How to memorise English essays? (1 Viewer)

[-may-cat-]

I think there's more to it than that, people don't only memorise essays because their english skills aren't up to scratch. Not everyone deals with exams very well, while some people thrive under pressure, others crumble. Having a memorised essay up your sleeve is incredibly comforting and makes you feel much more confident and in control of the whole situation, which imo is half the battle of an exam.

 

[Shadowdude]

I would argue having quotes is a better comfort than a rigidly memorised essay as the quotes can just be chucked in as is, while the rigidly memorised essay must be tweaked to the question.

 

[-may-cat-]

Yes, but that's you. For me, if i were to go into an exam having only prepared quotes i wouldn't feel very prepared at all and would probably psych myself out. I would probably start to panic and wouldn't be able complete the exam to the best of my ability. However, i would feel much better about going into an exam with a memorised essay and then adapting it to the question. I'm confident that i would (and do) do much better under such circumstances. But that's just me. All i'm trying to say is that it's pretty stupid to assume that all people who memorise essays do it to make up for shit english ability.

 

[Shadowdude]

Well, in my experience, from what my teachers at school said and from what I've observed when I was at school - the people who said "I'm gonna memorise an essay!" are the ones who are pretty sucky at English.

So I suppose it's a matter of choice then.

 

[-may-cat-]

And i'm sure what you know to be true from your personal experience is likely to cover the thousands of students who sit the HSC every year.

 

[Omnipotence]

^ My sentiments exactly.

 

[Shadowdude]

And i'm sure what you know to be true from your personal experience is likely to cover the thousands of students who sit the HSC every year.

I recall you saying:

Having a memorised essay up your sleeve is incredibly comforting and makes you feel much more confident and in control of the whole situation, which imo is half the battle of an exam.

Yes, let's prepare an answer to a question we don't know about. Why, thank you for advocating a very dangerous and risky practice that I'm sure many English teachers would disagree with.

 

[jamesfirst]

Yeah but teachers can go fk themselves. Which Eng teacher would recommend you to learn your essay, when they're english teachers.


Just because teachers say that memorised essay is bad, doesn't mean it is bad. lol


My english teacher is the dumbest fuck and I don't even listen to her feedbacks on my essay.

 

[Shadowdude]

English teachers are meant to best prepare you for the HSC, that's their job.

What you're saying is basically: "Just because my doctor says that injecting drugs into my body is bad, doesn't mean it's bad".

 

[-may-cat-]

I recall you saying:
Yes, let's prepare an answer to a question we don't know about. Why, thank you for advocating a very dangerous and risky practice that I'm sure many English teachers would disagree with.

Please pay attention and don't take what i say out of context to suit your own agenda. I'm not advocating one practice over another nor saying that my experience holds true for the majority of others. What i am saying is that it is narrow minded to assume that people who memorise essays are bad at HSC English.

 

[Aerath]

Please pay attention and don't take what i say out of context to suit your own agenda. I'm not advocating one practice over another nor saying that my experience holds true for the majority of others. What i am saying is that it is narrow minded to assume that people who memorise essays are bad at HSC English.

Maycat speaks truth. I memorised essays for the first time for the HSC external exam, and did a lot better than how I did throughout the year.

 

[krnofdrg]

Please pay attention and don't take what i say out of context to suit your own agenda. I'm not advocating one practice over another nor saying that my experience holds true for the majority of others. What i am saying is that it is narrow minded to assume that people who memorise essays are bad at HSC English.

+1,

 

[Riproot]

Just because teachers say that memorised essay is bad, doesn't mean it is bad. lol

Also, the good standard teacher at my school said we could memorise if we wanted to as long as we are prepared to discard it if it doesn't suit the response, but she said definitely have that sort of stuff in your mind as a back up.

My english teacher is the dumbest fuck and I don't even listen to her feedbacks on my essay.

This is like my teacher. She's like "It won't suit the question!"
"Ummm, you mold it to suit the question... :S"
"You won't be able to do that!"
*thinks* Bitch, just because it's too hard for you... you're fucking stupid. *aloud* "I do Extension 2 maffs, I fink I can muld a stoop-ed Engrish essey!"

English teachers are meant to best prepare you for the HSC, that's their job.

