The Not-So Austen Bookclub discussion
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Q&A ~ With Booknut
message 301:
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Jay
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Jun 01, 2014 04:09AM
Are you going to see Maleficent?
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Booknut wrote: "Lucinda wrote: "What film to book adaptation are you looking forward to seeing @ the cinema?"Definitely TFIOS!"
*grins* me too!!
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No I haven't seen it - but I can't wait to!
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Hopefully :)
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Not yet.
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My mum insists I do some kind of maths, so that's already decided, and some of my other subjects are pretty much decided too, like biology and visual arts. But I'm a bit unsure about which English subject I should do - Advanced (Standard isn't offered at my school), Extension 1 or Extension 2. And if I remember correctly, you said you did up to Extension 2. Do you have any tips or advice on this?
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With that in mind, I suggest the following when it comes to choosing which level/s of English to do:
- Read the unit/course outlines. Every school takes on different topics, etc. (For e.g. at my school, Extension 1 English's topic was Romanticism.) This will give you some idea of what you'll be learning and whether it interests you.
- If possible, take a look at the assessments. Extension 2 English's assessments are basically the various stages of your major work. (For e.g. if you're submitting a short story as your major work, your assessments will be your plan/drafts for that story).
- How much do you need/like English? This one is crucial. I, personally, love English. I love creative writing. There was heaps of writing involved in undertaking Advanced English + English Extension 1 & 2. Taking them all was trying at times, but because I enjoyed it, it was easier to get through it all. Also, if you want to do something involving English in the future/at uni, you may decide to take either one/both.
- Plan ahead. Take a look at all of your subjects and calculate the effort involved. Trust me! This is so, so important.
I took two histories, three english levels (advanced + ext. 1 & 2) and food technology. History & english = lots of essays and writing and research. Food tech was a bit of a break from all that writing...it kind of balanced everything out.
If you're planning on taking a general level of maths, then sure, if you're comfortable with it, take extension 1 & 2 english. But if you're planning on taking advanced maths, maybe chemistry, physics, biology, a history and then advanced english...maybe stick to just extension 1, or maybe don't take an extension subject at all if your workload is too great.
Calculate your workload and pick what you think you can handle...and what will challenge you, and push you to do your best. It's a hard balance to find, but just trust yourself.
There's no use picking a bunch of extension and advanced subjects...only to go into Yr 12 and be bogged down by the immense workload. That way you're not going to be giving 100% to every subject and your marks will drop.
The ultimate goal? Balance. And intrigue/enjoyment. You should be curious - excited to attend your lessons, and engaged with the work/topics you're doing. The more you enjoy something, the better you will do at it.
I think you have a nice balance so far. You have maths, bio, art...a well-rounded selection that I think works. But English is tricky. Because none of them relate! The Advanced English course is totally different from Extension 1, which is different from Extension 2.
So with Extension 1, I would try and see what topic/s your school has chosen before deciding whether or not you want to take it.
For Extension 2...it's totally up to you. You're in charge - 110%. You pick what format you'll be doing (poetry, short story, script, etc.) and you pick what your major theme/idea is. You write it. You hand it in. There's no HSC exam for it. Your HSC = your major work.
So if you're brimming with ideas and are self-motivated, I recommend Extension 2. Actually...knowing you and your writing skills...I highly recommend Extension 2! Your writing style is utterly magical <3
But, again, I don't know how your school works. At my school, in order to do Extension 2, you had to be doing Extension 1. You couldn't skip a level, if that makes sense.
I don't know if I was any help, but I hope my ramblings have managed to clear a little bit of the confusion surrounding the brutal process of picking HSC subjects! If you need any help/advice at all, just let me know :)
Hey im looking to go to macquarie too! Only a few months left till HSC.Q: What clubs are you enrolled in at Uni?
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I took another look at the course outline and I thought it sounded pretty interesting. A while ago my teacher mentioned her Extension 1 class was studying texts like Hamlet and Jane Austen's Emma but I'll ask her again.
Visual arts, society and culture (another subject I was considering) and Extension 2 all have major projects and work so it might be a heavy workload but my teachers said that as long as I manage and use my time wisely I'll be okay.
Currently I think I'll try for Extension 1, then if I can cope with that throughout year 11, I'll do Extension 2 in year 12. :) I'll still ask around a little more before I make my final decision - I have a month or so to think about it. But again, thank you so much for all your help. :D
@aurora - your school makes you pick extension? Do you go to a selective school?
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Yes I do. :) They make us do Advanced english or higher - standard isn't offered at all.
