1st in Advanced English 2016 - Ask Me Anything!

[bowiemily]

Hi I was just wondering what you found to be the best way to make notes and learn quotes for English texts because I struggle with this!
Thanks !

This is how I learnt my quotes and organised my notes:
 I wrote lots and lots of practice essays under the 40 min time constraint. I also recorded myself reading the ones that received high marks, read lots of academic papers on my texts and listened to heaps of podcasts. BBC's 'In Our Time' tends to do a really good job of discussing literature. My notes were on palm cards, lists, venn diagrams, flow charts and tables. They included the quote, technique, a short analysis and a link to the syllabus.

[bowiemily]

Hello, I was just wondering on how to analyse insightfully. I think I am doing this in my work but everyone has told me that I need to work on it much more. I have a few more questions to do with english:
- What is analysis?
- How to annotate your text effectively while reading (if it is a novel)
- How to develop the way you think about things in English
- How do you know when you have reached good analysis (even if you have seen many teachers and they say it is god, how do you accept good work?)
- What is a good way to develop a thesis and ideas on a text?
- Why is English a good subject for you?
What is your process of thought when analysing?

(Sorry if there is alot of grammar/ syntax problems, I wrote this in a rush and I am not that good at english )

1. Analysis is deconstructing how a text works to produce meaning. It is looking at the ideas it is representing, the motive behind writing the text, and why the chosen form effects its meaning.
2. I would jot down all of the quotes that I thought were important in a google doc, and then line them up with the syllabus, culling all of the ones that weren't important
3. It is good work when it expresses your opinion about a text, and how we learn from it. It is also good when it recognises a texts inherent value
4. When developing a thesis, it should always be based on the question that has been provided to you. As for developing your thinking, I would try and write each night in a journal. You can talk about your texts freely, and how they relate to your own life.
5. English is a good subject for me because, most simply, I love analysis and opinion.
6. 'How does this affect me, why does it affect me in this way?'

[bowiemily]

Hi Emily. Congratulations on the brilliant marks. I have a few questions, some specific and others general
1) How do I best approach a comparative essay
2) What are your best tips for analysing texts insightfully, specifically novels
3) How do I maximise marks for my Modern History essays
4) How would you organise notes for Modern History
5) How many hours would you study a day
Cheers

Hey there,
1.  Approach the comparative essay with a strong understanding of the context behind your text. However, it really isn't too different to any other essay you write. I still wrote in a thematic style.
2. Look for motifs. These are calling cards for how ideas shift within a plot. I would also pay attention to detail, its often the smallest things that are working hard to produce a meaning. So don't get carried away with big words for techniques, because these generally don't boost your marks.
3. Modern History essays want a strong, definite argument. You also have to have precise detail to back up your points. I only really improved my Modern essays through lots and lots of practice. Thanks to Ms Wick for always marking my extra work!!
4. I organised my notes in columns, under the syllabus dot points. One side would have facts/description and the other would have quotes. I also had palm cards for themes and challenges, and a timeline for Vietnam
5. 3 hours a day, between 4-10 on the weekend.

[bowiemily]

Hi Emily,
1. How did you write notes and study for legal studies ?
2. What has been your favourite book to read? Any recommendations?
Thank you!

1. So I would just write the content that you've studied in class under the syllabus dot points. Because there are so many definitions in legal, its important that you have a clear understanding of the terms and how they work. I split my notes into columns. So, on one side there'd be the content, explaining how things work, definitions, legislation etc. On the other side there would be media articles, recent amendments and cases that I could use in an exam if this dot point was asked. I also had all of my cases on palm cards, naming there key features and stats they contained.

2. My favourite book is Slaughter House 5 by Kurt Vonnegut. After my HSC, however, I read Drusilla Modjeska's 'Second Half First'. This helped me enormously - the HSC is a big thing to get over. I would recommend that to anyone who feels a bit lost, whether it be post HSC or mid way through

[bowiemily]

Hi Emily!

I have some more study based questions
1) with the 3 hours study per night which I know is also the bostes recommended amount, did this include homework and working on assessments? because there doesn't seem to be enough hours in the day?
2)I have trouble sticking to a set timetable, I'm still moderately productive but it's sometimes inconsistent and less structured, any advice?
3)For the short answer section I always have trouble in the last question that is usually worth 5 marks, it could be that it is usually the most rushed, I find I do really well in all the others as all I have to do is find the techniques, analyse and link but the same doesn't always get me the marks for the last question, any advice?

