Hey Mikaela!
My name's also Mikaela (i actually found someone with the same spelling as my name )
I was wondering, in an essay marked out of 20, how can you reach getting a 19-20/20? Whenever I did essays, whether it'd be for practice or an actual exam, I always seem to get 17-18/20. I never knew what to improve to get higher marks, because my teacher would just say "add more depth", as an overall comment. In saying this, what does a student incorporate in their response, that makes them get the 19-20/20? Do they go beyond the syllabus? what is your advice attaining those high marks.
Thank you!!
Hey fellow Mikaela - what a great name and spelling to have
So to attain those high marks in SOR it is really important that you answer the question correctly. An examiner will immediately know if you have simply rewritten a memorised essay, however by effectively incorporating the stimulus and question into your response, you are automatically setting yourself apart from the rest of the cohort! Another important thing to remember is to keep your essay structured - each paragraph should have a clear and distinct point that you maintain throughout - lumping too much content or too many ideas into one paragraph can often make your essay appear a bit unrefined.
Another idea is to move beyond the syllabus. The syllabus is there to give you a guideline but in no means is it supposed to constrict you. You should be always be thinking and linking the syllabus to the modern world and how it impacts adherent's today! Using current and contemporary examples is just one way of doing this.
And lastly, don't underestimate the power of quotes and references. Try to use as many relevant ones as you can and inocprorate them into your response, rather than simply 'dumping' them.
Hope this was useful and gave you a few ideas