Tutoring?

[almostdonewithschooling]

Hey, as stupid as it may sounds but

Is there any point getting an english tutor if your bad at English?

Like, can't I just memorise the whole essay in yr 12 and get teachers, friends, siblings and a tutor to mark it (1 lesson), just to obtain a high score, instead of paying a huge amount in that year?

[Lumenoria]

Well, the chances are slim that the exam question will precisely align with the one that is tailored to your prepared response. The process by and large doesn't stop when your prepared response has reached perfection, you must also know how to flesh out arguments on the spot that are plausible, backed up with judicious evidence etc etc. It is notoriously difficult to get in the high 90s by just memorising an essay and regurgitating it word for word in the exam. Chances are, you'll prioritise your prepared response and neglect to answer the question adequately. It's useless if your response is 120% quality but totally circumvents the question at hand.

[jamonwindeyer]

Agree with above, if you try and just memorise a great essay and don't have your head around why it is great so you can actually respond on the day, you'll get bitten! 

You should definitely do something to improve in English. It doesn't have to be expensive though. Some ideas:

- Use ATAR Notes (free, duh!)
- Do a couple of tutoring sessions, doesn't have to be a weekly thing, just do half a dozen spaced through the year to help you!
- Get a mate who's decent at English to lend a hand (it helps them too)
- Ask for some extra assistance from your teacher
- Use YouTube videos and other online resources
- Use ATAR Notes (again, free, duh )

I totally get not wanting to spend copious amounts of money, but you definitely don't have to do that to improve. Tutoring is just one tool that is out there (but it is a really good tool when you find an arrangement that suits you)

[owidjaja]

Hey there!
Like Lumenoria and Jamon said, memorising an essay doesn't guarantee a Band 6 no matter who critiques it- the whole point of the HSC is to test your knowledge not to bring a prepared response.

That being said, if you're considering English tutoring, be careful what kind of tutoring you go to. I prefer private tutoring since they only focus on your weaknesses and you get to know your tutor as a person rather than a teacher with a barrier in between. Tutoring centres stress me out because it's almost school again. Plus, the whole aim of English tutors is to expose you to as many different types of essay/short answer questions as possible to prepare you, as well as giving tips- basically AN forums but paid and most are willing to respond to emails and read drafts. I happen to know a lot on how tutoring works (been to different tutors since year 2 lol) so if there's anything you wanna know just ask!

On the other hand, you can improve your English through other methods. Jamon listed some great options, but one thing he forgot is study groups! Study groups are great for people to critique each other's work. You're all on the same boat, might as well help each other. Just be careful who you're choosing to make a study group with. If it's just your circle of friends, you might get distracted. What my friend did to organise an English study group is that she posted an English study group offer on her Snapchat story and people responded to that. Other ways is to send an email to everyone in your class and propose a study group. The whole point is to improve each other's marks- you give some, you take some.

Hope this helps!