For all those year 11 people who are soon to do the HSC or those year 7-10 people who see the HSC slowly approaching, i have some essay tips that may help you greatly, to make your essays clearer and to ensure that the markers believe you have answered the question sufficiently. I just request that people who view this keep it bumped by posting comments/questions so others can also use it. Thank you!
Essays
An essay is an opinion written in formal style and to a set formula. It has an introduction, a development/body and a conclusion.
There are several steps to writing an essay:
1/ Understanding the question
2/ Planning your answer
3/ Writing your opinion in a structured and logical way.
Discuss- Set out both sides of the argument
Contrast- Write about differences between
Describe- Write about what something or someone is like
Comment on- State your personal opinion based on experience
Compare- Write about the similarities between
Explain- Clarify the meaning of something or how it works
Do You Agree…? Write your ideas about whether the statement is totally or partly correct or incorrect.
Paragraph structure
1) Topic sentence. The topic sentence is usually the first sentence of your paragraph, and it should summarise how the paragraph relates to your thesis
2) Paragraph body
This must be focused around evidence and must support or extend your topic sentence. Here, it is necessary to include techniques and quotes that show those techniques. Simply put, you should make a POINT, provide EVIDENCE/EXAMPLES, identify the TECHNIQUE and finally, an EXPLANATION of the effect of this technique.
3) Concluding sentence
The final sentence of your paragraph should be an overview of that paragraph, and more importantly, should link back to the question.
Shown below are some techniques for english. Remember, it is imperative that you identify the technique with every quote you use and explain how the technique is used by the composer to achieve an effect on the responder or to convey a message. For example: The “fluttering films of ash,” symbolic of the movement of the persona’s mind, contrast with the silence and provide the persona with an escape from his physical, leading to “abstruser musings” about childhood. (This was adapted from my imaginative journeys essay). However, it is just as important to remember to ensure that your quote and explanation supports your overall thesis (your argument).
TECHNIQUES
Abbreviate, Abbreviation
To abbreviate means to shorten or contract eg: company- co.
Acronym
The world formed from the first letter of several letters of several words
Eg; ANZAC- Australian and New Zealand Army Corp.
Adjective
A word that describes or adds meaning to a noun. Eg: the bad cat.
Adverb
Adds meaning to a verb eg; he runs quickly.
Alliteration
A way or linking words by repeating consonant sounds at the beginning of each. It could be used to give emphasis or to set the mood.
Eg: Only the stuttering rifles’ rapid rattle (from Wilfred Owen’s “Anthem for Doomed Youth”.
Allusion
A reference to an outside person, place or event or to another literary work. Eg: a Biblical allusion.
Ambiguity
When a word or phrase has two or more meanings
Anagram
A word formed by rearranging the letters or another word eg: March is an anagram of Charm.
Analogy
A comparison between two things which are thought to be alike in some way.
Analysis
When we analyse an argument we examine it critically and deeply.
Anecdote
A short , interesting or amusing story about a particular person or event.
Anti-Hero
A main character in a work of literature who displays none of the normal qualities of a hero. Instead of being noble and courageous, the person may be cowardly.
Antithesis
The direct opposite of something. In literature it refers to a rhetorical device in which sharply contrasted ideas are set off against each other in the same sentence: eg: fools rush in where angels fear to tread.
Antonym
The opposite meaning eg Hot and cold are antonyms.
Assonance
A device used in writing (especially poetry) in which there is a similarity of vowel sounds in a sequence or words:
The crowd outside sounds loud
Atmosphere
The dominant feeling or mood of a situation or a work of literature, established by the setting, time and conditions in which the action takes place.
Audience
People listening to attending or reading.
Autobiography
The life story of a person written by her/himself.
Axiom
A statement that needs no proof or demonstration because it is self-evident.
Ballad
A narrative poem (it tells a story) in which a story of action or romance is told in a stirring and rhythmical way: eg: ‘The Man from Snowy River’ by Banjo Patterson.
Bias, Prejudice
Biased means more heavily weighted on one side that on the other. A person who is biased tends to stay on one side of an argument and not respond to arguments from the other side.
Prejudiced people have pre(before)- judged a person or an argument that is, they have made up their minds before they have considered individual cases. The most obvious example is racial prejudice.
Biography
The life story of a person written by someone else.
Black Humour
Describes events that are funny yet shocking.
Chronological
In order of time
Cliché
A common expression that has been used so often that is felt to be tired and no longer powerful eg: Easy come, easy go.
