anything i have to consider with those two particular texts since u did those last year and u know a lot about them.
3) What ORTs do u recommend for me to use in Area of Study (Prescribed: Motorcycle Diaries) and Module C (Prescribed: Brave New World). Its very hard to select one.

[bowiemily]

Hi!
Wow, congratulations for your mark, thats absolutely amazing! I'm completing my HSC this year and I need some advice.
Firstly for English. I am terrible at English (its my worst subject), I have trouble with:
-Writing essays
-Answering questions (for every subject)
-Studying

What can I do to improve, suggestions, tips? Things you did in your Senior Years

Lastly for SOR1, What tips can you give when it comes to studying for it? What did you do in your Senior year as well?

Thanks

Hey there!

Would you be able to give me some more specific examples of what you're having trouble with? Perhaps some feedback your teacher has provided you? I want to help you as best I can

As for religion, I wrote study notes consistently throughout the year and completed timed practice responses. I also had a really strong handle over the concept of the 'dynamic living religion'. If there is one thing I would know like the back of your hand, its that term and how it applies to the religion you are studying.

[viv_zhu0711]

Hi Emily! Congratulations on your achievements!

I've heard the advice of 'integrate the stimulus as a motif' and 'write from personal experiences' many times over, but I was wondering what I should do if personal experiences are hard to write about in such a way that it can be interesting in a short story. Revelations rarely happen in life in such a short span of time!

Also, what would you recommend in regards to developing a narrative voice? -- Personally mine is always sarcastic and overly rational (like myself), which doesn't make for a good read especially in emotional creatives...

Thanks!!

[bowiemily]

Hi Browie
Do you have any tips for memorising creative scripts and essay analysis? I find this challenging and could really use come advice
Congratulations on your incredible marks!
Thank you

Hi Deeridge!
To memorise my creative, I learnt it like a speech. I then recorded myself saying it, listened to it at the gym and walking to work, and practiced writing it whilst adapting to different stimulus. I also would write pages and pages of paragraphs in my creative that I couldn't get my head around.
As for essay analysis, the best way to learn this is to write and talk about it. Debate the meaning of your texts with fellow classmates. Clarify and ask questions in class. This is a much better way to learn that literally writing it out a million times

[bowiemily]

Congratulations on your HSC mark, just a few questions:

1. If you were doing english advanced but struggling, what would your best tips be? Do you think its worth dropping down?

2. did you have a 'formula' for writing essays, a way in which you know you would get a high amount of marks etc.

3. In regards to creative writing, any tips!

Thanks so much for your time! 

When you're thinking about dropping down to Standard, the main thing to ask yourself is 'Do I like Shakespeare?'. Followed by 'Do I have the patience to study Shakespeare?'. If you answered no to either, or both, then you should seriously consider dropping down. Shakespeare can be ridiculously tough, especially amongst the stress of all your other subjects.

Number one tip for creative is to write about what you know. The fantastical isn't always going to work, especially when you're trying to connect with your reader/marker.

[suzieglenday_]

Hey Emily!
I was just wondering if you had a specific formula that you used for short answers (particularly the mini essay!), and any tips for keeping them concise but in depth enough to gain full marks?

[aarora]

Hey,

1. Should one memorise essays.
2. How did you prepare for the language task in paper 1 of the HSC.
3. How do you think of good creative writing ideas.

Thanks

[bowiemily]

Q. What would you recommend as a piece of motivation for someone who does not like Advanced English to actually like it? 

I had this very problem with Yeats. Simply: find a way to like it. I did lots of extra reading to find an angle that I liked on Yeats, so I could better appreciate his work and so I wouldn't sound so angry in my writing. Trust me, your attitude towards a text will come across in the way you write your essays. Another thing to do is to consider how you feel in  relation to the text you are exploring. How are these themes at work in your own life? Have you experienced anything similar? Have you thought about any of the ideas the text is presenting before? How does it affect the way you understand the big concepts (eg history, time, identity, politics).

[ChrisSahyoun510]

Hello, Im having trouble finding techniques for Feed MT Anderson can you help me??

