Not happy jan (1 Viewer)

13abie

Member
Joined
Feb 10, 2011
Messages
256
Gender
Male
HSC
2011
This exam was retarded. I'm all for making it hard for prepared responses, but forcing you into first person? That alienates people based on writing style rather than ability.

Also, the essay question was convoluted and unclear. Again I understand that they don't want prepared responses and memorised essays, but is just listing syllabus dot points the best way to go about it? ABove and beyond this the crime writing question asking for textual form was clearly geared towards the Real Inspector Hound people, and again I am all for them trying to make you learn all your core texts since the syllabus prescribes three, but it just so happens that that one wasnt one of our three in class and there was nothing we could have done about it, and there's no aligning based on which texts you use in your response.

Pretty sucky exam, was on track for state rank but I think this exam would make this very difficult/impossible
 

funkygirl59

Member
Joined
Oct 1, 2011
Messages
57
Gender
Female
HSC
2011
This exam was retarded. I'm all for making it hard for prepared responses, but forcing you into first person? That alienates people based on writing style rather than ability.

Also, the essay question was convoluted and unclear. Again I understand that they don't want prepared responses and memorised essays, but is just listing syllabus dot points the best way to go about it? ABove and beyond this the crime writing question asking for textual form was clearly geared towards the Real Inspector Hound people, and again I am all for them trying to make you learn all your core texts since the syllabus prescribes three, but it just so happens that that one wasnt one of our three in class and there was nothing we could have done about it, and there's no aligning based on which texts you use in your response.

Pretty sucky exam, was on track for state rank but I think this exam would make this very difficult/impossible
Ah that sucks. my essay fit the question perfect (we did after the bomb) and my memoerised story was in first person reflecting on an event in his childhood: it's like the exam questions/stimulus were WRITTEN for me. it was unbelievably amazing :)
 

funkygirl59

Member
Joined
Oct 1, 2011
Messages
57
Gender
Female
HSC
2011
This exam was retarded. I'm all for making it hard for prepared responses, but forcing you into first person? That alienates people based on writing style rather than ability.

Also, the essay question was convoluted and unclear. Again I understand that they don't want prepared responses and memorised essays, but is just listing syllabus dot points the best way to go about it? ABove and beyond this the crime writing question asking for textual form was clearly geared towards the Real Inspector Hound people, and again I am all for them trying to make you learn all your core texts since the syllabus prescribes three, but it just so happens that that one wasnt one of our three in class and there was nothing we could have done about it, and there's no aligning based on which texts you use in your response.

Pretty sucky exam, was on track for state rank but I think this exam would make this very difficult/impossible
Ah that sucks. my essay fit the question perfect (we did after the bomb) and my memoerised story was in first person reflecting on an event in his childhood: it's like the exam questions/stimulus were WRITTEN for me. it was unbelievably amazing :)
 

13abie

Member
Joined
Feb 10, 2011
Messages
256
Gender
Male
HSC
2011
Ah that sucks. my essay fit the question perfect (we did after the bomb) and my memoerised story was in first person reflecting on an event in his childhood: it's like the exam questions/stimulus were WRITTEN for me. it was unbelievably amazing :)
ah that's lucky. I had a similar experience with english advanced so I can't complain, but I'm just grumpy cause I really put the hard yards in for ext 1
 

acemusic415

Member
Joined
Jul 14, 2008
Messages
484
Location
At Home...
Gender
Male
HSC
2011
My response didn't fit the essay perfectly, but I talked about how Poe and Stoppard didn't really emphasise justice whereas Ondaatje and my related did. So I really sat on the fence, simultaneously mentioning that they did subvert textual form, convention in response to context etc. I did continuously relate it to the question, I just hope I get a B6 for it.
 

mirakon

nigga
Joined
Sep 18, 2009
Messages
4,222
Gender
Male
HSC
2011
No offence, but the 1st person creative wasn't a disadvantage at all. A good student is flexible enough to write a story from any perspective.
 

acemusic415

Member
Joined
Jul 14, 2008
Messages
484
Location
At Home...
Gender
Male
HSC
2011
No offence, but the 1st person creative wasn't a disadvantage at all. A good student is flexible enough to write a story from any perspective.
The good thing for me was that my story was already in 1st person. Just incorporating it and changing the end of my story was all I needed to do.
 

13abie

Member
Joined
Feb 10, 2011
Messages
256
Gender
Male
HSC
2011
No offence, but the 1st person creative wasn't a disadvantage at all. A good student is flexible enough to write a story from any perspective.
I really really disagree. They are completely different, the way you describe things are different, the way you incorporate emotions are different. Why do you think most authors only write in either third or first. They are good writers, but they prefer the form they are most comfortable with and that allows them to write the best. I think the stimulus should be anything and that a good writer is flexible enough to work with any stimulus, I just disagree that they should be allowed to dictate your form
 

mirakon

nigga
Joined
Sep 18, 2009
Messages
4,222
Gender
Male
HSC
2011
also the essay question was a bit convoluted to read but ultimately i found what it was akign simple. You pretty much had to analyse three things:

1. Challenging perspectives on humanity
2. Context
3. Textual form and features (i.e. generic conventions)

In essence, it was pretty much asking for the same thing as every other year

also whilst i agree that it restricted the perspective, its possible to have a lot of flexibility in form from 1st person writing as well.
 

funkygirl59

Member
Joined
Oct 1, 2011
Messages
57
Gender
Female
HSC
2011
I really really disagree. They are completely different, the way you describe things are different, the way you incorporate emotions are different. Why do you think most authors only write in either third or first. They are good writers, but they prefer the form they are most comfortable with and that allows them to write the best. I think the stimulus should be anything and that a good writer is flexible enough to work with any stimulus, I just disagree that they should be allowed to dictate your form
third person stories can start with first person and move away from it. omniscient narrators often inject first person.

