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Will you get lower marks if you use related texts from study guides? (1 Viewer)

Sanical

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Do you think that a person would get lower if they use a related text from a study guide like excel? I'm guessing a lot of people in the state would have been desperate for a text and just used whatever the study guides have so they don't have to do the hard work. Will the markers catch on this and become tougher when marking these? Is it worth getting a related text 100% spoon-fed from a study guide which many people will use or is it better to use unique related texts?

I'm fail at english so I was going to borrow some study guides and see which one covers the most info on a related text and choose it. Although I'm guessing many people will so I'm not sure if I will be marked toughly because of it
 

Tacitus

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Absolutely not. If it's not on the official prescribed text list, then nobody will mind.

HSC markers have a professional obligation to mark each essay as an individual piece and not compared to any other submission. Popularity (or simplicity) of a text will not drag down your mark at all if your analysis is clear and relevant to the question.

Good material will always be good material, whether it's from a BOS-sanctioned study guide or if it came to you in a dream.

What makes study guide texts so handy is that they're easier to relate to a wide variety of questions. There's nothing to lose from consulting one.
 

Sanical

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a lot of people are going to use it so it might be frowned upon
That's what I thought :O

Absolutely not. If it's not on the official prescribed text list, then nobody will mind.

HSC markers have a professional obligation to mark each essay as an individual piece and not compared to any other submission. Popularity (or simplicity) of a text will not drag down your mark at all if your analysis is clear and relevant to the question.

Good material will always be good material, whether it's from a BOS-sanctioned study guide or if it came to you in a dream.

What makes study guide texts so handy is that they're easier to relate to a wide variety of questions. There's nothing to lose from consulting one.
Thanks for that :D
 

Sanical

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Wait, but our teachers want more unique texts. Even if it's a teacher's obligation to mark each essay without bias, I'm sure they're going to mark differently (harshly) to a related text that keeps coming up. I know my teachers hate it when people use similar texts..
 

jnney

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My teacher would say that's frowned upon.
 

determine

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it's not frowned upon as such, but if you do a poor job of it and you basically just regurgitate information that is already in a study guide (and that all the other students doing the same text regurgitate too), then you'll most likely end up getting a lower mark. however, if you do a commonly used text and put your own spin on it, analyse it freshly and contribute your own thoughts and perspectives on the belonging process and how belonging is represented in the text, then I cannot see why you can't penetrate the A range and possibly even score 15/15!
 

Bobbo1

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it's not frowned upon as such, but if you do a poor job of it and you basically just regurgitate information that is already in a study guide (and that all the other students doing the same text regurgitate too), then you'll most likely end up getting a lower mark. however, if you do a commonly used text and put your own spin on it, analyse it freshly and contribute your own thoughts and perspectives on the belonging process and how belonging is represented in the text, then I cannot see why you can't penetrate the A range and possibly even score 15/15!
+1
 

Aluminesis

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I'm quite sure it's alright. I used one from a study guide and frankly did quite well. As determine said, it's all about how unique your argument is. They can't mark you down for what text you do; it's how well you can analyse it, and how deeply you can make relevant connections to the essay question. If you spill back everything from the study guide, rest assured someone else has the same idea. Try to pick out the text, read/watch it yourself, and analyse it on your own. Then, when you're really stuck or just want to be thorough, read through the study guide's points. Original ideas are important :)
 

Aquawhite

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I used the film Momento (old prescribed text for Mod C: History and Memory) and MLK's "I Have A Dream" speech from the Standard English course. I used them both in Mod C and got a mark of 18/20 for my essay.

Do it well, the markers won't mind. If you're reiterating the same ideas and concepts and quotes found in study guides, they're not going to like it.
 
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The thing is if you do a popular related text...there are gonna be standouts for these. ie essays on that text that are just so much better. Hence you may be compared to these. But if you do a not-so-well-known text there is nothing to compare to and you will be judged on your own merits.

if that makes any sense
 

Sanical

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Yeah, I think it's better not to use a related text from study guides anymore. I asked my teachers and they said they see it all the time and to do very well, you'd need to have information that aren't found in study guides. Overall, not a good choice if wanting to get an A.
 

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