[bowiemily]

Hey Emily!

What module did you do for extension English and what were your Related Texts? I'm doing After the Bomb and currently looking for some related texts to use

Hey there! Unfortunately I didn't do After The Bomb, but my mum does teach it! I like George Orwell's essays and aaaaaaanything written by Vonnegut, and she suggests Revolutionary Road, The Lives of Others and Goodbye Lennin

[alysa.biju]

Hi!
How did you study and prepare for your English exams? Thanks.

[bowiemily]

Hey, I'm just wondering, do you think that if I was to work a couple of days a week, i'll be able to manage?. But, I will be working on weekdays because I study a language externally so I would find it difficult to cope and I would be tired if I have to rush to work after Saturday school.

Also, regarding Studies of Religion. How did you ensure that your examples were contemporary examples and what would the main structures of your essays be?.

I'm also finding it hard to achieve good marks with creative writing in English, as I have always struggled with this component. Any tips?

Any suggestions for additional texts for discovery?

Congrats on your mark and thanks

First of all, I worked around 6 hours a week (all on weekdays) and kept up my commitment with Scouts. So most definitely you can! However, you have to be really organised. I suggest drawing yourself up a timetable, to make sure you can fit everything in.

Contemporary examples weren't so important in Religion, I found. I did only study 1 Unit Religion, however, so this may be different to what you're studying.

Creative: write what you know. Write what you love. Write from your life and your own experiences. An authentic voice is key to writing a beautiful story. 

[R.xniya]

Hi,
I was wondering how long it should take me to find related texts / critical studies because I take forever choosing the right ones since I'm so picky!!
Also, is it a good idea to use texts recommended by hsc based websites?? My main concern is if I do the same text as many other people and they'll do better than me with it.

[beccaangelxx4]

Hey!

So first of all, at the lecture, you said that you got 75% on your first English assessment task. And all the assessment tasks you do in Year 12 are counted towards your final HSC mark. So in order to get a 100%, I believe that you'll need to achieve a 100% in all the tasks you do. Am I wrong? Secondly, I asked my English Extention 2 teacher if it's possible to get a 100% in English, and she confidently and clearly explained to me that it's in fact very rare for a student to achieve a full mark and if someone did actually get a 100%, she would be aware of it. Tbh, I have to believe her because she's been teaching English Advanced and Extention for more than 25 years.

So my question is, are you being honest about the 100% in English? 

Also, not here to criticise; I'm just passionately curious :') (s/o Einstein)

[bowiemily]

Hey!
Congrats on your achievements firstly!

1. What are the most efficient ways to study for Advanced English? I'm pretty busy a lot of the time, but I still want to go as well as I can.
2. What motivated you to achieve such high scores in English mainly, and also your other subjects?
3. How do you manage your time to use it most effectively and what are your tactics for a good sleep (to refresh for the following day)?
4. What research and extra knowledge gained outside the classroom is required in English to succeed at a level similar to yours?
5. What are some websites/resources I could use to further my skills in English and achieve my best score?

Thanks   

To answer many of your questions: The State Library. I actually kept my library card in my phone case because I used it so much. Its your one stop shop for extra readings for English, as well as other subjects such as Modern History and Legal Studies. It's also a great place to go to study with friends, maximising your study time whilst also destressing a little. I did this a few times during my HSC. We'd study for the morning, and then go out to a movie or explore the city for the afternoon. The most efficient way to study for Advanced is to practice writing essays under time. There is no point labouring over an essay for days, even weeks, when you're going to have to write it in 40 mins in an exam room. The same goes for you assignments. Constantly editing and re-editing can actually lose you marks - in my experience, its where you begin to move away from the question. So, I would always make sure I was also writing my study notes during busy assignment periods, to make sure I wasn't spending too much time on the assignments themselves. The main thing that motivated me was making my whole school experience count - I had worked too hard for too long not to be rewarded in the HSC. Also, if Dave Grohl can be Dave Grohl (what a man), I could sit my HSC exams.