Thank you so much for your help, wish I could have been to the lecture!

1. Yes, this did include assessments. During assessment periods, I may have pushed this to 4 hours. But honestly, I worked three days of the week until 5, which means I wasn't starting study until 6. On Wednesday and Friday I had Venturers and Debating, so I would have even been pushing it to get three hours in on those days. In saying this, I did spend a lot of my weekend studying. I would usually have one day time off, and study in the night, followed by another full day of studying. So anything I didn't do in the week, I would catch up on then.

2. I had trouble sticking to my own time table as well. It's okay! Things happen that you could not have forseen! The main thing is that you understand how much time you have to complete an assessment, or practice for upcoming exams. That way you can rest assured that you're not going to be cramming the night before, and that you're doing everything in your power to earn high marks.

3. Make sure you're comparing the two texts in this section. The response should also be somewhere around two pages long, and it should contain two paragraphs/two discovery ideas that are linked to the question.

[bowiemily]

First of all, you are now my new idol. For both the marks and the bingeing of FMA and Death note.

I'm starting Year 11 English Advanced and I'm also taking Preliminary Extension English. My question is, should I write solely integrated essays for Extension? For advanced I heard it's alright to keep with the standard text by text format, but I want to push myself as far as I can. So would it be beneficial to start trying integration early on, and taking my chances in assessments now rather than my HSC?
Also, with related texts, do they have to be 'academically credible' or simply sound sophisticated? There's poetry I really want to use but because the author isn't famous/it's translated from another language I'm not sure how the markers would react to that?

Thank you so much for answering all of these I honestly think you're amazing.

1. Yes! I think trying integration from the outset is a fantastic idea! Especially in prelim, where you will have the experience of writing in such a format under time. It will prepare you greatly for next year!
2. Yes, it is better to find a text that is 'academically credible'. It just sits better with your marker this way, and generally, you can tease out a stronger analysis from these texts. I would maybe avoid translated texts, as I'm not sure how intention/purpose would work into your analysis. I would assume it to be difficult to talk about why the author wrote something the way they did, when it wasn't originally in such a form.

[bowiemily]

Hi, congratulations first of all!!

My first question, what format was your related text for AOS, was it a short story, novel?? Also do u suggest a short story is a good related text to use

Secondly, throughout year 12, did you get 100% in every internal assessment to get a 100 overall HSC mark?

Lastly, for legal studies, did u type or write your notes, and approximately how many pages of notes did u have  for each topic

Thank you!!

Thanks Sarah!

My related text was Personal Helicon by Seamus Heaney. Short stories are also a fantastic choice though.

I didn't get 100%, no. My overall assessment mark was a 96, but because I came first at my school, my exam mark replaced the assessment mark.

I typed out my notes but handwrote all of my cases on palm cards. For each section of the crime syllabus, I think they were around 3-4 pages each.

[bowiemily]

Hi Emily,

Firstly, congratulations on your amazing achievements!

I was just wondering whether you used literary theorists/perspectives/critics to aid your essays at all?

Thank you

Yes I did! I loved Will Christie's analysis for Module A, and for Module B I read tonnes and tonnes. The best out of all of them were written by Marjorie Perloff, but I also liked Orwells criticism of Yeats.

[bowiemily]

Hi, just wondering do you have any good related text suggestions? preferably  short text or tips on picking short text

Hey there!

We actually have an awesome resource created by Elyse dedicated specifically to this:
Discovery Related Texts - Suggestions

I would suggest any of the poems by Seamus Heaney

[bowiemily]

hello congratulations on your achievement!
i just wanted to know if you memorised your creative writing piece and how did you come up with an idea? i cant seem to come up with a good enough creative writing.
Also, what can i do in my prelim year to assure success in my hsc year for english? i dont feel confident in my class as theres so may students who are so talented in writing creative pieces.

Hey there! Here's how I memorised my creative:
To memorise my creative, I learnt it like a speech. I then recorded myself saying it, listened to it at the gym and walking to work, and practiced writing it whilst adapting to different stimulus. I also would write pages and pages of paragraphs in my creative that I couldn't get my head around.

I came up with my idea because of my interest in Romanticism and the inconsistencies in Romantic texts. So maybe base your creative off something you're studying in class, if you're struggling for inspiration. 

The best way to prepare for your HSC year is to get into a study routine. Many find it is too late to do so once they hit year 12. Settling into it now means that you won't be so overwhelmed by the workload when it really counts. Also, figure out how you study, and what type of learner you are. This will help immensely when trying to study in Year 12

[bowiemily]

Hi and I wish you a big Congratulations!!!

