THE EXAM-Reading Time

[jazza97]

Hi,

Just wondering what past students have done in regard to exam strategy.  Obviously 15 minutes isn't a lot of time to read and try to form a sophisticated interpretation of two passages.

So, what did you guys find helped?  Also, did you use part of your writing time to plan or did you write for the full 60?

thanks!

[charmanderp]

I personally read the passages from only one text during reading time; didn't want ideas for two flying around in my brain whilst trying to write the first essay. Spent about 55 minutes with no planning writing that essay, then spent 5 minutes reading and planning and 60 minutes writing the second essay.

[EvangelionZeta]

I read passages for both texts in the fifteen minutes, and then spent one minute right after reading time quickly jotting down everything that was essential for the passages for the first text I was writing on.  Once the first essay was done (IIRC, around 1 hour and 2 minutes into the exam?), I spent another two minutes quickly annotating the other passage. 

With that said, I became VERY efficient at annotating passages and forming plans quickly in my head.  Being super familiar with your texts and having a plan for literally every possible type of passage to crop up also helps :p

[MagicGecko]

With that said, I became VERY efficient at annotating passages and forming plans quickly in my head.  Being super familiar with your texts and having a plan for literally every possible type of passage to crop up also helps :p

when you say "super familiar" do you mean knowing the text inside out, back to front (know roughly where each passage occurs in the text) and top to bottom (any backround extra info that is not mentioned in the actual text)? 

[Lolly]

With that said, I became VERY efficient at annotating passages and forming plans quickly in my head.  Being super familiar with your texts and having a plan for literally every possible type of passage to crop up also helps :p

when you say "super familiar" do you mean knowing the text inside out, back to front (know roughly where each passage occurs in the text) and top to bottom (any backround extra info that is not mentioned in the actual text)? 

Yes :p Stay connected to your texts and hopefully it'll come through in your writing, not only in terms of objective knowledge but also your emotional engagement. ( I don't know about you but I relate a lot of my life to books...:p)

[MagicGecko]

Yes :p Stay connected to your texts and hopefully it'll come through in your writing, not only in terms of objective knowledge but also your emotional engagement. ( I don't know about you but I relate a lot of my life to books...:p)
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  haha you're right, easier said than done though