Aurora wrote: "Sasha Ivashkov-Herondale-Jackson (Clarisse) wrote: "@aurora - your school makes you pick extension? Do you go to a selective school?"Yes I do. :) They make us do Advanced english or higher - stan..."
ah yes. makes sense. Well you must be pretty smart! Definately gonna get a good ATAR then! Good luck :)
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This helps a lot! :) Subject Selections are coming up really quickly.
Ughhhh. I hate subject selections. I always get so stressed about them. First it's me trying to decide and poring over a gazillion and one course guides and asking friends and teachers etc. Then it's the world screaming "DON"T DO THAT" that stresses me out. And by the time I actually get to the point where I have to make decisions, I'm so stressed sometimes I think I'm about to combust!!!!
They just put so much pressure on "choosing the subjects you want" and then go ahead and try and sway your opinion!!!!!!!!!
They just put so much pressure on "choosing the subjects you want" and then go ahead and try and sway your opinion!!!!!!!!!
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I found it (in a word) enlightening. If you've ever dreamed of becoming an author, or have been jotting down stories/poems/scripts in your notebook in the hopes of publishing them one day, English Extension 2 is a chance to experience a portion of what that process is like.
It's truly one of the only subjects you'll do in highschool where the content, the end result, and the experience is fully controlled by you. True, you have a teacher. True, you have a mentor (a.k.a someone you pick to read over your work/give guidance during the process). But you are the conductor, so to speak. You make all the big, and final, decisions regarding your major work.
And that can be daunting. Especially with so much else going on in your HSC year, being in charge of a major work can seem like an almost Herculean task.
But if composing either a poem/short story/script, etc. is something you love doing/would like to do ever, English Extension 2 is an opportunity to see first-hand how well you do what you like to do.
For my major work, I submitted a short story. My major concept was psychosis. I wanted to break down stereotypes and social beliefs surrounding mental illness through my story. I enjoyed writing it and creating my characters. I loved the feeling of sitting down and explaining to a teacher my vision, and hearing their ideas on how to make that vision a reality.
But...I disliked a few factors. To do Extension English 2 you have to be firm. You have to be strong-minded and strong-willed. Because, naturally, a teacher's first impulse is to give you ideas, advice, and even (when editing your work) tell you what to include/not include.
Yet, it is you who is handing this major work in. It's your name on the forms. And it's you who will receive the HSC mark for it.
I had to defend a lot of the choices I made regarding my major work, that went against my teacher's advice. In the end, I made last minute edits to the final copy the night before it was due, so that when I handed it in she didn't have time to critique the final product!
It's truly a chance to create something that is your own. I think I was more proud of what I achieved in English Extension 2 than in any other class I ever took.
As for English Extension 1, depending on your topic, it can actually really help your English Extension 2 major work. My school chose Romanticism, and many of the poems/short stories we covered (like those by Edgar Allen Poe, for e.g.) provided inspiration for certain elements in my Extension 2 work.
I hope that helped! I wish you the best of luck with whatever you decide to choose/do for your HSC year <3
Jay wrote: "Are you going to see 22 Jump Street?"i dunno about booknut but i definately am!
Are you excited about season 4 of Teen wolf?
Have you seen/ going to see The Fault in our Stars at Cinema?
Mod
"Yes! It was amazing - incredibly sad (needed lots of tissues) but beautiful all the same :)
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Yes.
Have you seen season 4 of Teen Wolf?Have you caught up on TVD?
Jay wrote: "Have you seen season 4 of Teen Wolf?Have you caught up on TVD?"
*pats on shoulder*
Its okay, man. Maybe she's just busy with college and stuff
Mod
I have not, as of yet, watched Season 4 of Teen Wolf, and I'm not 100% up to date w/ TVD either. I have been making an effort to try and catch up on my fave TV shows - I've finally caught up on Game of Thrones, PLL and OUAT, and will be sure to make some time to watch TVD and Teen Wolf soon.
Awesome BooknutCongratulations
Have an awesome second semester
What did you think of the season finale of OUAT?Do you watch the TV show True Blood?
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And no, I don't watch True Blood.
Yeah The finale was amazing
What did you think about Regina and Robin Hood?
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Have you seen the TV show Under the Dome?
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If I find the time to :)
Booknut wrote: "Jay wrote: "Are you going to see the movie Lucy?"If I find the time to :)"
Cool
I hope you find the time
Any tips on how to read more efficiently?
I have a sort of school-y question (inspired by Kitty's right above mine). Do you have any advice on how to annotate books well for school? I'm taking AP lit this year and I have absolutely no experience with it, and I'm just overall a nervous wreck. Any tips for better school-reading would be wonderful!
