OK, below is one of my posts from a while back. I study Legal and BM in the same way, I synchronise the two subjects pretty well as the SACs are on around the same times.
English:1. Do a sufficient amount of essays progressively throughout the year and get them marked.
English is a language and so you've got to put all your learnt material into action - in the form of a piece of prose. Essay writing not only draws together the grammar, linguistics, punctuation and spelling you've come to learn over the years; it also gathers together your ideas and views on specific novels/films in a literary sense. An essay puts all of this into action - and it's therefore critical that you practice, practice, practice! Keep writing essays progressively until you reach a point of satisfaction. But also make sure you proofread these essays straight after writing, or even better, one or two days later. Get your teacher to mark it as well.
2. If you don't like reading books, get into the habit of reading the newspaper frequently instead.
If you're not confident reading The Age, at least have a crack at the Herald Sun on a frequent basis. Whilst the Herald Sun resembles a gossip magazine in so many ways, there are still some parts of the daily newspapers that can really boost your understanding of current events on a national and international scale. This could be of good use come oral presentation time - or even better, for a more definitive grasp on your context study. Also have a read of the opinion pieces and editorials every now and again - have a look at how writers use 'persuasive techniques' and how you yourself are impacted by what they write and what you read. So, in essence, reading newspapers can really benefit you in all 3 aspects of the English course.
3. Annotate your book like crazy.
If I ever get the time, I'll take a photo of my Interpreter of Maladies book and show you guys. It's been annotated like crazy.. I think I used around 2 stacks of sticky notes (5cm in height to clarify) and wrote notes on characterisation, themes, cultural values, symbols and so on, all on these sticky notes. Also highlight every single piece of information and dialogue that you think might have some deeper meaning behind it.. after a few minutes you'll notice something about that line and this is something abstract that you'll be able to include in essays. No one else will have these pieces of evidence, as you interpreted it all yourself, and that's one of the key criteria in text response - creating your own sophisticated perceptions and interpretations of the text. By annotating your book, you'll have a really good resource that is far, far better than any commercial study guide!
4. Question absolutely everything in VCE English - ask 'why?' at all times!
Why did the writer use the derogatory terms 'idiotic' and 'ineffectual' in his opinion piece? Why did Susie act the way she did in front of Anna? Why does our identity change in a different setting? Why is the reader positioned to feel receptive towards the editor's stance? Why did the film director use photomontages and vignettes in their film, and in what way were the characters therefore perceived? Asking 'why' is so important! When you're having trouble, stop for just a moment and ask 'why' things are the way they are in that editorial, in that film scene, in that sentence, and so on. By asking 'why', you will inadvertently develop your own perceptive view of everything you study!
5. The last one - learn to manage your time!
I know I'm being a hypocrite, talking about time management.. but I learnt it the hard way - you really have to learn to manage your time! Do practice exams in conditions that resemble examination conditions as closely as possible. When writing practice pieces, do them under time constraints. I made a huge mistake with time management - all year, I only made time for single essays at any one time. These essays were achievable under the 1-hour time limit. But I didn't do three essays in one hit - a real practice exam - which was really my downfall. So yeah, manage your time properly!
Legal Studies and Business Management:
1. Read the content, understand it and question it.
Whilst the content in Legal Studies and BM is vastly boring, you need to read it actively and ask yourself questions whilst reading (and try to answer them in your head). There are some aspects of the course that require rote-learning, but most other sections, in my opinion, require understanding. Read over the content two or three times. It's also a good idea to get your hand on another textbook, just so you don't miss anything crucial.
2. Write your own set of notes for every Area of Study.
Follow the study design closely and write your own set of notes for each AoS. If you can, try to put everything into your own words, although it's difficult with a subject like Legal Studies when everything is factual, not interpretive, if that makes sense. Condense the information as much as you can, and cut out the stuff that isn't listed on the study design.
3. Answer as many questions as you can!
I think the key to success in this subject isn't about knowing (or memorising) the content, but knowing how to apply it selectively. This skill can only be mastered if you keep doing questions progressively through the year. Get your hands on as many questions as you can, from other textbooks or from wherever, and get these done. Make sure you understand the key task words and answer the questions in the right way (have a look through the assessment reports).
4. Relate aspects of the course back to real life.
Sometimes we get bogged down, head sunk into the textbook, and forget to relate things back to real life situations. By doing this, you'll develop an awareness and interest in the subject, and you'll also learn to make your own interpretations about different aspects of the course. Maintain a media file and keep newspaper cuttings in there - analyse parts of the articles and see how these can add to your understanding of legal concepts.
5. Stay ahead and review concepts!
I can already see the benefits of learning the stuff in advance of the class. I'm ahead of the class by a chapter only - this is enough IMO, you don't need to go overboard and finish the whole unit or anything. But yeah, doing things ahead of the class can really benefit you, because you'll actually be more attentive in class as I've found, not the other way round. You get to consolidate your knowledge a second time also. Also with regards to reviewing concepts, I keep a track record of when I learnt something and when I need to review it. In the track record, I have to review work 1 day after, 3 days after, 7 days after and 14 days after I first learnt or read it. Last year I covered a concept but didn't look at it again in 2 weeks and my knowledge was really hazy with that concept.. so make sure you keep looking back, whilst moving on.
And yeah, I'm on 2222 posts! No more posting from me (for a while)
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