English (3 Viewers)

[99 atar confirmed]

After re-reading and re-memorsing my essays for the trials I have come to realize how useless English is. From year 7-12 we are taught how to analyze quotes from books and 16 century plays which have no intrinsic value to anyone. After studying a variety of Shakespeare plays, what have I gained from it? Nothing. After reading countless books over the past 5 years, can I honestly say I've gained an insight into anything useful? No. In my opinion, the whole course is a joke because the majority of the students don't even care what they are being taught and the substance of the text. They don't even care about the argument they are presenting, sure they get a 20/20, but do they really care or understand the significance of their argument? English is just remembering essays for a test and we ultimately never gain anything useful from it. The old saying is "when are we ever going to need this in the real world", and I totally agree with this statement, when are we ever going to be assessed upon intertextual conversations or creative writing. NESA need to get with the times, students don't want or need to be assessed on 16 century plays or 20th century poems, we don't have interest in these topics. Seriously what really needs to be taught in English is proper grammatical skills, how to write important emails, cvs/job application letters things that will assist us in our future jobs. Sorry for the rant and yeah I know I'm performing poorly in Advanced English, but I don't care. This subject has never really meant anything to me and never interested me in the slightest. Before people start saying, "you don't appreciate the message of these texts" or "you don't understand the underlying message", I do, I just don't think they are relevant.

 

[Oknowthisisepic]

100% whole English course is total crap. 1984 wasn't even about "human experience" it was Orwell just talking about the dangers of totalitarian countries.

 

[Drdusk]

Sometimes one just needs to rant to calm the nerve...
I agree wholeheartedly though. I could rant about how much it wasted my time in year 11 & 12 forever

 

[99 atar confirmed]

Sometimes one just needs to rant to calm the nerve...
I agree wholeheartedly though. I could rant about how much it wasted my time in year 11 & 12 forever

I'm just contemplating whats the point of it all? spent 12 years at school and for what? A disappointing number I'm gonna carry around. I know people tell me it "won't effect my life", but it will. I will always look back on the HSC and regret not putting in enough effort and study.

 

[Drdusk]

I'm just contemplating whats the point of it all? spent 12 years at school and for what? A disappointing number I'm gonna carry around. I know people tell me it "won't effect my life", but it will. I will always look back on the HSC and regret not putting in enough effort and study.

Never life your life with regrets. All of us have failed at some point in our lives. It will only effect your life if you allow it to. Sure the path to success may be a bit more difficult but that doesn't mean it's going to severely limit you.

 

[fan96]

Although I really hated HSC English (because it compulsorily counted towards the ATAR and most of it was not useful), I found the analysis skills involved to be occasionally useful - for example, when you're watching a movie or playing a story-driven game. You're never expected to be able to do this (unless you choose to study a B Arts), but it's nice to be able to recognise those little details and you really do get a bit more out of the movie/game/whatever.

It's a shame that for most people the course didn't actually involve much analysis at all - most of it was looking up techniques for <insert text here> and cramming quotes and paragraphs. I found the texts really hard to get into as well.

I'm just contemplating whats the point of it all? spent 12 years at school and for what? A disappointing number I'm gonna carry around. I know people tell me it "won't effect my life", but it will. I will always look back on the HSC and regret not putting in enough effort and study.

The ATAR isn't really the ultimate goal of high school. It's more like an intermediate step, but it (understandably) gets blown way out of proportion during the HSC because of all the stress involved. The ATAR has exactly one purpose, which is for unis to make the selection process more manageable.

You will almost certainly forget about the ATAR once at uni, because there's no place for it there - you have people coming from different countries, different education systems. The only thing that you could possibly be compared on is your performance at uni.

My English study was writing at most one essay per term and making a half-effort to memorise it in the week before exams. I ended up with crappy marks and was a half-mark away from a band 4 but my ATAR was good enough without it, and there's no reason for me to ever care about it again.

Don't give up. Just try to hold on. If you get the ATAR you need, great. Even if you don't, just pick something else and transfer as soon as they let you. Not a big deal either way.

 

[99 atar confirmed]

Although I really hated HSC English (because it compulsorily counted towards the ATAR and most of it was not useful), I found the analysis skills involved to be occasionally useful - for example, when you're watching a movie or playing a story-driven game. You're never expected to be able to do this (unless you choose to study a B Arts), but it's nice to be able to recognise those little details and you really do get a bit more out of the movie/game/whatever.

It's a shame that for most people the course didn't actually involve much analysis at all - most of it was looking up techniques for <insert text here> and cramming quotes and paragraphs. I found the texts really hard to get into as well.



