1st in Advanced English 2016 - Ask Me Anything!

[bowiemily]

Hi, I attended your lecture and it was great!

I had a question about related texts - I want to include a film for my related but have no idea where to start, my teacher hasn't given us any concrete advice. So, how would you approach studying/writing about films as related texts?
Thanks for taking the time to do this (and congrats on your results!)

Hey there!

So you should start by watching the film, and noting where there are links to the syllabus and your prescribed text. Record important quotes and scenes as you go. You may want to watch it twice so you don't miss anything. Then, analyse your quotes including cinematic techniques, like lighting, camera angles and sound. It is very similar to analysing and writing about a novel or poem, except you include techniques that are specific to the medium/form.

[cmadeleine]

Hey there!

So I was on a bus one day heading into the city, and I was writing a response to an assessment task. The bus stopped to let an old couple on, and as the husband was saying farewell to his elderly wife, their dog slipped its leash, ran into the traffic and got hit. I wrote about this in my half yearly, as I discovered that time stops for no one, no matter how hard you try to force schedules upon it.

Thank you so much!

[bowiemily]

Hi Emily!!

First of all thank you so much for your lecture, it was really great and informative! (you seem like such a cool chic)
-I'm studying looking for Richard and Richard III for mod A and was wondering the best way to approach it? I'm struggling a little with the number of characters in Richard III.
-Do you recommend knowing a variety of quotes for each value or quotes that can be manipulated to more than one value?
-Also, what did you include on your study palm cards again??

Thanks so much!!  -Natasha

1. If you're struggling with Richard III, use Looking For Richard to help you! After all, that's the main reason why Pacino made the film - to make Shakespeare more accessible to a modern audience. Focus on the characters they share, if you'd like to narrow the study even more
2. You need a variety of quotes, but they can overlap. So, I may have 12 syllabus dotpoints but only 17 quotes in total.
3.I included the dot point on one side of the card with similar terms and ideas. On the other side I would have my quotes and techniques

[biffi023]

Wow!! thank you 
- I am doing Advanced English (Looking for Richard and Richard III) and I am HIGHLY confused! What are the links? What concepts/questions will be asked? What is Looking For Richard trying to prove? How do you analyse and compare these texts? Most comparative studies in the past have been linked by themes/ conflicts that are similar between the two... these two are confusing me! I think I am probably taking too literal an approach to them, but any help or explanation would be great!!
- What is your number 1 tip about (realistic!) time management and organisation in Year 12??
- Tips on studying in general?! How do you beat 'writer's block' and just get your head in the right frame of mind to write and concentrate for example!?
- How do you balance catch-up/homework with formal assessments?
Thank you so much!... and again, congrats on your marks!

[bowiemily]

- What did you do if you ever found yourself struggling with motivation?
- I sometimes struggle summarising notes, so how did you identify - especially in modern history - what was most important? As i found myself copying down most of the information in the textbook.
- How would you recommend best summarising notes for English?

Thanks

1. I would sleep. Usually if I was unmotivated, it was because I was tired. You really need to be getting your eight hours each night, otherwise the HSC becomes unbearable
2. This is why it is helpful just to make dot points, rather than full paragraphs in Modern History. I would also use quotes that could explain/highlight a quote better than I ever could. If I could say the same thing, then there was no point in quoting a historian. I also wasn't one to remember quotes that were more than a sentence. In saying this though, my Modern notes were the most extensive of all my subjects.
3. My english notes were just the quotes, the syllabus and techniques, along with themed paragraphs

[Aikjot]

HEYYY!!!!
1.Did you ever memorise an essay or just know the key points of a text.
2. How often are you supposed to link back to the given question and when?

[bowiemily]

What do you think of W B Yeats?

I feel like Maude. He is still stalking me

[Harry Ly]

Hi! I found your lecture really informative!
How much context do you think we need for our comparative module?
What context should be used?
Any tips for 1984/Metropolis elective?