Thanks a million <3
Mod
That's a hard question! But I'll try my best to answer it :)
Tips:
- If you're the sort of person who is a slow/moderately paced reader and you wish to increase your reading speed, I totally recommend taking a look at this article for tips to improve not only you speed, but your focus.
I once did a speed-reading/study course in highschool & it really did help me retain focus for longer whilst reading and to read more in a limited amount of time.
- Figure out if you're a music off/music on person.
Music off people require silence in order to read more efficiently. This means you should try and find a room where you can read alone, or even outside if the weather is good.
If you're a music on person, listening to tunes whilst you read - either instrumental/orchestral music, or slower songs - helps the mind focus on the book. I try and pick music that suits the 'mood' of the book, to better immerse myself in the story.
However - if you're in between - try coloured noise. My top recommendations are white noise and blue noise. White noise is basically the sound of no sound. Different coloured noises help you focus better. They're great for studying and I used them for HSC prep, and still use them for reading every now and then.
You can find them via Youtube. Here is a blue noise sample to get you started.
- Understand what you like to read and don't like to read.
Simple truth: if you're not interested in a book, and if it's just not grabbing your attention, then you won't be able to read it efficiently.
I consider myself a fast reader. And I have been stuck on a book for weeks when it hasn't particularly interested me. You lose focus mid-page. You just can't connect with the characters. The problems go on!
Narrow down the genres/features you admire, or that interest you, in books and stick to these. Don't be afraid to go outside of your comfort zone every now and then, however. I encourage everyone to read/try a variety of books. But if you're looking for an efficient, exciting read, read things that ignite your imagination.
I hope these tips have given you some ideas as to how to go about reading more efficiently. If you have any other questions regarding anything at all, just let me know <3
Mod
Do you have any advice on how to annotate books well for school? I'm taking AP lit this year and I have absolutely no ex..."
Annotating books is an art. Honestly, I remember being shocked the first time my teacher asked me to write in a book. To me, book pages were sacred! And to mar their beauty...it was totally unthinkable ;)
But school requires you to do a lot of things that are 'unthinkable', annotating books being one of them. So here are my tips on annotating books:
Tips:
- First look at the unit outline.
Every english/lit class should have an outline of what points you're covering with the books assigned. E.g. Book A is being used in the 'belonging' unit. Book B is being used to discuss representations of historical figures in literature, etc.
These outlines show you why the teachers are bothering with this book.
- Turn the outline into a checklist.
Make a checklist of the points you wish to look for in this book.
For e.g. If Book B is being used to discuss representations of historical figures in literature, you might want to include the following points on the checklist:
- Historical figures/main characters
- Themes
- Motifs/Symbols/Thesis
- Negative representations
- Positive representations
- References/quotes
- Bias/no bias
- Comparisons (etc, etc.)
This way, you're looking for features of the book that you need to pass the class, and that will be used in assessments, exams, etc.
- Make each point on the checklist a different colour.
Whether you're using pens, highlighters, stickynotes etc. be sure to make each point a different colour. Write down the colour beside the point on the checklist, like a key/legend.
For e.g. For Book B all important quotes will be underlined in red. All positive representations will be underlined in pink, etc.
- Annotate.
Read through the text and search for each of the things on your checklist as you go, page by page.
**Note**: if you're reading in class, be sure to write down anything important that the teacher says. This includes:
- Test/exam hints
- Background information
- Translations (e.g. in Shakespeare)
- Insights (e.g. into the story's themes, characters' motivations, etc.)
- Author motives, etc.
Remember, your teacher is the one marking your work. If she says something is important, or that a quote links to an important theme, write it down!
- Chart it.
If you're using the text for study (e.g. exams) transfer the information onto a chart.
Simply use your checklist points has headings, and summarise the information beneath these headings.
E.g. Book B's Themes heading is divided into the themes found (e.g. matrimony, class equality, etc.). Then write down the important points found for each, with quotes/references where required.
In addition to my tips, here are some resources/articles:
- How To Annotate A Book
- Sparknotes
- Bookrags
I hope this helps <3
Thank you so so much Booknut! I'll be sure to use this <3
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Glad I could help :)
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Booknut wrote: "Good, thanks for asking. Just busy preparing stuff for when my second semester of university starts in a few weeks."You're Welcome
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Very much so!
Do you still have a cold?Hope you feel better
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Hope you feel better"
Yeah I still have a bit of a cold, but I am recovering! It's been a bit of a downer, not being able to work on my pile of reviews. But on the plus side, I've gotten to cuddle up w/ some great books to pass the time :)
Booknut wrote: "Jay wrote: "Do you still have a cold?Hope you feel better"
Yeah I still have a bit of a cold, but I am recovering! It's been a bit of a downer, not being able to work on my pile of reviews. But o..."
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