The ATAR isn't really the ultimate goal of high school. It's more like an intermediate step, but it (understandably) gets blown way out of proportion during the HSC because of all the stress involved. The ATAR has exactly one purpose, which is for unis to make the selection process more manageable.

You will almost certainly forget about the ATAR once at uni, because there's no place for it there - you have people coming from different countries, different education systems. The only thing that you could possibly be compared on is your performance at uni.

My English study was writing at most one essay per term and making a half-effort to memorise it in the week before exams. I ended up with crappy marks and was a half-mark away from a band 4 but my ATAR was good enough without it, and there's no reason for me to ever care about it again.

Don't give up. Just try to hold on. If you get the ATAR you need, great. Even if you don't, just pick something else and transfer as soon as they let you. Not a big deal either way.

I have to agree there, analyzing does provide you with an understanding of games and movies, however we never really analyzed these texts ourselves, rather our teachers did. Surprisingly my interest in politics provided a better understanding for novels in 1984 (even though apparently 1984 isn't about totalitarianism anymore, its "authentic human experience.") I just really hope I somehow find myself doing my desired course at my desired uni.

 

[fan96]

I have to agree there, analyzing does provide you with an understanding of games and movies, however we never really analyzed these texts ourselves, rather our teachers did.

Yep. That's the problem when you prescribe and assess the same texts year after year.

I just really hope I somehow find myself doing my desired course at my desired uni.

If you truly want to, you'll be able to find a way.

 

[99 atar confirmed]

Yep. That's the problem when you prescribe and assess the same texts year after year.

We are the first year group with a new syllabus, meaning no past papers and limited online resources.

 

[sida1049]

While I agree that the assessment structure for English makes no sense and encourages impractical memorisation and empty sophistication, I actually genuinely loved every other part of English Advanced. I don't think the core of the English programme is to teach the morals of the texts you're given. In fact, (depending on how good your teacher is) you're encouraged to criticise or disagree with morals or interpretations of texts. The main takeaway from the course is to analytically examine texts, which then can be applied to when you read a news article from a journalist with an agenda, political discourse from pundits and politicians, the craft which goes into writing a book or producing a film, et cetera.

I had a great time. But I understand how frustrating the HSC course is (I was never naturally gifted at the subject throughout high school). And I regret that the subject is gamed as a part of the HSC, but this applied to every HSC subject unfortunately.

 

[blyatman]

While I 105% agree with what you said (as I'm sure most will), it's not something that we can change, so we all need to put up with it. In the end, English is just a game you need to beat. Once the HSC's over, you'll forget about it and never look back - it really is insignificant in the grand scheme of things. I was caught cheating in one of my HSC english assessments, got a 0 in a task worth 15%, and my rank plummeted. Needless to say, I was devastated at the time. Looking back now, I can laugh about it, and I wouldn't change a thing even if I had to do it again. That's how you'll back on it in many years time!

 

[99 atar confirmed]

While I agree that the assessment structure for English makes no sense and encourages impractical memorisation and empty sophistication, I actually genuinely loved every other part of English Advanced. I don't think the core of the English programme is to teach the morals of the texts you're given. In fact, (depending on how good your teacher is) you're encouraged to criticise or disagree with morals or interpretations of texts. The main takeaway from the course is to analytically examine texts, which then can be applied to when you read a news article from a journalist with an agenda, political discourse from pundits and politicians, the craft which goes into writing a book or producing a film, et cetera.

I had a great time. But I understand how frustrating the HSC course is (I was never naturally gifted at the subject throughout high school). And I regret that the subject is gamed as a part of the HSC, but this applied to every HSC subject unfortunately.

Did you study 1984 when you did the hsc in 2015?

 

[Accurate]

I agree. Now im just contemplating how I'll get through Year 11 and 12 English (Im in Year 10 atm)

 

[99 atar confirmed]

I agree. Now im just contemplating how I'll get through Year 11 and 12 English (Im in Year 10 atm)

All I'm gonna say is good luck. My best advice is start your essays/assignments 1-2 weeks before they are due. I have a lot of regret not putting in more work in year 11 +12. Looking back at it now, the last good result I got was 2 years ago in year 10 for English

 

[Accurate]

All I'm gonna say is good luck. My best advice is start your essays/assignments 1-2 weeks before they are due. I have a lot of regret not putting in more work in year 11 +12. Looking back at it now, the last good result I got was 2 years ago in year 10 for English

Hmm, im already struggling in Year 10 English >_<, how will i cope with Yr 11 and 12 ? I honestly have no idea how to improve. I know how to improve in everything like the science subjects, math, but for english im so lost, i get like 40% for all my essays and I dont even know how to make them better like what in the world do i do.

