English, Literature, or both?

[minerva]

Hi,
I am currently in Year 10 and I will be choosing my subjects for Year 11 very soon. I have a very good idea of which subjects I will pick but I am having trouble deciding between English and Literature.
Last semster, in English we were to write two essays under timed conditions and then two similar essays for our exam. The first essay was comparative. We studied Romeo and Juliet and wrote an essay comparing Shakespeare's play to Luhrmann's film. The second essay was a language analysis, where we were given a news article to analyse.
The first essay was written in two periods (approx. 90mins) and so was the second. I received Distinctions for both. However, in the exam we were only given two periods to write two essays and I received 65%, which I'm quite ashamed of as I see English one of my best subjects. I figured that my biggest issue is time management. I always rush towards the end or not even finish an essay.
I started Literature two weeks ago and I already find it more interesting. At first, I was planning on choosing just Lit and not Eng but I have a few friends accelerating in Literature and they either regret it or are just unhappy with their SAC scores. A couple of them are thinking of dropping it.
I read in another forum that doing just Eng is a good idea, doing Lit really helps with Eng but it is not a good idea to JUST do Lit.
Sorry for blabbering on and I apologise for any confusion but I really do not want to regret anything!!
So my questions are:
- Which English subject/s would be best for me?
- Is Lit a lot more difficult than Eng?
- In which subject would time management be less of an issue?
I would appreciate any help

[Coffee]

Take a look at the following link where a few people outline the differences between English and literature: Re: English Vs. Literature

Literature is one of the harder English subjects but if you're a strong English student I wouldn't say it's 'a lot more difficult'. It's a different way of thinking that you'll adjust to.

Time management is something you need to work on regardless of which English you pick. In English you write 3 essays in 3 hours and in literature you write 2 essays in 2 hours. It works out the same really.

[minerva]

Thanks for that!.
Do you have any tips on how I can improve on time management? Or is it more of a self-taught thing?

[iNT]

Thanks for that!.
Do you have any tips on how I can improve on time management? Or is it more of a self-taught thing?

What helps is doing 1 hour essays. how many depends for you.. i write a (1 hour) essay per day for the exams, and write a 2 hour essay for the sacs on the weekends, over time u get better with time

[Coffee]

Thanks for that!.
Do you have any tips on how I can improve on time management? Or is it more of a self-taught thing?

I think it depends on why you're having difficulty with time. Do you write slow? Do you have trouble formulating ideas? Or do you struggle to find the right words/express yourself in a coherent, sophisticated manner?

If you're writing slow the type of pen you use, grip, etc can effect this. And to quote myself...   

Gripping your pen too tightly could definitely be a contributing factor. What sort of pen do you use? Generally the more expensive pens are a lot smoother to write with and thus don't cause as much strain on the hand. Also try a slightly thicker pen or perhaps buying a grip. I've heard 'Fountain' or 'Rollerball' pens are good although I've never used them. Maybe go to Officeworks and test a few pens, see what works. There's definitely some quality pens for $3-$4 there. Otherwise, I know a lot of people say it helps to write small but tall and skinny.

If you're having trouble formulating ideas it's more than likely because you don't know your text well enough. Re-assess your study techniques and if this is where you're having trouble we can help you from here.

If it's the latter, this is something that requires time and practise. Reading other's essays can help too. It's important you learn to write well so if this is the case I would start by writing practise essays to the best of your ability and getting them marked. Once you've reached a certain level and you find vocab, expression, etc coming easily to you I would start writing under exam conditions.

[99.90 pls]

Hi,
I am currently in Year 10 and I will be choosing my subjects for Year 11 very soon. I have a very good idea of which subjects I will pick but I am having trouble deciding between English and Literature.
Last semster, in English we were to write two essays under timed conditions and then two similar essays for our exam. The first essay was comparative. We studied Romeo and Juliet and wrote an essay comparing Shakespeare's play to Luhrmann's film. The second essay was a language analysis, where we were given a news article to analyse.
The first essay was written in two periods (approx. 90mins) and so was the second. I received Distinctions for both. However, in the exam we were only given two periods to write two essays and I received 65%, which I'm quite ashamed of as I see English one of my best subjects. I figured that my biggest issue is time management. I always rush towards the end or not even finish an essay.
I started Literature two weeks ago and I already find it more interesting. At first, I was planning on choosing just Lit and not Eng but I have a few friends accelerating in Literature and they either regret it or are just unhappy with their SAC scores. A couple of them are thinking of dropping it.
I read in another forum that doing just Eng is a good idea, doing Lit really helps with Eng but it is not a good idea to JUST do Lit.
Sorry for blabbering on and I apologise for any confusion but I really do not want to regret anything!!
So my questions are:
- Which English subject/s would be best for me?
- Is Lit a lot more difficult than Eng?
- In which subject would time management be less of an issue?
I would appreciate any help

-Which English subject/s would be best for me?
Do both if you're fairly strong.

-Is Lit a lot more difficult than Eng?
No. As a poster above mentioned, it's a different way of thinking. I like to think of Lit as afterburners for English. It boosts English a ridiculous amount and then destroys itself, usually leaving you with a tremendous English score and a half decent Literature score.

-In which subject would time management be less of an issue?
About the same workload for both

[minerva]

If it's the latter, this is something that requires time and practise. Reading other's essays can help too. It's important you learn to write well so if this is the case I would start by writing practise essays to the best of your ability and getting them marked. Once you've reached a certain level and you find vocab, expression, etc coming easily to you I would start writing under exam conditions.

Thanks! This is what I'm struggling with. I'm good at analysing and forming ideas but being able to word them is what I find difficult.