"i....blah blah"

then third person

then move back to first for the last line or something.
 

kirstyanne-xx

Member
Joined
Jun 27, 2011
Messages
136
Location
Narnia
Gender
Female
HSC
2011
Great...did it have to be in first person?
Mine was in third person mainly, with interjections of first person narration. Most of the protaganist's psychogocial reflection was in third person...was the question really that specific?

I did Romanticism though..maybe I'm talking about a different thing o_O.
 

Vidhya

Member
Joined
Apr 5, 2010
Messages
165
Gender
Female
HSC
2011
I guess they are trying to veer people away from prepared creatives, hence the first-person question. You really have to be flexible, even with form, because although it's about how you write, it's also about how you can think on your toes.

And along with Stoppard, I think Ondaatje also has a lot to do with form and feature.
 

acemusic415

Member
Joined
Jul 14, 2008
Messages
484
Location
At Home...
Gender
Male
HSC
2011
I guess they are trying to veer people away from prepared creatives, hence the first-person question. You really have to be flexible, even with form, because although it's about how you write, it's also about how you can think on your toes.

And along with Stoppard, I think Ondaatje also has a lot to do with form and feature.
I get why they attempt to steer students away from pre-prepared responses but the Board of Studies really need to open up their eyes and be pragmatic about it. My teacher whose quite experienced said he could barely do two responses under exam conditions including the sophistication, flair and all the shit attached. You can't expect a bunch of student whose had a year to prepare not to use what they've been working so hard on. That said, you need to make a conscious effort to adapt it to the question etc.
 

mirakon

nigga
Joined
Sep 18, 2009
Messages
4,222
Gender
Male
HSC
2011
I get why they attempt to steer students away from pre-prepared responses but the Board of Studies really need to open up their eyes and be pragmatic about it. My teacher whose quite experienced said he could barely do two responses under exam conditions including the sophistication, flair and all the shit attached. You can't expect a bunch of student whose had a year to prepare not to use what they've been working so hard on. That said, you need to make a conscious effort to adapt it to the question etc.
To be fair you'd be surprised by some level of responses you get. I've read on the spot responses that blew me away. The more difficult the question the larger the separation between students, which is imo a better thing than an easy paper that everyone does well in.

Not to mention that it was pretty much a genral question, despite the specification of perspective. Thankfully it wasn't as specific as the CSSA trial this year
 

acemusic415

Member
Joined
Jul 14, 2008
Messages
484
Location
At Home...
Gender
Male
HSC
2011
To be fair you'd be surprised by some level of responses you get. I've read on the spot responses that blew me away. The more difficult the question the larger the separation between students, which is imo a better thing than an easy paper that everyone does well in.

Not to mention that it was pretty much a genral question, despite the specification of perspective. Thankfully it wasn't as specific as the CSSA trial this year
There are some exceptions I guess - the highest calibre of students. I expect all students to do some sort of molding when needs be, but I find it really hard to do something on the spot - I can improvise on the spot, but it's not great.
 

Vidhya

Member
Joined
Apr 5, 2010
Messages
165
Gender
Female
HSC
2011
My on-the-spot responses sound like a picture book.

"And then Anil went over there."
 

MetalTheory

Member
Joined
Apr 28, 2011
Messages
211
Location
Sydney
Gender
Male
HSC
2011
Uni Grad
2015
No offence, but the 1st person creative wasn't a disadvantage at all. A good student is flexible enough to write a story from any perspective.
Exactly. All I did was to quote the statement, have it as a thought within the protagonist's head and then move into the third person. It's really not that hard.
 
Joined
Apr 3, 2010
Messages
777
Gender
Male
HSC
2011
To be fair you'd be surprised by some level of responses you get. I've read on the spot responses that blew me away. The more difficult the question the larger the separation between students, which is imo a better thing than an easy paper that everyone does well in.

Not to mention that it was pretty much a genral question, despite the specification of perspective. Thankfully it wasn't as specific as the CSSA trial this year
Cssa trial was pretty awesome imo, only a little more difficult

I'd rather be told to write a creative on the spot since that just puts everyone at a level playing field. it pretty much makes all prepared stories useless, so people who've had their tutors etc write it up for them can just cry and fail like they should
 

Stretch21

New Member
Joined
Dec 13, 2010
Messages
13
Gender
Undisclosed
HSC
2011
To be fair you'd be surprised by some level of responses you get. I've read on the spot responses that blew me away. The more difficult the question the larger the separation between students, which is imo a better thing than an easy paper that everyone does well in.

Not to mention that it was pretty much a genral question, despite the specification of perspective. Thankfully it wasn't as specific as the CSSA trial this year
Due to the level of detail in the Chemistry papers, my teacher reckons there is something dodgy going on. Cant blame her really, it wouldn't be too hard to have a teacher on the BOS exam board, then just inform the teacher at that school that they should focus on xyz...
 

Users Who Are Viewing This Thread (Users: 0, Guests: 1)

Top