Climax
This is usually thought of as the highest or most exiting point.
Colloquial Language
Language used in casual conversation (different from formal speech).
Comedy- Black Comedy
A comedy written with a tragic theme.
Couplet
A pair of rhyming lines in a poem. (A Sonnet has 14 lines with two rhyming couplets at the end).
Dialect
The language of a particular district or class of people.
Dialogue
1. A conversation or exchange of thoughts or ideas between two or more people or groups.
2. The normal conversation of characters in a novel, short story or drama.
Direct or Indirect Speech
Direct Speech: consists of exact words spoken by a person.
Indirect Speech: words as reported
Direct: “What book are you reading, Ian?” she asked.
Indirect: She asked Ian what book he was reading.
Documentary
A non-fiction film based on real events. It may be persuasive and informative.
Editorial
It expresses the opinion of the editor on current issues.
Elaboration
A detailed working out or description of an idea.
Elegy
A mournful poem of sorrow or regret for the dead but characterised by gentle sadness rather than a passionate grief.
Emotive Language
Language that tends to stir emotions and excite feelings.
Empathy
The ability to see into another’s mind and heart and share his or her thoughts, feelings or experience.
Epic
A long narrative poem of heroic events and actions.
Epigram
A very short poem that is condensed and pointed ending with a surprise or witty turn of thought.
Epilogue
Reflections at the end of a play.
Epitaph
An inscription, usually written in verse, on a building, tomb or coin. It is often written as a short poem.
Fable
A short story with a moral, often about supernatural people. Any legend or myth.
Fallacy
A faulty or unreasonable link between two ideas.
Fiction
Something imagined or invented.
Figurative Language
The use of words not with their common, everyday meaning but with a meaning suggested by the imagination. It is used to achieve special meaning or effect. Metaphors, similes and personification are common forms of figurative language.
Simile- Two things or actions are likened to each other. Eg: The sun is like a red hot balloon (usually using “like” or “as”). Similes are used for artistic effect. They can add power and interest to writing by making the reader think about what is being described.
Metaphors- where one thing is said to be something else. Eg: The moon was a ghostly old man.
Personification- giving human qualities to a non-human thing.
Formal Language
High form of Language, not casual or slang.
Genre
A type or form of writing such as the novel (which is a genre) or the sonnet (another genre).
Other genres are science fiction, romance, biography and many more.
Hyperbole
Deliberate exaggeration for the purpose of presenting and idea in a striking way eg: The streets ran red with blood.
Hypothesis
A theory based on valid evidence.
Imagery
The use of words to suggest pictures in our minds by means of association of ideas. For example the dove is a symbol of peace. Most commonly, imagery is used to refer to figurative language, especially the use of metaphors and similes.
Informal Language
Writing or speech that is not perfectly correct. Colloquial language.
Irony
A rhetorical device which has an intended meaning opposite to the one expressed by the words that are used.
Dramatic Irony- When characters say things without recognising the significance or importance of what they say.
Jargon
The specialised terminology used by a particular group eg: computer jargon.
Maxim
A proposition expressing some general truth or priciple.
Memoir
An autobiography , a record or a person’s memories.
Narrative
Prose or verse that tells a story; a recounting of events and experiences. A narrative will include three elements not necessarily in this order:
· Setting the scene
· Relating the events that take place, usually including a gradual building to a climax
· Evaluation where the meaning or value of events is made clear.
Through narrative, writers explore events and their meaning.
Narrator
A person who is the story-teller.
Noun
A person, place or thing.
Novel
A work of fiction written in prose.
Novella
A short novel.
Objective, Subjective
To be objective is to not let your personal feelings influence your thinking or your expressions.
A subjective view is one that is influences by one’s personal interests, emotions or prejudices.
Obscenity
Language that people generally find obscene or rude such as swearing.
Onomatopoeia
Sounds words- words that sound like what they are describing eg: hiss, buzz, rattle, bang.
Oxymoron
A figure or speech in which the idea is expressed by contradictory phrases eg: an open secret.
Paradox
A statement that seems contradictory but is true eg: One must be cruel to be kind.
Paraphrase
To put something into your own words.
Parody
An imitation of something or someone done so as to criticise or highlight their faults.
Pathos
The quality in literature that highlights feeling of sadness.
Persona
The voice of the person in a novel or poem, the narrator.
