Timed Essays

Hi everyone!

Now that school’s finally started up again, I can finally post stuff to help (or entertain) anyone who might read this blog. So, seeing as I’m in the mood after that EPIC 50min history essay on ‘Did Richard III Kill the Princes’ which I really don’t care about anyway, this post is going to be all about:

HOW TO HANDLE A TIMED ESSAY

Okay, I have to admit I’m really bad with anything that’s ‘timed’. Even in those games where the clock counts up, I get really stressed and freak out and quit the game, but unfortunately, chances are that’s not going to work in essays.

Firstly, you have to get over the fact that the time is ticking. Don’t write too quickly, and think about what you’re writing before you write it, so even if you run out of time to re-read, it shouldn’t be too bad.

Also, it always helps to know what you’re writing before-hand. If it’s a story, consider several plotlines and choose one that best fits the situation. Using dreams to end stories are NOT GOOD, as it shows you have not planned your time. However, it is better than nothing so you be the judge… Other essays can be a bit trickier to plan, unless you know the topic. If so, then write out the essay the night before, memorise it (I have a really good short-term memory but if you can’t, just try get the main points…) and write away when it’s time.

That brings me to re-reading. I know all the teachers go “re-read, re-read, re-read”, but it really depends on the type of person:
1. You are always careful when you write, rarely making silly errors, and you write slowly:
For you, I think it’s not all that important. I mean yes, by all means re-read it and check it over and over if you have time to spare, but if you’re going to cut short a good story or essay just to re-read it, then you might want to reconsider… After all, one or two small things won’t make much difference

2. You often make silly mistakes in your writing and you write very quickly:
If you’re this type of person, then the best thing you can do is RE-READ, EDIT, and RE-READ AGAIN! As long as you do that, you should be fine with most grammatical issues. But what’s that you say? You can never find spelling mistakes because they are forever playing hide and seek with you, or you just can’t remember what that silly word looks like? Simple: If you can’t find the error and have plenty of time, read the essay backwards. So instead of ‘I really like horses’ read ‘horses like really I’. You generally miss these spelling errors because your brain is focussing on something else. Reading backwards means there’s only one thing to concentrate on anyway. And if you can’t remember a single word, REPLACE IT, there are over 750 000 000 words, surely there’s one you can use instead.

3. You write quickly and accurately:
If this is you, I don’t know why you are reading this blog. Maybe you could stare out the window or something? More seriously though, if you can actually write quickly without mistakes then maybe you could expand on your ideas. Add more information, more adjectives, make improvements. I follow the improvements=((minutes remaining)/5) equation. (Okay, I may have made that up on the spot, but it does work) So you divide the amount of time after you have completed the whole essay by 5, and then make that many improvements. After you’ve done that, by all means stare out the window.

4. You write slowly and often make errors:
Okay, the only thing for you is to improve one or the other. To write quicker, write more. Yup, that’s the only way to do it. Try to see how many times you can write ‘I love horses because horses are the absolute best things ever!’ in a minute (or a sentence of your choice). While watching television, it helps if you just keep writing, for 30-50mins straight. Or, even better, be in my maths class, where we have to write and draw for 45mins straight anyway. Great practice, right?

Top Tips for Timed Essay Writing:
1. Plan and allocate time for what you are writing before-hand
2. Ignore the time while writing
3. Consider the time after writing
4. If time allows, re-read, edit, and then stare out of the window (jokes)
5. Make improvements using the improvements=((minutes remaining)/5) method

Happy writing!!
ihearthorses


PS. I’ve probably missed heaps of important stuff because I just wrote this quickly due to apparent ‘high demand’. Please comment and I can add more.
PPS. I’ll post my history essay soon, please note that all work on here is COPYRIGHT!