Advice for upcoming Year 10's and 11's

What was year 10 like in general?

It depends on the subjects and the way your school does things. For me, it was an OK year but for some subjects, there was nothing actually to do until year 11 like Textiles.

Moreover, most also think, "oh its okay the exams aren't until next year ill just catch-up later" because you want to chat with friends and whatnot but you don't realise you wont catch-up and that's one lesson of stuff missed for the exams. But that goes for those who don't care.

In general, it's hard-work but decent enough; just makes sure you work hard and get good grades in your coursework's would be my advice to anyone.

Thankyou

How difficult are RS & English Lit. because they are (essay) writing subjects?

Posted from TSR Mobile

Religious Education is the easiest think I have ever done. A* in every test, mock and practise paper and almost every exam question I got full marks on, straight - for two years.

English Literature is challenging. What texts are you doing?

Oh okay, no worries there then. I like RS

I'm doing Romeo and Juliet & To Kill a Mocking Bird (I think that's all) for English Lit.

Posted from TSR Mobile

You should be doing poetry?x

Am I? I have no idea then They must be for English Language then. I'll check my options booklet to see if they're written there x

Is poetry all we do in English Lit??

Posted from TSR Mobile

No! I'm going to turn on my Mac in a minute, I'll write a full response to your question in a second!

I'm pretty sure I messed up an English CA worth 15%. I'm hoping to get an A in English.

Do you think that I'll still be eligible to get an A even if I messed it up?


Posted from TSR Mobile

Ah kk

Edit: Found it!

We do look at those books and Lord of the Flies as well but we also look at poetry with a theme. We haven't been told the poems though

Posted from TSR Mobile

I believe so. What exam board are you on?

I think it's OCR


Posted from TSR Mobile

So, I did Edexcel English Language and English Literature. For Literature we did:

The Merchant of Venice (coursework only)
An Inspector Calls (coursework only)

Of Mice and Men (examination)
Great Expectations [ew, abhorrent book] (examination)

Edexcel pre-released Poetry Anthology: Taking a Stand (examination)

English Literature applies what you learn in Language about the way characters are put across by the writer, paying attention to the language used. English Literature is undeniably hard, however, you don't need to have read the texts very well to get a high mark. I couldn't finish Great Expectations, it was awful. Yet I got A's and the odd B on every essay.

Poetry, I find, is the most exciting part. The examiners are looking for originality of thought. Let me give you an example:

"A bat is born
Naked and blind and pale.
His mother makes a pocket of her tail
And catches him. He clings to her long fur
By his thumbs and toes and teeth.
And then the mother dances through the nightDoubling and looping, soaring, somersaulting—Her baby hangs on underneath.
All night, in happiness, she hunts and flies.
Her high sharp cries
Like shining needlepoints of sound
Go out into the night and, echoing back,
Tell her what they have touched.
She hears how far it is, how big it is,
Which way it’s going:
She lives by hearing.
The mother eats the moths and gnats she catchesIn full flight; in full flight
The mother drinks the water of the pondShe skims across. Her baby hangs on tight.Her baby drinks the milk she makes himIn moonlight or starlight, in mid-air.
Their single shadow, printed on the moonOr fluttering across the stars,
Whirls on all night; at daybreak
The tired mother flaps home to her rafter.The others all are there.
They hang themselves up by their toes,
They wrap themselves in their brown wings.
Bunched upside down, they sleep in air.
Their sharp ears, their sharp teeth, their quick sharp facesAre dull and slow and mild.
All the bright day, as the mother sleeps,
She folds her wings about her sleeping child."

This was what we had in our examination. An example of a point I made that would be considered original: "the poem has 30 or so lines and this could be used to represent the life expectancy of the child bat which ties in with how the poem it structured, going from birth/waking up to death/falling asleep"

They're the sorts of things you'd need to comment on and use continues embedded quotation.

Ah okay, I'm on AQA but that's fine.

Why is Great Expectations awful? I was thinking of reading it this summer with other classics?

I think it's likely I'm going to To Kill a Mockingbird for the exam. Hopefully it won't be too bad, I've started reading it.

Noo! Analysing poetry is very annoying, you have an opinion of it but then it turns out the writer had another idea. :/
I like that poem though!

Thinking outside of the box? Okay.
Embedding quotes? Okay

Thank you!! Xx
Posted from TSR Mobile

Okay!

It's just so slow, and boring. Dickens takes a sentence (yes a sentence) and stretches it across 40 pages. It just doesn't do it for me, it's a hard and boring read and I don't think it should be done at GCSE, neither does my teacher. You may enjoy it however. He's undeniable legendary as a writer but that book, to me, was awful. I hated it.

That book is amazing! I love it; it's a brilliant one for GCSE!

Yes but that's the beauty of poetry. Your idea is what counts because it is ORIGINAL.

You're welcome!