Personification A form of metaphor in which human characteristics are attributed to nonhuman things. Personification offers the writer a way to give the world life and motion by assigning familiar human behaviors and emotions to animals, inanimate objects, and abstract ideas. For example, in Keats’s "Ode on a Grecian Urn," the speaker refers to the urn as an "unravished bride of quietness." See also metaphor.
Poetic Device
Poets use a range of devices to convey meanings. Some of these are rhyme, rhythm, alliteration, assonance, figurative language, simile, metaphor and personification.
Poetic Justice
Ideal justice in which all good is rewarded and all evil is punished.
Prologue
Preface or introduction to a literary work.
Pronoun
A words used in place or a noun to save the repetition of a noun
E.g.: I , she , he them, they, me, you, us.
Propaganda
Biased or false opinions use to sway people.
Prose
Any writing or speech with no formal rhythms, or patters ( different from poetry with has these).
Pun
A type of joke based on a word that can have two or more meanings.
Realism
The representation of life exactly as it is.
Repetition
When words or phrases are repeated.
Reported Speech
The same as indirect speech.
Rhetoric, Rhetorical Devices
The art of writing using words persuasively in speech or writing. This may involve such things as amusing the audience, making people laugh or cry, being on the listener’s side.
Rhetorical Question
A question that is asked for effect rather than to get an answer.
Eg: Do you think I would sit around all night waiting for you?
Rhyme
Two words that sound the same.
Rhythm
The rise and fall of language that gives it a musical quality.
Sarcasm
Harsh or bitter words intended to wound or insult, especially in an exaggerated or ironic way.
Satire
A form of writing that makes us laugh at something by exaggerating some aspects of it. It is a form of sarcasm or ridicule used to express disapproval. Eg: Animal Farm.
Science Fiction
A genre that suggests future possibilities, usually featuring scientific inventions or discoveries such as time machines or other beings in other places.
Setting
Where and when something takes place.
Slang
Words or phrases that are not accepted as standard English used mainly in speech, especially by young people. Eg: “G’day mate, howa goin’?”
Soliloquy
In drama a speech that allows a character to think out aloud. Used a lot by Shakespeare.
Sonnet
A short poem always composed of 14 lines, each containing 10 syllables. The last two lines are usually a rhyming couplet.
Stanza
Paragraph of a poem.
Style
An author’s choice of words or phrases.
Synonym
A word with the same or similar meaning to another.
Testimonial
An open letter which describes the good qualities of a person.
Theme
Central topic in a literary work.
Tone
Range of feelings and attitudes in a literary work.
Tragedy A story that presents courageous individuals who confront powerful forces within or outside themselves with a dignity that reveals the breadth and depth of the human spirit in the face of failure, defeat, and even death. Tragedies recount an individual’s downfall; they usually begin high and end low. Shakespeare is known for his tragedies, including Macbeth, King Lear, Othello, and Hamlet. The revenge tragedy is a well-established type of drama that can be traced back to Greek and Roman plays, particularly through the Roman playwright Seneca (c. 3 b.c.–a.d. 63). Revenge tragedies basically consist of a murder that has to be avenged by a relative of the victim. Typically, the victim’s ghost appears to demand revenge, and invariably madness of some sort is worked into subsequent events, which ultimately end in the deaths of the murderer, the avenger, and a number of other characters. Shakespeare’s Hamlet subscribes to the basic ingredients of revenge tragedy, but it also transcends these conventions because Hamlet contemplates not merely revenge but suicide and the meaning of life itself. A tragic flaw is an error or defect in the tragic hero that leads to his downfall, such as greed, pride, or ambition. This flaw may be a result of bad character, bad judgment, an inherited weakness, or any other defect of character. Tragic irony is a form of dramatic irony found in tragedies such as Oedipus the King, in which Oedipus ironically ends up hunting himself. See also comedy, drama
Wit
Cleverness or humour.
Finally, after the HSC experience, i would like to say a few things. NEVER give up, remember that even if you are doing badly in school, you have the HSC exams, which make up 50% of your total mark. The best way to study for the HSC is to create a timetable, where you set out what you are going to do at a particular time everyday. Write down the subject you will be working on, the number of hours you will be working and try to be specific. Furthermore, use the resources of past papers, they are very useful in all subjects. Remember, hard work will pay off in the end. I mean, just work hard and try your best, there's nothing more you can do. However, there is less you can do and by that i mean, you bludging and procrastinating, meaning you don't work to your full potential. Trust me, that is not a good feeling at all, so enjoy your HSC experience and remember to always be true to yourself by putting in all the effort you can!