[minerva]

I like to think of Lit as afterburners for English. It boosts English a ridiculous amount and then destroys itself, usually leaving you with a tremendous English score and a half decent Literature score.

Would it be wise to do Literature Units 1 & 2, then drop it, and do English 3 & 4? Or is that a bad idea?

[sunshine98]

Would it be wise to do Literature Units 1 & 2, then drop it, and do English 3 & 4? Or is that a bad idea?

I did lit last yr as my 3/4 in yr 11.i think that this is similar to what ur asking about so , my answer -yes and no .
Yes because lit focuses on views and values and u will be able to use that in English .Also lit will help improve ur writing , a lot ( well , at least for me )
No , because you will not have a strong understanding of the essay types expected in English, relative to everyone else .
Also unit 1/2 lit isn't as beneficial as 3/4 is.and I just think if ur going to do English 3/4 just do its 1/2.
And thinking about it , it does depend on the teachers that teach it .If I hadn't done 1/2 of lit , it seriously would've made no difference to my lit score and the way I would've performed at all.I learnt nothing in 1/2,I was probs learning more in yr 10 English at the time.So I think u should take that into account as well
Hope this helps 

[Coffee]

Thanks! This is what I'm struggling with. I'm good at analysing and forming ideas but being able to word them is what I find difficult.

It's good you've identified this. You have a little over 2 years to improve so I wouldn't worry about this. Keep working on it and you will improve. And be mindful that you'll have this problem in English and literature so this shouldn't be a deciding factor for you.

Would it be wise to do Literature Units 1 & 2, then drop it, and do English 3 & 4? Or is that a bad idea?

You can do English 3/4 without 1/2. Obviously an extra year of English will help you to develop what works for you so you can really smash Year 12 but I doubt it would have any major impact if you're good at English. Don't quote me on this but I think the new study design for English has a bit of a literature vibe (not sure to what extent) anyway so having that exposure to literature might be beneficial. ^ Hopefully someone can confirm that though as I haven't looked much into the new study design.

[lido]

Hi,
I'm (or was) in a similar predicament to you, except I've already chosen to do both Literature and English.

- Which English subject/s would be best for me?
Well, I suggest you pick up Literature Unit 1&2, keep English in year 11, and see how you go. You have a lot of time before making big decisions for Year 12.

- Is Lit a lot more difficult than Eng?
I actually chose to jump straight into 3&4 Literature (skipping 1&2) because I received distinctions in English. I've been told that if you're a strong English student, you should do Literature. I don't necessarily agree with this. Literature is very different compared to English. Just because you're doing well in English does not mean you'll do well in Literature. Like 99.90 pls says, it's a different way of thinking, so it depends on how you work as a student. Do you prefer structure? A clear-cut way of doing things? That's English. Literature offers freedom, and a much more in-depth way of thinking about your texts. It's a different ball-game. I have friends who are struggling a 60% average in English, but are doing extremely well in Lit because of the conventions that Literature offers to you (they praise the (most bizarre) ideas you can construct from your texts, and they don't confine you to a set mode/way of thinking and writing). If this suits you, then I'm sure Literature may even be easier than English.

- In which subject would time management be less of an issue?
Neither. While English is a 3 hour exam (LR, text response and context) and Literature is a 2 hour exam (2 close analysis), if you can't manage your time effectively, you'll suffer. Dropping English to pick up Lit, vice versa, won't actually alleviate this problem. If anything, doing both may help you get used to the conventions of writing under timed conditions.

My advice? Please don't do Literature for the sake of doing Literature, and please don't pick up both because you think they'll help each other (while it might, it's not extreme). Don't choose Literature because your friends are doing well in it too. To be brutally honest, I absolutely hated Literature. I love structure and being told from the get-go what to do. For me, I've kinda been thrown into the deep-end having not done 1&2, so I had no idea what i'm doing. Ironically though, it's my best subject thus far (averaging 95). Though I'm still learning, you can still learn to love Lit! It's all a learning experience. You never actually know whether you'd do well in something unless you try. It's good that you're finding this subject interesting, I'm only getting by because I managed to play my strengths (devised my own structure) and learned to adapt to this 'new style' of writing. 

So, I recommend that you pick up Literature units 1&2 and see how you go - it's all about playing your strengths. I don't think you should drop English though. Time management is also an issue for me and it's a good reason why many aren't doing their absolute best. It's good you picked up your shortcomings, you have a lot of time to improve! Write more essays (on paper) and time yourself. First time yourself as you'd normally write, then start to decrease your limit (90 minutes, 75 mins, etc).

Good luck!

[minerva]

Do you prefer structure? A clear-cut way of doing things? That's English. Literature offers freedom, and a much more in-depth way of thinking about your texts. It's a different ball-game. I have friends who are struggling a 60% average in English, but are doing extremely well in Lit because of the conventions that Literature offers to you (they praise the (most bizarre) ideas you can construct from your texts, and they don't confine you to a set mode/way of thinking and writing). If this suits you, then I'm sure Literature may even be easier than English.

I'm quite good at sticking to structure though I would prefer being given more creative freedom.
I have decided to choose Lit 1&2 because I feel like I'd be better at it. I really like in-depth discussions on novels and reading up on their historical and political backgrounds.

So, I recommend that you pick up Literature units 1&2 and see how you go - it's all about playing your strengths. I don't think you should drop English though. Time management is also an issue for me and it's a good reason why many aren't doing their absolute best. It's good you picked up your shortcomings, you have a lot of time to improve! Write more essays (on paper) and time yourself. First time yourself as you'd normally write, then start to decrease your limit (90 minutes, 75 mins, etc).

That's a good idea. Thanks for all the help!!