Do you memorise your essays? Here's five reasons why that's a terrible idea!
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This is what makes prepared essays the most obvious to markers. You may feel that you were able to tweak your response to suit the question, but this is different to directly addressing it.
HSC questions also usually contain a number of separate parts that all need to be addressed, including:
These different aspects will be very difficult to address fully if you have only prepared a single essay. It is one of the biggest reasons why you shouldn’t memorise your essay.
As stated in the syllabus: “A student analyses and synthesises information and ideas into sustained and logical argument for a range of purposes, audiences and contexts.”(Board of Studies, Stag 6 English Syllabus, 2009) |
The question may not ask you to write an essay. It could ask for:
If you have only prepared a single “perfect” essay, instead of a comprehensive analysis, this will be harder to adapt to these different forms.
A better way of studying English is to pick out quotations and analyse them in terms of techniques and their contribution to key ideas. Memorising these quotes in relation to a number of themes will allow you to provide the type of insightful demanded by the HSC exam. This may sound daunting but it is actually far less time consuming than memorising words off a page.
Read: How To Analyse a Related Text
No matter what the question is, your analysis will always have to link back to the key ideas of your text or topic. A memorised essay will only focus on one small aspect which will not provide you with the scope required to take on the HSC exam.
There is nothing more tedious than writing or reading something over and over again. This kind of study does not stimulate your brain to think creatively and generate new ideas. Plus, this type of preparation will be useless in the exam if you have a mind blank.
The HSC Exams are around the corner! If you’re struggling with your English marks now, you’d better get on top of it before you run out of time. But don’t worry, Matrix is here to help!
Our HSC Exam Prep Courses cover all the Modules in detail to help you boost your results. Learn how to maximise your HSC marks.
Written by Matrix Education
Matrix is Sydney's No.1 High School Tuition provider. Come read our blog regularly for study hacks, subject breakdowns, and all the other academic insights you need.
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