Essays
An essay is an opinion written in formal style and to a set formula. It has an introduction, a development/body and a conclusion.
There are several steps to writing an essay:
1/ Understanding the question
2/ Planning your answer
3/ Writing your opinion in a structured and logical way.
Discuss- Set out both sides of the argument
Contrast- Write about differences between
Describe- Write about what something or someone is like
Comment on- State your personal opinion based on experience
Compare- Write about the similarities between
Explain- Clarify the meaning of something or how it works
Do You Agree…? Write your ideas about whether the statement is totally or partly correct or incorrect.
Paragraph structure
1) Topic sentence. The topic sentence is usually the first sentence of your paragraph, and it should summarise how the paragraph relates to your thesis
2) Paragraph body
This must be focused around evidence and must support or extend your topic sentence. Here, it is necessary to include techniques and quotes that show those techniques. Simply put, you should make a POINT, provide EVIDENCE/EXAMPLES, identify the TECHNIQUE and finally, an EXPLANATION of the effect of this technique.
3) Concluding sentence
The final sentence of your paragraph should be an overview of that paragraph, and more importantly, should link back to the question.
Shown below are some techniques for english. Remember, it is imperative that you identify the technique with every quote you use and explain how the technique is used by the composer to achieve an effect on the responder or to convey a message. For example: The “fluttering films of ash,” symbolic of the movement of the persona’s mind, contrast with the silence and provide the persona with an escape from his physical, leading to “abstruser musings” about childhood. (This was adapted from my imaginative journeys essay). However, it is just as important to remember to ensure that your quote and explanation supports your overall thesis (your argument).
TECHNIQUES
Abbreviate, Abbreviation
To abbreviate means to shorten or contract eg: company- co.
Acronym
The world formed from the first letter of several letters of several words
Eg; ANZAC- Australian and New Zealand Army Corp.
Adjective
A word that describes or adds meaning to a noun. Eg: the bad cat.
Adverb
Adds meaning to a verb eg; he runs quickly.
Alliteration
A way or linking words by repeating consonant sounds at the beginning of each. It could be used to give emphasis or to set the mood.
Eg: Only the stuttering rifles’ rapid rattle (from Wilfred Owen’s “Anthem for Doomed Youth”.
Allusion
A reference to an outside person, place or event or to another literary work. Eg: a Biblical allusion.
Ambiguity
When a word or phrase has two or more meanings
Anagram
A word formed by rearranging the letters or another word eg: March is an anagram of Charm.
Analogy
A comparison between two things which are thought to be alike in some way.
Analysis
When we analyse an argument we examine it critically and deeply.
Anecdote
A short , interesting or amusing story about a particular person or event.
Anti-Hero
A main character in a work of literature who displays none of the normal qualities of a hero. Instead of being noble and courageous, the person may be cowardly.
Antithesis
The direct opposite of something. In literature it refers to a rhetorical device in which sharply contrasted ideas are set off against each other in the same sentence: eg: fools rush in where angels fear to tread.
Antonym
The opposite meaning eg Hot and cold are antonyms.
Assonance
A device used in writing (especially poetry) in which there is a similarity of vowel sounds in a sequence or words:
The crowd outside sounds loud
Atmosphere
The dominant feeling or mood of a situation or a work of literature, established by the setting, time and conditions in which the action takes place.
Audience
People listening to attending or reading.
Autobiography
The life story of a person written by her/himself.
Axiom
A statement that needs no proof or demonstration because it is self-evident.
Ballad
A narrative poem (it tells a story) in which a story of action or romance is told in a stirring and rhythmical way: eg: ‘The Man from Snowy River’ by Banjo Patterson.
Bias, Prejudice
Biased means more heavily weighted on one side that on the other. A person who is biased tends to stay on one side of an argument and not respond to arguments from the other side.
Prejudiced people have pre(before)- judged a person or an argument that is, they have made up their minds before they have considered individual cases. The most obvious example is racial prejudice.
Biography
The life story of a person written by someone else.
Black Humour
Describes events that are funny yet shocking.
Chronological
In order of time
Cliché
A common expression that has been used so often that is felt to be tired and no longer powerful eg: Easy come, easy go.
Climax
This is usually thought of as the highest or most exiting point.
