[snow leopard]

(Original post by alicesimpson2)
the grade boundaries are 26/30 on both of them to just get an A which sounds really high!

Yes you must average 26 in both to get an A if the boundary turns out to be 52/60 (87%), which is very possible. OCR seems to have the highest grade boundaries, for instance in AQA you only need around 50/80 (63%) which is counter-intuitive given their exam is open book.

[Boom533]

(Original post by alicesimpson2)
the grade boundaries are 26/30 on both of them to just get an A which sounds really high! although i guess i might be easier to get marks than i think.

26 D: That's what we got told too, it's insanely high But hopefully seeing as ours is new spec it'll be a bit lower...

I tried working out what I needed in the exam based on what my coursework mark was, and according to that I need 21, but that seems too low :/

[sweetiepie]

Because its a new spec they may lower them as we haven't had the resources like the previous years. If you look back to 2009 its 50/60 for an A which admittedly isn't that different but the point still stands hopefully it will be the same case this year

[Boom533]

How many quotes/critics are you guys learning for the novel section?

Just re-revised Yeats, feeling a bit more confident now. And hey, if I can't think of 3 thematic paragraphs, can always do 2 themeatic and one on form/language/imagery

[stoppy123]

(Original post by Boom533)
How many quotes/critics are you guys learning for the novel section?

Just re-revised Yeats, feeling a bit more confident now. And hey, if I can't think of 3 thematic paragraphs, can always do 2 themeatic and one on form/language/imagery

What do you mean by thematic paragraphs?

I do one on form, one on language and one on imagery usually

EDIT: about 5 critic quotes and as many novella quotes as possible!

[Bubble734]

(Original post by Dakin)
RE: Frankenstein and Yeats

Has anyone thought about potential questions that could come up seeing as there are no past papers? Thoughts?

Teachers at my school have been saying Frankenstein could well be on relationship between Victor and the creature, and looking at OCR website (I know this is the first session with these texts, but from previous years) one option always seems to be on narrative technique (so for Frankenstein the frame/concentric narritive, epistolary structure etc.)

Not doing Yeats so no idea sorry

[Bubble734]

(Original post by MikeDHopkinson)
Just wondering - when it says in poetry questions "discuss with reference to other poems that you have studied" how many does that mean? My one teacher says to discuss the one they give you and then compare and contrast against one other. But then another teacher says to focus on the one they give in the question, and then refer to lots of the other poems briefly in passing. What've your teachers said? Cheers!

My teacher says spend two thirds of the essay analysing (AO2) the named poem, then the last third contextualising and linking to atleast two other poems (but preferably only two others- why do more than you need to and make it harder for yourself? lol that's not just me being lazy, teacher did say it.)

[purple-owl]

I'm doing Jane Eyre and Yeats and I've only just begun revision! I'm fine with Yeats but I'm sooo stuck on Jane Eyre! Like, I know we do themes and context and all of those, but I don't know what quotes to revise/memorise. I'm also trying to go by the AOs but the fact that my teachers have literally only just started telling us what to do in the exams is scaring me and pissing me off! I got one of the best results in my class for my coursework (92% ), but I don't know if I should be expecting more than a D/C grade at this rate! Argh! I'm so pissed off! I mean, I know it's not just my teachers' fault but I just wish they gave us some guidance earlier in the year! All we've ****ing been doing was reading the poems and book, and watching three ****ing Jane Eyre movies! Argh! Sorry for the rant. I'm only starting to realise the position I'm in. I absolutely love English, I just wish I knew what I was doing!

Exactly the same!! Fine with Yeats but so f***ing scared of JE! And the annoying thing is that I LOVE English too , so much that I've always wanted to do it at uni (and even had the crazy idea in my head to try for Oxbridge ) but expecting a D at best!!!

[snow leopard]

(Original post by Vixen47)
I got one of the best results in my class for my coursework (92% )

Bear in mind though that your percentage will decrease after UMS conversion. I got the same percentage as you last year but it ended up as 87%.

[gingernat]

(Original post by alicesimpson2)
the grade boundaries are 26/30 on both of them to just get an A which sounds really high! although i guess i might be easier to get marks than i think.

I can't help but think with the new set texts, they'd be a tad more lenient....just my thoughts. But yes, 26/30 is what you needed for an A on all my past attempts!
Hopefully though, if your coursework is an A, only one of the essays really needs to be an A to make an A overall *touch wood*

[Boom533]

(Original post by Bubble734)
Teachers at my school have been saying Frankenstein could well be on relationship between Victor and the creature, and looking at OCR website (I know this is the first session with these texts, but from previous years) one option always seems to be on narrative technique (so for Frankenstein the frame/concentric narritive, epistolary structure etc.)

Not doing Yeats so no idea sorry

What points would you do for that essay?

Maybe about how their relationship and power changes through the novel? Victor initially is passionate to create the new being, but is abhorred by it's sight and abandons it. Then he decided to rationalise with the monster, and there seems to be a relationship of equality and understanding when the monster tells it's story. Then monster gets power after Victor destroys the fem-monster yadda yadda yadda.