I have a few questions:

1) What is the best way to write English study notes (Especially for AOS)

2) How do you think of ideas for creative writing and what was your game plan for the exams (in regard to the stimuli)

3) If I am ranked around 50/180, how do you think I can push myself up into the top 20?

4) If I am doing 'Life of Pi' by Ang Lee for my set Area of Study text, what would be a good related text?

5) How do you structure a Band 6 essay and short answer

Thanks,
Josh

1. Always write notes based on the rubric. Here is some advice that I have given before:
 I wrote lots and lots of practice essays under the 40 min time constraint. I also recorded myself reading the ones that received high marks, read lots of academic papers on my texts and listened to heaps of podcasts. BBC's 'In Our Time' tends to do a really good job of discussing literature. My notes were on palm cards, lists, venn diagrams, flow charts and tables. They included the quote, technique, a short analysis and a link to the syllabus.

2. I figured out my game plan through completing lots of practice exams. I planned to spend 20 mins on the short answers, half an hour on the creative and the rest of the time on the essay. I had no sure fire way walking into the room regarding how I was going to adapt my creative. In the end, I used one of the images of a motif throughout my piece.

3. You can boost your rank by smashing your trials. I was coming second in Earth until my trials. Because I did so well, I ended up going into the HSC with the top spot, and thus, earning my exam mark as my assessment mark. To prepare for this, you need to make sure you are consistently studying and writing practice papers throughout the year - even in busy assessment blocks!

4.Discovery Related Texts - Suggestions

5. I always used an integrated, thematic essay. This is, my paragraphs were based on themes and I always talked about two texts in each paragraph

[bowiemily]

Hi Emily,
I am in complete awe of you and your talents!
I just have a couple of questions:

Do you have any tips for succeeding in History Extension?
How do you organise your time upon receiving assessment notifications?

Thank you!

Hey!
I actually didn't follow through with History Exentsion. Sudodds may be able to help you though, she did fantastically! She is really active on the history forums, if you ask your question there ^_^

When I received notifications, I would always have a weekly goal. So if the task was due in Week 8, by the end of week 7 I wanted a final draft, ready to be polished. Week 6 then, I needed to have figured out my main arguments and thesis (so basically an essay plan). Week 5, I had to have all my research done. Most of my planning for assessments followed these types of schedules 

[bowiemily]

Hi Emily! Congrats on your results and achievements, well deserved! I just want to ask you a couple of questions:
1. Can I still get a high band 6 in English adv if I get 75% in my first assessment worth 15%.
2. What marks do I need to state rank in a subject eg English, bio etc
3. How do I adapt my essay to the question thoughtfully. And are you able to read drafts of essay via email.?? If not that's fine.
P.S. I am studying Heaney and Joyce for module A and was wondering if you know or have any good resources to help me out and relate it to Irish identity, politics, culture during 20th century.
Thanks

Hey there!

I got a similar mark in my first assessment. However, it was only worth something like 5 or 10%. You now have to work hard to boost your marks for the rest of the year. This is totally achievable though! After that first assessment, I achieved full marks on everything but trials and my final task. So yes, you can still get a band six! You just want to make sure you go into that exam with the highest rank possible to assure yourself that mark.

The marks change every year, and for each subject. So, although I got 96 for Legal and 95 for Earth (where I came 7th), I didn't get a state rank. In Modern, I think I would have been fairly close with a 95, as Sudodds state ranked with a 96. However, these are not our raw marks, so it can be really difficult to tell. As for Extension English, I know that I lost two marks overall. That means to state rank, you would have had to get 50/50, or drop only a mark! These things are only based off my assumptions though. The HSC is a really tricky thing to work out.

I only mark the work of the students I tutor. However, you can get free essay marking on the ATARNotes forums!

Unfortunately, I chucked all of my contextual stuff for Heaney as it was my prelim text. My rooms a mess, and I need to start getting rid of some of my content!

[bowiemily]

Hey Emily, congrats! For extension and advanced English, is including scholar quotes a yay or a nay?

Yay! But remember, only include them if they strengthen your argument! Don't use them for the sake of fulfilling a criteria, use them because they are adding evidence to the case you are trying to make

[poolechloe3e]

Hello!

I was wondering what your best tip is for motivation?
Also - how do you suggest to study for things like unseen texts/comprehension and creative writing?

Thank you SO much!!