Colloquial Language
Language used in casual conversation (different from formal speech).
Comedy- Black Comedy
A comedy written with a tragic theme.
Couplet
A pair of rhyming lines in a poem. (A Sonnet has 14 lines with two rhyming couplets at the end).
Dialect
The language of a particular district or class of people.
Dialogue
1. A conversation or exchange of thoughts or ideas between two or more people or groups.
2. The normal conversation of characters in a novel, short story or drama.
Direct or Indirect Speech
Direct Speech: consists of exact words spoken by a person.
Indirect Speech: words as reported
Direct: “What book are you reading, Ian?” she asked.
Indirect: She asked Ian what book he was reading.
Documentary
A non-fiction film based on real events. It may be persuasive and informative.
Editorial
It expresses the opinion of the editor on current issues.
Elaboration
A detailed working out or description of an idea.
Elegy
A mournful poem of sorrow or regret for the dead but characterised by gentle sadness rather than a passionate grief.
Emotive Language
Language that tends to stir emotions and excite feelings.
Empathy
The ability to see into another’s mind and heart and share his or her thoughts, feelings or experience.
Epic
A long narrative poem of heroic events and actions.
Epigram
A very short poem that is condensed and pointed ending with a surprise or witty turn of thought.
Epilogue
Reflections at the end of a play.
Epitaph
An inscription, usually written in verse, on a building, tomb or coin. It is often written as a short poem.
Fable
A short story with a moral, often about supernatural people. Any legend or myth.
Fallacy
A faulty or unreasonable link between two ideas.
Fiction
Something imagined or invented.
Figurative Language
The use of words not with their common, everyday meaning but with a meaning suggested by the imagination. It is used to achieve special meaning or effect. Metaphors, similes and personification are common forms of figurative language.
Simile- Two things or actions are likened to each other. Eg: The sun is like a red hot balloon (usually using “like” or “as”). Similes are used for artistic effect. They can add power and interest to writing by making the reader think about what is being described.
Metaphors- where one thing is said to be something else. Eg: The moon was a ghostly old man.
Personification- giving human qualities to a non-human thing.
Formal Language
High form of Language, not casual or slang.
Genre
A type or form of writing such as the novel (which is a genre) or the sonnet (another genre).
Other genres are science fiction, romance, biography and many more.
Hyperbole
Deliberate exaggeration for the purpose of presenting and idea in a striking way eg: The streets ran red with blood.
Hypothesis
A theory based on valid evidence.
Imagery
The use of words to suggest pictures in our minds by means of association of ideas. For example the dove is a symbol of peace. Most commonly, imagery is used to refer to figurative language, especially the use of metaphors and similes.
Informal Language
Writing or speech that is not perfectly correct. Colloquial language.
Irony
A rhetorical device which has an intended meaning opposite to the one expressed by the words that are used.
Dramatic Irony- When characters say things without recognising the significance or importance of what they say.
Jargon
The specialised terminology used by a particular group eg: computer jargon.
Maxim
A proposition expressing some general truth or priciple.
Memoir
An autobiography , a record or a person’s memories.
Narrative
Prose or verse that tells a story; a recounting of events and experiences. A narrative will include three elements not necessarily in this order:
· Setting the scene
· Relating the events that take place, usually including a gradual building to a climax
· Evaluation where the meaning or value of events is made clear.
Through narrative, writers explore events and their meaning.
Narrator
A person who is the story-teller.
Noun
A person, place or thing.
Novel
A work of fiction written in prose.
Novella
A short novel.
Objective, Subjective
To be objective is to not let your personal feelings influence your thinking or your expressions.
A subjective view is one that is influences by one’s personal interests, emotions or prejudices.
Obscenity
Language that people generally find obscene or rude such as swearing.
Onomatopoeia
Sounds words- words that sound like what they are describing eg: hiss, buzz, rattle, bang.
Oxymoron
A figure or speech in which the idea is expressed by contradictory phrases eg: an open secret.
Paradox
A statement that seems contradictory but is true eg: One must be cruel to be kind.
Paraphrase
To put something into your own words.
Parody
An imitation of something or someone done so as to criticise or highlight their faults.
Pathos
The quality in literature that highlights feeling of sadness.
Persona
The voice of the person in a novel or poem, the narrator.
Personification A form of metaphor in which human characteristics are attributed to nonhuman things. Personification offers the writer a way to give the world life and motion by assigning familiar human behaviors and emotions to animals, inanimate objects, and abstract ideas. For example, in Keats’s "Ode on a Grecian Urn," the speaker refers to the urn as an "unravished bride of quietness." See also metaphor.