[bowiemily]

Hey there!!
I was wondering if you had any suggestions on related texts for discovery... specifically poems and films?

Thankyou!!!

Poems: Anything by Heaney. Also Barn Owl by Gwen Harwood
Films: Goodbye Lennin

[bowiemily]

Hi Emily!

Huge congratulayions on your HSC marks, you should be so proud of yourself! I just wanted to ask for your advice on my English essays. I usually obtain 17/20's, which I feel is quite a good mark, but I'm constantly told by my teachers that I lack analysis of my examples and in general. Do you have some tips that could work to my advantage?

Happy studying!

Make sure you are always including the purpose of the author and their intended effect on the audience. Also, make sure you are analysing the quotes in the terms of your thesis and thus the question. For Module B, also make sure your quotes cover conceptual focuses, contextual influence and how these ideas apply today. These don't have to be present in every single quote, but should be integrated throughout your essays. Remember: the closer you get to twenty, the harder it is to gain extra marks!

[cxmplete]

Hi!
I'm not sure if this counts as a question, but would it be alright with you if you posted a sample of your notes for AOS (kind of struggling with the layout of my notes)?
Also, would you recommend including context in an AOS essay?

[bowiemily]

Congratulations on doing so well! Whilst reading your brief introduction, I found that many of our subjects and interests with subjects were the same. I just have a few questions for you regarding Advanced English, Studies of Religion and Modern History:

1. How did you find your related text and how did you go about using it in both Discovery and Module A/C in terms of discussing both your related and prescribed text with equal emphasis rather than neglecting the related text?
2. What was your process for source analysis in Modern History?
3. I find it difficult to summarise all my notes for SOR throughout the year into a structured essay or 5 marker question, any tips?
4. How did you find contemporary examples for SOR?

Hey there,

1. So my related text was one that I studied in prelim. I made sure I talked about it equally through using integrated essays. My advice on how to write these can be found here: http://atarnotes.com/note/atar-notes-english-advanced-head-start-lecture-january-2017/

2.Usefulness, Perspective, Reliability, Usefulness. I wrote my short answers in this order.

3. I would always write a Dynamic, Living Religion essay, which covers all parts of what you can be asked for your depth study. The basis of this, and the core components, should have been covered in the prelim course. For the five marker, I just had a good set of study notes. I then learnt these over the year through completing practice papers.

4. This is so weird, I was asked this question before and I've never heard about these contemporary examples. Elyse, if you see this, maybe you can clarify?

[bowiemily]

Hey Emily, I was wondering if you tutor year 12 students as well? If yes can I please have your email address so I can contact you! Thankyou.

Hey there,
I was advertising for tutoring until a few days ago. I'm all full now, unfortunately :/

[bowiemily]

Hey should i stay away from related texts that everyone else is picking?how did u go about studying for english?
 What was your related text for discovery?
How did u memorise all your essays?
Should work against my classmates or with them in terms of english advanced and extension 1?

I didn't memorise my essays, and you should work with your classmates rather than against them. If you all do really well, your marks will be boosted in the HSC. My ORT was Personal Helicon by Seamus Heaney

[bowiemily]

Hellooo!!
Congratulations, your achievement is amazing!
I would really like to know how you liked the Art of Travel, I personally didn't LOVE it, did you enjoy it and what tips do you recommend on writing essays and all work related to it. I'm also doing 1984 Orwell, The Tempest and Christina Rossetti; any tips? Thankyou!

I loved reading the book but HATED studying it. I stuck very close to the syllabus for this study, as it was otherwise very easy to be distracted from the idea of representation amongst De Botton's philosophical inquiry.

Unfortunately, I didn't study those other texts, but for 1984/Met I would especially advise to steer clear of recounting context in your essays. This is a really easy thing to do because Weimar Germany is so damn interesting, but ultimately will only subtract marks from your response.