I don't know what to do anymore

[Stick]

My text response SAC is tomorrow and for some stupid reason I can't seem to write an essay in 90 minutes. In all the recent timed ones I've done, I've come nowhere near finishing (I only got half way in the one I just did). I'm starting to get to the point of complete and utter frustration and stress and I have no idea what to even do anymore. My writing is now at the stage where there shouldn't be any major issues holding me back from full marks, but my thought process is just so slow and I take so long to get those sentences down on paper. I've practiced so much but it just isn't getting any better. What the hell do I do?

[brenden]

Breathe deep and try your best. A friend of mine scored 50 and didn't finish either of the text response SACs (and we had 120 minutes) because of the same reasons you've mentioned... Forming each sentence was a process for her. Needless to say, she was still the top of both TR SACs because despite unfinished essays, the essays still hit the criteria better than ours did. Keep in mind, you had this problem before your LA, didn't you? And that ended up turning out quite well, from memory. Maybe write some paragraphs that are based on the themes/characters most likely to be discussed tomorrow and read over them. I'm not suggesting memorising them, but having  some good stuff already able to be written down might save you some time . The adrenaline tomorrow will also boost you along.

[Stick]

I was writing longer essays for my language analysis and was taking 10-15 minutes more time. Come the day of the SAC, I finished 5 minutes early most likely due to the adrenaline rush. If I was only going over by that much, I wouldn't be so concerned. But I'm talking way over time (30 minutes would be an understatement) to finalise my piece. I'm so confused and frustrated about it.

[BigAl]

you mean you can't write an essay under 90 mins at home? or in general? For comparison, there were times when I finished my homework essays in couple of hours..no problem at all...and I finished the exam in 2.5 hours given that english is my second language...

[Stick]

I'm taking even longer, BigAl. :|

[BigAl]

Alright, my strategy was writing dot points..I mean I never wrote more that 6 practice essays in y12. But what I did was I grabbed every important points and wrote short (maybe 1-2 paragraphs) notes. I can't say this helped me a lot with the sacs...but the exam was totally different story...So in essence, my short term memory is great..I can memorise so many things in one day and forget everything 2 days later. So if you can rely on your short term memory, write little notes related to main points..this helps in general..but not for specific sac question.  Is the sac question blinded?

[Lolly]

Hey Stick. Get away from your books. Go get some exercise. ( it definitely helps concentration.)

 Last year I definitely got to the point where I felt like I couldn't write a full essay within time, because I felt like I was rehashing the same things over and over and my thoughts weren't working at all and whatwasIevendoing. It's natural to feel like this, especially when you have high expectations of yourself.

So I suggest taking a break for a little while.   Rest assured, your brain will still be working on it. If you really want to get back into it, time yourself for just one paragraph. Just. one. Make it your task to get it down within, say, 15 minutes. That way your brain can break the task into bite sized chunks and you might not be stressing out so much.  Also, too many nerves stop you from thinking clearly, so thinking too hard about this might be the thing that is getting you down.

Try to stay positive - your efforts aren't in vain.

[Dayman]

I am 100% sure you're going to get into that do or die mode and smash it. I mean you're in the SAC so you write whatever BS you can write coated with great expression and vocabulary. If not then you come back stronger study harder maybe get a tutor and get your revenge. Someone mentioned something about dot point, I remember my year 10 eng teacher telling me If I run out time just dot point your main point and you will get marks for it not 100%sure but yeah good luck don't fret too much it will work out when it matters.

[dilks]

Is it possible that you are overthinking it, and trying to make your ideas too perfect?

[Yendall]

The adrenaline will help you a lot tomorrow. I had nights where I could write a great essay in 40 minutes and other times where I couldn't even get an introduction in 30 minutes. I'm sure you know your stuff, just remember to be calm tomorrow and everything will flow. Given your reputation, I have no doubt you've adequately prepared and are more than ready for this SAC. Best of luck.