 

[99 atar confirmed]

Hmm, im already struggling in Year 10 English >_<, how will i cope with Yr 11 and 12 ? I honestly have no idea how to improve. I know how to improve in everything like the science subjects, math, but for english im so lost, i get like 40% for all my essays and I dont even know how to make them better like what in the world do i do.

Ask your teacher for help, simple as that. Tell them you don't know how to write an essay and they should help you out. If the teachers don't help out, get your friends to show you their essays so you can analyze what they are doing differently

 

[jazz519]

HSC English is a frustrating subject when you are doing it in the HSC but

Hmm, im already struggling in Year 10 English >_<, how will i cope with Yr 11 and 12 ? I honestly have no idea how to improve. I know how to improve in everything like the science subjects, math, but for english im so lost, i get like 40% for all my essays and I dont even know how to make them better like what in the world do i do.

I didn't have marks that low but just for some hope in terms of how much you can improve. In year 10 I just barely scrapped into being in advanced English because my school had a limit of only 2 classes allowed to do advanced English. Then even year 11 I basically failed the first exam got like 8/15, and it wasn't like I improved that much either for another term. Somehow fluked one assignment and got like top 3 but even then I didn't really know why I got the mark I knew I wrote something good but I didn't really understand how to translate that into different essays. Year 11 I finished off like maybe 8th/60 after being like probably 35-40/60 after that first assignment. At that point I also thought English would kill my Atar when I got to HSC. For some reason in year 12 I realised how to write essays and the style of essays they wanted and ended up getting 97 in English HSC mark even though I was never really good in English from year 7-10 (basically getting b or c all the time)

What I would say though go online and it doesn't matter what text the person did but just go online and read answers from band 6 people and try to change your writing style like theirs. you will really be able to tell the difference between a band 4 and band 6 student writing and it really opens your eyes on what makes a good essay. Also, though if you can afford it and are gonna go tutoring, English is a subject that you should think of going for first because it is so important to the Atar even though its a very irritating subject

 

[Accurate]

HSC English is a frustrating subject when you are doing it in the HSC but


I didn't have marks that low but just for some hope in terms of how much you can improve. In year 10 I just barely scrapped into being in advanced English because my school had a limit of only 2 classes allowed to do advanced English. Then even year 11 I basically failed the first exam got like 8/15, and it wasn't like I improved that much either for another term. Somehow fluked one assignment and got like top 3 but even then I didn't really know why I got the mark I knew I wrote something good but I didn't really understand how to translate that into different essays. Year 11 I finished off like maybe 8th/60 after being like probably 35-40/60 after that first assignment. At that point I also thought English would kill my Atar when I got to HSC. For some reason in year 12 I realised how to write essays and the style of essays they wanted and ended up getting 97 in English HSC mark even though I was never really good in English from year 7-10 (basically getting b or c all the time)

What I would say though go online and it doesn't matter what text the person did but just go online and read answers from band 6 people and try to change your writing style like theirs. you will really be able to tell the difference between a band 4 and band 6 student writing and it really opens your eyes on what makes a good essay. Also, though if you can afford it and are gonna go tutoring, English is a subject that you should think of going for first because it is so important to the Atar even though its a very irritating subject

Thank you! Are private tuitions better or tuition centres, for English?

 

[jazz519]

Thank you! Are private tuitions better or tuition centres, for English?

Private for sure in my experience. I went to matrix for a term for English and it was okay, but what I found was the teacher was very good and describes stuff well but in a group setting the English thing didnt really work for me that well because I barely got any feedback on my essays like you maybe get 2-3 sentences but its like typed so it doesnt help as much as someone physically in person explaining to you what's wrong with it or what to change. Also, another thing is its so expensive. I think was paying like 45 an hr for 1.5 hr class and you paying that kind of money in a group with 10-15 people, when at the same price or cheaper you can go to like a tutor who teaches at a school

 

[sida1049]

Did you study 1984 when you did the hsc in 2015?

Nope. That was for Module A, right? I studied Richard III and the documentary Looking For Richard instead. I really fucking loved those texts. I've read 1984 once just because it is popular, but I can't say I really liked it. I know a lot of people do, though.

All I'm gonna say is good luck. My best advice is start your essays/assignments 1-2 weeks before they are due. I have a lot of regret not putting in more work in year 11 +12. Looking back at it now, the last good result I got was 2 years ago in year 10 for English

Also an extremely important tip for everything in uni.