Typing vs. handwriting practice essays

[NE2000]

Obviously we are going to be handwriting our essays in the end-of-year exam, so many are of the opinion that at this stage one should get into the habit of handwriting their essays if anything to allow yourself to gauge the time it takes you to write an essay.

But typing essays allows often allows you to get through a larger volume of ideas. Because for many of us I would imagine typing is a lot faster than handwriting. For things like language analysis especially you might be able to type 2 essays in the time it takes to handwrite once, giving you practice in expressing yourself and developing the actual content of your essay.

So what do people think? Type or handwrite or a combination of both?

[shinny]

Type initially whilst you're generating ideas (since there'll be a lot of editing during this process)and playing around with expression (unless you want to be playing around with buckets of white-out). Handwrite for speed training closer to the exam once you have your ideas, as well as a means to express them.

[nerd]

Also, considering essay writing puts a fair amount of strain on your wrists, I recommend that you only start handwriting essays closer to the exam. Typing reduces the strain on your hands meaning that there is less of a chance that you'll injure yourself/develop RSI...

[EvangelionZeta]

Type initially whilst you're generating ideas (since there'll be a lot of editing during this process)and playing around with expression (unless you want to be playing around with buckets of white-out). Handwrite for speed training closer to the exam once you have your ideas, as well as a means to express them.

This.  I'd only handwrite practice essays under exam/SAC-like conditions.

[shinny]

I'd only handwrite practice essays under exam/SAC-like conditions.

Yep, forgot to mention that. Also, remember to stick to writing in pen, and getting used to crossing things out relatively neatly, and inserting words in with little arrows etc when you must.

[lacoste]

When you wrote your essays in the exam of english last year shinny and other 2008er's,
did you have chunks of writing crossed out maybe a paragraph and then sometimes writing on top.

because if im a marker and working at 12am marking exams, I wouldnt really like the sort of messy essays so i've heard.
especially when writing a conclusion it wouldnt be ideal to have crossed out sentences because it would look all jumbly.

[shinny]

When you wrote your essays in the exam of english last year shinny and other 2008er's,
did you have chunks of writing crossed out maybe a paragraph and then sometimes writing on top.

because if im a marker and working at 12am marking exams, I wouldnt really like the sort of messy essays so i've heard.
especially when writing a conclusion it wouldnt be ideal to have crossed out sentences because it would look all jumbly.

Well if you're crossing out an entire paragraph, you'd just write a new one below it on new lines of course. If it's just a word or two, then just put an arrow upwards. Either of these two options aren't that messy really. And honestly, I'm pretty sure the examiners are used to messiness anyway.

[lacoste]

But do the high achievers in english, formulate their full sentences in their minds first before writing? I don't do that but I wish I could.

Also do they give you excess pages to write in in the english exam?

[shinny]

But do the high achievers in english, formulate their full sentences in their minds first before writing? I don't do that but I wish I could.

Also do they give you excess pages to write in in the english exam?

Well if you count me as a high achiever, then no, I don't, hence my need to often cross out. However, I assume that many others would formulate the entire sentence. I'm just not naturally particularly good at expression.

As for paper, you can ask for additional script books. I had to. But don't worry, most people don't need to. I was notorious at my tutor for having ridiculously big writing (I can fit about 6 words on a line, and I double space).

[EvangelionZeta]

Can't comment on the latter, but I'd imagine most of the "top" English scorers have some level of formulating what they write well before they write it.  Perhaps not ENTIRE sentences, but at least the entirety or close to it of the phrase you're writing.  If you can't do that, you can't get your speed at a reasonable level, and speed=necessary for the top scores in English.

[Toothpaste]

Beginning to get doctor's handwriting shinny?

[EvangelionZeta]

But do the high achievers in english, formulate their full sentences in their minds first before writing? I don't do that but I wish I could.

Also do they give you excess pages to write in in the english exam?

Well if you count me as a high achiever, then no, I don't, hence my need to often cross out. However, I assume that many others would formulate the entire sentence. I'm just not naturally particularly good at expression.

As for paper, you can ask for additional script books. I had to. But don't worry, most people don't need to. I was notorious at my tutor for having ridiculously big writing (I can fit about 6 words on a line, and I double space).

Hmm.  You still got 1000+ words in your essays though, didn't you Shinny?

And lol, my handwriting is almost that big.  >_>;;

[lacoste]

hahaa. Thanks shinny for replies, yes, you are a high achiever!!

english has got to be the worst subject to study for at the moment.

I would not advise to type up essays unless you think that it helps you construct better sentences. eg. using the thesaurus.
Hand writing would be the best thing to do as you would have to in the exam.

Good luck!!

[ninwa]

When you wrote your essays in the exam of english last year shinny and other 2008er's,
did you have chunks of writing crossed out maybe a paragraph and then sometimes writing on top.

because if im a marker and working at 12am marking exams, I wouldnt really like the sort of messy essays so i've heard.
especially when writing a conclusion it wouldnt be ideal to have crossed out sentences because it would look all jumbly.

I'm not a 2008er but in my exam I crossed out half a paragraph, decided to leave it, finished the rest of the essay, went back to it and didn't like it, wrote out another chunk of text on the blank (un-lined) page next to it, and drew a massive arrow with bright pink highlighter to show the examiner where to look. It probably pissed my examiner off a bit but my mark didn't seem to be too affected.

But do the high achievers in english, formulate their full sentences in their minds first before writing? I don't do that but I wish I could.

And if you count me as a "high achiever" - no I don't formulate sentences in my mind before I write. It kind of comes to me as I'm writing. I don't really know how to explain it. Maybe my subconscious pre-formulates the sentences? But all I usually have in my mind is my argument and the rest just comes out. Which is why sometimes I tend to ramble a bit.

So,

If you can't do that, you can't get your speed at a reasonable level, and speed=necessary for the top scores in English.

I don't think that's true. I still got a decent amount of words without ever formulating any of my sentences prior to them going on the paper.

[shinny]

Beginning to get doctor's handwriting shinny?

Depends. Under time pressure, my sense of OCD disappears and in comes the doctor writing. In other cases though, I slow myself down and try and make it OCD-neat usually. Probably best if I do this when I'm writing prescriptions I guess so fellow pharmacists like you won't mistake my prescriptions of Allegra (anti-histamine) for Viagra.

If you can't do that, you can't get your speed at a reasonable level, and speed=necessary for the top scores in English.

I don't think that's true. I still got a decent amount of words without ever formulating any of my sentences prior to them going on the paper.

I don't think it's true either.