Poetic Device
Poets use a range of devices to convey meanings. Some of these are rhyme, rhythm, alliteration, assonance, figurative language, simile, metaphor and personification.
Poetic Justice
Ideal justice in which all good is rewarded and all evil is punished.
Prologue
Preface or introduction to a literary work.
Pronoun
A words used in place or a noun to save the repetition of a noun
E.g.: I , she , he them, they, me, you, us.
Propaganda
Biased or false opinions use to sway people.
Prose
Any writing or speech with no formal rhythms, or patters ( different from poetry with has these).
Pun
A type of joke based on a word that can have two or more meanings.
Realism
The representation of life exactly as it is.
Repetition
When words or phrases are repeated.
Reported Speech
The same as indirect speech.
Rhetoric, Rhetorical Devices
The art of writing using words persuasively in speech or writing. This may involve such things as amusing the audience, making people laugh or cry, being on the listener’s side.
Rhetorical Question
A question that is asked for effect rather than to get an answer.
Eg: Do you think I would sit around all night waiting for you?
Rhyme
Two words that sound the same.
Rhythm
The rise and fall of language that gives it a musical quality.
Sarcasm
Harsh or bitter words intended to wound or insult, especially in an exaggerated or ironic way.
Satire
A form of writing that makes us laugh at something by exaggerating some aspects of it. It is a form of sarcasm or ridicule used to express disapproval. Eg: Animal Farm.
Science Fiction
A genre that suggests future possibilities, usually featuring scientific inventions or discoveries such as time machines or other beings in other places.
Setting
Where and when something takes place.
Slang
Words or phrases that are not accepted as standard English used mainly in speech, especially by young people. Eg: “G’day mate, howa goin’?”
Soliloquy
In drama a speech that allows a character to think out aloud. Used a lot by Shakespeare.
Sonnet
A short poem always composed of 14 lines, each containing 10 syllables. The last two lines are usually a rhyming couplet.
Stanza
Paragraph of a poem.
Style
An author’s choice of words or phrases.
Synonym
A word with the same or similar meaning to another.
Testimonial
An open letter which describes the good qualities of a person.
Theme
Central topic in a literary work.
Tone
Range of feelings and attitudes in a literary work.
Tragedy A story that presents courageous individuals who confront powerful forces within or outside themselves with a dignity that reveals the breadth and depth of the human spirit in the face of failure, defeat, and even death. Tragedies recount an individual’s downfall; they usually begin high and end low. Shakespeare is known for his tragedies, including Macbeth, King Lear, Othello, and Hamlet. The revenge tragedy is a well-established type of drama that can be traced back to Greek and Roman plays, particularly through the Roman playwright Seneca (c. 3 b.c.–a.d. 63). Revenge tragedies basically consist of a murder that has to be avenged by a relative of the victim. Typically, the victim’s ghost appears to demand revenge, and invariably madness of some sort is worked into subsequent events, which ultimately end in the deaths of the murderer, the avenger, and a number of other characters. Shakespeare’s Hamlet subscribes to the basic ingredients of revenge tragedy, but it also transcends these conventions because Hamlet contemplates not merely revenge but suicide and the meaning of life itself. A tragic flaw is an error or defect in the tragic hero that leads to his downfall, such as greed, pride, or ambition. This flaw may be a result of bad character, bad judgment, an inherited weakness, or any other defect of character. Tragic irony is a form of dramatic irony found in tragedies such as Oedipus the King, in which Oedipus ironically ends up hunting himself. See also comedy, drama
Wit
Cleverness or humour.
Finally, after the HSC experience, i would like to say a few things. NEVER give up, remember that even if you are doing badly in school, you have the HSC exams, which make up 50% of your total mark. The best way to study for the HSC is to create a timetable, where you set out what you are going to do at a particular time everyday. Write down the subject you will be working on, the number of hours you will be working and try to be specific. Furthermore, use the resources of past papers, they are very useful in all subjects. Remember, hard work will pay off in the end. I mean, just work hard and try your best, there's nothing more you can do. However, there is less you can do and by that i mean, you bludging and procrastinating, meaning you don't work to your full potential. Trust me, that is not a good feeling at all, so enjoy your HSC experience and remember to always be true to yourself by putting in all the effort you can!
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