I'd defo talk about the neglect that Victor shows in his role as creator and father. Drawing on the neglect he received as a child, the way SHelley was without a mother, both of them had to self-learn and have a thirst for knowledge.

Probably also about the qualities that both of them have/are subjected to, like isolation+revenge etc. Victor chooses isolation, the monster is rejected from society due to appearance. Biblical context of the two, how they interchange between characters like Satan, God and Adam.

Any other points?

[Boom533]

(Original post by stoppy123)
What do you mean by thematic paragraphs?

I do one on form, one on language and one on imagery usually

EDIT: about 5 critic quotes and as many novella quotes as possible!

I mean using key themes from the poems to compare them. So if it asked about ageing in "Sailing to Byzantium", I'd pick out the theme of resentment and disillusionment at how Ireland has changed, and compare to Sept 1913 etc. Then maybe para focussed on how with his older age he focusses more on the afterlife, talk about his quesitoning of life after death in Cold Heaven etc.

And then if I couldn't think of a third point, I'd just do a whole paragraph on form, laguage, imagery and tone that reflect ageing in this poem. Then relate the structure etc of other poems to how they present ageing e.g. COld Heaven has lots of enjambement, stream of conciousness that comes with the revelation that he has about life after death.

And cool, I'm aiming for about the same...got about 7-8 critics down, about 10 quotes atm...aiming for 15-20 if I can :/

[katles]

Ahh so glad I've found this thread, although I seem to be the only one studying Mrs Dalloway for prose!
I've been cramming quotes into my head and organised them all under the different main characters and different themes in Mrs Dalloway, so that's how I've been going about it.

My main worry is the time restraint in the exam because I always panic in the practice timed essays I've done! I wish we had more than an hour for each essay!

[HQazi]

Hi
We are doing The Picture of Dorian Gray, which is such a crappy novel.
But here everyone seems to be doing Yeats or Jane Eyre
What are you suppose to get to get an A in poetry section?
I am constantly getting 22,23/30 for the past SEVEN weeks in every mock exams I don't know how to get an A, and my teacher told me that 23 is a B, which is REALLY high, I think.
Any help?

[stoppy123]

(Original post by Boom533)
I mean using key themes from the poems to compare them. So if it asked about ageing in "Sailing to Byzantium", I'd pick out the theme of resentment and disillusionment at how Ireland has changed, and compare to Sept 1913 etc. Then maybe para focussed on how with his older age he focusses more on the afterlife, talk about his quesitoning of life after death in Cold Heaven etc.

And then if I couldn't think of a third point, I'd just do a whole paragraph on form, laguage, imagery and tone that reflect ageing in this poem. Then relate the structure etc of other poems to how they present ageing e.g. COld Heaven has lots of enjambement, stream of conciousness that comes with the revelation that he has about life after death.

And cool, I'm aiming for about the same...got about 7-8 critics down, about 10 quotes atm...aiming for 15-20 if I can :/

Ahh right, I'm probably the opposite, a paragraph on form, a paragraph on imagery, a paragraph on language, then a last paragraph comparison to other poems, but also mentioning other poems throughout

[R.Val]

(Original post by sweetiepie)
Doing Thomas and the secret agent - exam text has left me dying and my class seems like the only one in the country to do it


PLEEEEASE SOMEBODY OUT THERE TALK TO ME ABOUT CONRAD I KNOW NOTHING!

Unless you are in my school? we are doing Conrad as well - we all hate it so much!

[sweetiepie]

(Original post by R.Val)
Unless you are in my school? we are doing Conrad as well - we all hate it so much!

Finally!!! Another victim of a crazy teacher who chose Conrad!
How's revision going for you? I hate it so much I only finished reading the novel about 2 weeks ago no joke it was so hard to read

[Laydle]

(Original post by BMiLoz)
hi im just wondering is anyone doing thomas and james . i'm so scared for the exam , i have no idea how to learn all the key quotes for turn of the screw - actually so angry that we cant take our book in !!!
but yh does anyone know like what kind of key quotes is good to remember

basically highlight governess' miles and flora;; and REMEMBER THE ORDER THE VAGUE ORDER OF THE BOOK FROM START TO FINNISH AND ALL THE SIGHTINGS AND CRITICS : EG: TODEROV, FREUD, E.T.C.

[arctic95]

(Original post by katles)
Ahh so glad I've found this thread, although I seem to be the only one studying Mrs Dalloway for prose!
I've been cramming quotes into my head and organised them all under the different main characters and different themes in Mrs Dalloway, so that's how I've been going about it.

My main worry is the time restraint in the exam because I always panic in the practice timed essays I've done! I wish we had more than an hour for each essay!

I'm doing Dalloway too! Do you have any essay questions on the novel by any chance?

[katles]

@arctic95 I do indeed have a sheet of practice questions that my teacher gave us, I can send it to you by email?
(Also how does one reply to a post so you have it in a quote box? I'm new to this site...)