Some teachers are plain shit, don't ignore this fact.

What you're saying is basically: "Just because my doctor says that injecting drugs into my body is bad, doesn't mean it's bad".

No... Doctors are smarter than teachers. Any HS graduate can be a teacher.

What i am saying is that it is narrow minded to assume that people who memorise essays are bad at HSC English.

+1
Whether you agree or disagree with memorising essays people will do it. This isn't about WHETHER they should do it, it's about HOW they should do it.
For someone who's sooo good at English you sure fail at reading the operative words in questions.

 

[Bobbo1]

Also, the good standard teacher at my school said we could memorise if we wanted to as long as we are prepared to discard it if it doesn't suit the response, but she said definitely have that sort of stuff in your mind as a back up.

This is like my teacher. She's like "It won't suit the question!"
"Ummm, you mold it to suit the question... :S"
"You won't be able to do that!"
*thinks* Bitch, just because it's too hard for you... you're fucking stupid. *aloud* "I do Extension 2 maffs, I fink I can muld a stoop-ed Engrish essey!"

Some teachers are plain shit, don't ignore this fact.

No... Doctors are smarter than teachers. Any HS graduate can be a teacher.

+1
Whether you agree or disagree with memorising essays people will do it. This isn't about WHETHER they should do it, it's about HOW they should do it.
For someone who's sooo good at English you sure fail at reading the operative words in questions.

Well said, mate

 

[packwolf]

1. write generic essay.
2. Use that essay to write down key quotes/points etc (i prefer to do this on palm cards)
3. write essay using a new question using the key quotes and points that you already have.
4. Repeat step 3 a few times (these essays seriously take an hour max to type up since you already have all of your techniques etc worked out)

By now you should have a pretty good idea about your points. Keep writing essays! this will help to ingrain the points into your long term memory and teach you how to work them into different questions. Look at your notes (flash cards if you were bothered earlier) daily.

5. sit the exam and enjoy your 20/20.

 

[khfreakau]

oi gaiz protipz: woman who came first in the state from my school last year? yeah, she memorised word for word. the other three state rankers from my school? yeah, they memorised word for word. I assure you that you will not be able to perform at as high a level as you could if you don't memorise your essays. Personally, I memorise my essays word for word, and the results are fairly successful, I think.
Of course, learning to answer the question with a prepared essay requires practise, and I probs wouldn't recommend it unless you could do that. If the same thing you prepared goes pen to paper in the exam, expect low.
Something that works for me is that i purposely don't memorise certain areas of my essay so that I can leave space to answer the question. It works quite well

@Riproot that thing about asians in selectives - in our grade the top people are white LOL.

 

[Hermes1]

oi gaiz protipz: woman who came first in the state from my school last year? yeah, she memorised word for word. the other three state rankers from my school? yeah, they memorised word for word. I assure you that you will not be able to perform at as high a level as you could if you don't memorise your essays. Personally, I memorise my essays word for word, and the results are fairly successful, I think.
Of course, learning to answer the question with a prepared essay requires practise, and I probs wouldn't recommend it unless you could do that. If the same thing you prepared goes pen to paper in the exam, expect low.
Something that works for me is that i purposely don't memorise certain areas of my essay so that I can leave space to answer the question. It works quite well

@Riproot that thing about asians in selectives - in our grade the top people are white LOL.

so like i hav trials in 2 weeks and i havent even done one practice essay lol. so how do u like memorise essays. do u just hav one large one for each module with general concepts?

 

[MrBrightside]

...You don't, you remember the quotes and techniques for them for each paragraph, the elaboration and link should come as you plan your link back to the provided question.

 

[Riproot]

@Riproot that thing about asians in selectives - in our grade the top people are white LOL.

Yeah, but most at your school would be Asians. I mean, it's obvious that the smart white kids can do really well, Asians are usually just more dedicated due to their parents' influence and shit like that.
For example, I just started an essay due in a few hours and expect to get 28/30.

...You don't, you remember the quotes and techniques for them for each paragraph, the elaboration and link should come as you plan your link back to the provided question.

I suggest this now if you've done nothing. It's what I'm doing because I've done nothing yet. :/

 

[tavi14]

thats why u read the question first, before you start writing..