[Checkmate]

Is it possible that you are overthinking it, and trying to make your ideas too perfect?

For my text response practice essays, this was it.

I spent 2~3 hours making it as refined as much I could but when it came to the real thing, I pulled off a similarly structured one but under the constraint of 90 minutes, there was no time for perfecting it and instead I got to all my points and refined what I remembered from the practice ones all before the clock was up. It's perhaps a bad example though as all my practice essays were typed and done without a care for the time. <- That though, in a way, gave me the pressure I needed to not screw around and mope for the best points but to immediately take the strongest ideas that come out and write as best as I could for them.

Anyway, I think you'll have no problem pacing yourself tomorrow, the real deal will make you write faster.

[charmanderp]

Breathe deep and try your best. A friend of mine scored 50 and didn't finish either of the text response SACs (and we had 120 minutes) because of the same reasons you've mentioned... Forming each sentence was a process for her. Needless to say, she was still the top of both TR SACs because despite unfinished essays, the essays still hit the criteria better than ours did. Keep in mind, you had this problem before your LA, didn't you? And that ended up turning out quite well, from memory. Maybe write some paragraphs that are based on the themes/characters most likely to be discussed tomorrow and read over them. I'm not suggesting memorising them, but having  some good stuff already able to be written down might save you some time . The adrenaline tomorrow will also boost you along.

My converse advice is just to be creative! Don't limit yourself too much by thinking too much about what you're going to write, just go with your guns and expatiate upon your ideas freely! I love the exercise Brenden suggest about writing paragraphs about certain themes and characters - it was my first port of call last year and is great for just putting your ideas down on paper (or a Word document) and breaking that barrier between thoughts and actually articulating them, which is what might be holding your back.

For anyone facing the time hurdle the best way is to just write yourself out, I've found. Don't try too much to make everything sound perfect, just keep your language simple and focus more on the complexity of your ideas and just let them flow. From my experience examiners want to see you being novel and flexible with the text and taking the initiative, rather than trying too hard to replicate what your teachers have taught you or what your rigid ideas going into the SAC were.

EDIT: And now I see that dilks pretty said what I wanted to in one sentence.

[shadows]

I can somewhat relate. When I write essays, it takes me soo bloody long to write because I try to assert the most perfect sentences that I can conjure. (I'm not that good in english)... I find that my essays are incredibly static, and the essay does not hold well together in a holistic sense.
In exams, the first half is relaxed and I take my time... and then when I realise that I have wasted soo much time not really doing anything, I rush like crazy at the end. (I finish it... but its really bad)

Last year English exam, I wrote my last body paragraph + conclusion in less than 5 minutes D:

It looks like as if you have done a lot of practice already. So you should have a sound idea as to what you need to right. Just relax, and left the ideas just lift off your pen.
If you relax, you might also find that ideas just come to you. If you stress/ think too hard these ideas will just won't come. (like when you forget where you lose something.. then think really hard and you can't remember)

[Yang Li]

Hey Stick,

Try practise writing paragraphs instead of full essays. Time them and get feedback on them.

You sound like a good writer (pedantic about using the exact word you want etc.) but also make sure you can consistently pump out an essay in under an hour by the time you hit exams. They are much less forgiving than SACs in terms of completion.

Many of my students in the past have had the same issue. The right method of practising is more important than the volume of writing you practise.

I ended up finishing my exam 20mins early and scored 50 in 2008, the first year the current English course was introduced. You should be able to as well if you use the right methodology from now till the exams.

Read my advice at http://www.aimandachieve.com.au/productivity.php

All the best,

Yang

[Stick]

OMG I FINISHED WITH 5 MINUTES LEFT TO SPARE AGAIN I DON'T EVEN KNOW WHAT HAPPENED BECAUSE I ESSENTIALLY DID THE SAME THING runningsentence rwykrandgngejwtjsgnstuatjaj !!!!