Ahh, “studying” for English. What an enigma. As challenging as the mathematics and science subjects are, there is a very clear way to study their content. With English however, many students struggle to have a study strategy, as things aren’t so clear-cut. There are no standard ‘exercises’ and notes can seem a little arbitrary, as they don’t address important factors to your writing such as structure and relevance to the question you get on the day.
However, there is a way. Here are 5 steps that I took to score a 94/100 in the exam.
Know your texts well
Cliché, I know. Knowing your texts inside and out really is the key to success in English. If you know the themes, concerns and structure that characterise your text, you will be able to respond to whatever obscure question the exam can present on the day.
So what does this actually look like in practice?
Having a surface knowledge of the concerns in your text is simply not enough to get you into the band 6 range. You must go the extra mile. If you’re unsure about the meaning or progression of your text, ask your teacher to explain it or do some research online. This was especially useful for The Tempest or any Shakespearean text because there were times when I had no idea what was going on. Fortunately, you are not alone and you will find that many people have the same confusion. However, it is important you choose online sources that are somewhat reputable.
I also found reading about my prescribed texts to be incredibly helpful. Extensive reading on subject matter essentially makes you more efficient in the exam as it is very likely that you have already thought about the ideas in the potential question. I found reading scholars’ interpretations of my texts online which was not only fascinating but introduced new ideas that I could discuss in exams. For example, reading about the concerns of colonialism in The Tempest was very useful in developing my ideas in relation to the rubric point, “Discovery is dependent on personal, social, context” which brings me to my next point.
Rubric
Doing subjects like Legal Studies and Biology were great because you could easily study according to the holy syllabus. So how does one study for English when there isn’t really a clear syllabus?
Or is there?
Luckily, you also have the omnipotent rubric to help you. If you visit the NESA website, you will be able to find the rubric for each module. The rubric is essentially what NESA expects you to reflect on and learn in this course. Also, it is EXACTLY where they base the HSC questions from, particularly for the AOS essay as the case with my HSC question, “Whether motivated by need, wonder or curiosity, discovery has the power to be transformative”. Well hello rubric extraction! This has come directly from the point “Discoveries can be…evoked by curiosity, necessity or wonder” and “The impact of these discoveries can be… transformative”.
So how do you study using the rubric?
In the preparation for my Paper I exam, I produced a table listing all the rubric points and then created corresponding columns for both my prescribed and text so that I could link these ideas and prepare for any question NESA threw at us poor sleep-derived HSC students.
Mine looked like this:
So here, I explained how both texts present the significance of discoveries made for the first time. Remembering a set of quotes and techniques for each rubric point would be exhausting and ineffective, so I had a set of quotes and techniques that I applied to all essays. However, if some quotes were better than others for the question, I added them into this table. After all, in English it is more about how you argue than what you argue.
Doing Past Papers
Similar to extensive reading, by completing past papers you are exposing yourself to the myriad of question possibilities. 3 weeks before my HSC exam, I did at least 1 English paper every day. You do not have to do as many as I did, but I can tell you that this practice was crucial. On one hand, the timed conditions are essential because there are so many students who despite being excellent at English, don’t receive the marks they deserve because they cannot finish the exam time.
Secondly, the exposure to past papers also encourages you to think about aspects of your text that you may have not reflected on before. When I completed a past paper each day, I got to the point where I could almost guess the question and wouldn’t be fazed by any obscurity.
Discover the module objectives
The most important thing that I discovered during my study for all of my subjects was the importance of objective. Before you begin studying for any subject, ask yourself, “why does NESA want me to know this?” or “why is it so important?” Speaking in general terms, the objective of English is a philosophical one. They want you to develop an appreciation for literature as a medium to explore existential concerns. Thus, this must be very clearly implied through your work. Though of course, each module holds a slightly different objective so it is important to explore each separately. Reading through the module rubric will allow you to determine the objectives.
Let’s take Module B for example.
Module B is a critical study meaning that you must explore your text very closely and explore why it is of such “textual integrity” or value. Although the word ‘critical’ implies investigating advantages and limitations, in an English context, critical does not necessarily mean that you should discuss why your text isn’t brilliant. If it is “designed to nurture an appreciation of significant texts”, than your essay must have this at its core!
Find a way to love your English texts
Now this is arguably the most important point because if you have a genuine appreciation for what you’re learning you will be motivated to complete the prior points. If you care for your content, you will do so much better.
But what if you really hate your text?
I can assure you that if you look hard enough, you will find something compelling in your text. For example, although the Pride and Prejudice and Letters to Alice can be incredibly dry, once I was able to appreciate how Weldon encourages women to “speak first” when public speaking often “renders many women dumb” (yes feminism!). I’m sure this resonates with all my assertive ladies! I also developed a huge love for TS Eliot through my Module B study (and now I’m a fanatic) in which I also received my best marks! So do your research, delve into your texts and I’m sure that you will find not only a connection but also motivation to achieve your very best.
About the Author:
Ines is a valued member of the ATAR Notes online community. Receiving a 94 in Biology and English Advanced is just the beginning of Ines’ academic credentials – Ines also received the 13th state rank for Legal Studies in the 2017 HSC.
