In addition to all the great tips given in Leadmen4y’s thread, I think you need to consider time management. Sometimes, memorising your essays/analyses is more efficient because there is a possibility that a student might not be able to come up with a good essay in a timely manner when they have only memorised quotes and some analysis points (due to high stress levels for example), When you already know what you’re going to write, your only goal becomes to write your memorised essay while ensuring you’re adapting it to the stimulus, all of which is usually done in a timely manner.