a medal on top of boxing gloves
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Billy Elliot and the Human Experience: A Guide for HSC Students

BySave My HSC

Are you preparing for the HSC English exams and looking for a comprehensive guide to Billy Elliot? This article delves into the film’s exploration of the human experience, offering insights into connections, empathy, emotions, and storytelling. Perfect for HSC students and parents looking for good resources, this guide will help you understand key themes and prepare…

pensive black man working on essay in light room
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How Important are Trials Really in the NSW HSC?

BySave My HSC

The Higher School Certificate (HSC) trials in New South Wales (NSW) are often seen as a daunting hurdle for Year 12 students. But how important are these trials really? This article delves into the significance of HSC trial exams, their impact on final results, and why they are crucial for student success. Understanding HSC Trials…

che-guevara-cigar
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Discovering The Motorcycle Diaries

BySave My HSC

Today we will be discovering The Motorcycle Diaries. If you are looking for more of an overview of the module please read this article. The most resounding question that comes to mind whilst reading Ernesto “Che” Guevara’s ‘The Motorcycle Diaries’ is, how in the world did a medical student (yes, get a nice clear picture…

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How to Prepare for the HSC English Trials

BySave My HSC

One of the great sadistic joys that a teacher can feel each year is watching students dodge, dip, dive, duck, and dodge away from their responsibilities as the exam period looms closer and closer.  Where I see most students falter is in their dismal lack of planning for the HSC English trials. The Higher School…

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Creative Writing Discovery – Part 2

ByAndrej Trbojevic

In Part 1 of this post, we explored some of the subjective hurdles that may be encountered by students when drafting their Creative Writing for Discovery. Now we will delve more explicitly into the craft of constructing a powerful short story, of allowing a potent discovery to unfold in the short space allocated to you…

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Creative Writing Discovery – Part 1

ByAndrej Trbojevic

The Creative Writing section of the HSC Paper 1 exam offers students the chance to display their understanding of Discovery by using their imagination to construct a short fictional piece. As enjoyable as this is, similar words of caution made about the comprehension section apply a propos of creative writing, for pitfalls abound in preparing for this part of…

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English Paper 1 Comprehension – Standard and Advanced

BySave My HSC

English Paper 1 Comprehension is one of the most ignored sections in the HSC for both English Standard and Advanced students. If you are looking for an introduction to Paper 1: what it is comprised of, what to expect, and how best to prepare for your first ever HSC exam read our Introduction to Discovery post which is…

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Surviving the HSC Trials

BySave My HSC

In an act of supreme mercy on the part of our educational system, you don’t just sit the HSC once, you get to sit it twice. Yes, celebrate good times, come on, you’ve got the HSC trials coming up!   Now is a good time to work with a tutor to quickly identify exactly how…

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Define a Thesis Statement

BySave My HSC

Being able to define a thesis statement is an imperative skill in the HSC. The success of your English essay almost entirely hinges on how good your THESIS is. Your essay should be understood as an extended exposition of your thesis, with every point being a further piece of evidence in favour of it. All our…

breaking it down exam questions and thesis statements
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Breaking it Down – Exam Questions and Thesis Statements

BySave My HSC

They say the beginning of something is always the hardest part, and this is especially true for essays. You’ve read the question; you know what to want to say, but actually writing it out takes careful planning and a fair idea of where you want to go with your essay. The first point will be…

Preparation Tips for the HSC English Exams
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The Home Stretch- Final Preparation tips for the HSC English Exams

BySave My HSC

This time next week, the English exams will be over and you will never have to write another essay about belonging ever again! Important last minute preparation tips Do not try and pre-learn your essays. You will do a lot better if you write your essay from scratch, adapting your knowledge of the module and…

More Practice Exams Area of Study
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More Practice Exams-Area of Study

BySave My HSC

With English Paper One, it is important to practice as many exam-style questions as you can. The English exams are NOT memory tests-there is no prescriptive syllabus, and the board of studies can, and will, ask you anything about the topic you have studied. You should be trying to remember important quotes, techniques and ideas,…

Studying for HSC Exams
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Studying for Exams and More Sample HSC English Papers

BySave My HSC

The best, and perhaps only way to study for HSC English exams is to practice answering as many questions on your relevant module as possible. More exam papers are attached for you to attempt, or at least look at so you can get an idea of the kinds of questions you may be asked. A…

Sample HSC English Essay Belonging
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Sample HSC English Essay-Belonging

BySave My HSC

Do you find it difficult to write essays about belonging? Firstly, read our post on How to write band six essays ! Then, read the following band six response for further guidance,  or  Download it as a word document This sample HSC English essay received a mark of 14 out of 15. It is not perfect,…

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HSC English Trials Past Papers AND Marking Guidelines

BySave My HSC

This is the best resource you will find online! The new syllabus has only been in effect for over 2 years, so it is very difficult to find papers that are relevant to what you have been studying in class. We have collected a number of past papers from different sources and will continue to…

Belonging Practice Questions
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Belonging Practice Questions-Essay Questions for Paper One

BySave My HSC

It is time to practice and improve your essay skills by having a go at this list of essay questions compiled by Save My HSC especially for you. All of these questions reflect the sort of questions you will have to answer in section three of Paper One. It is highly unlikely they will ask…

Sample Thesis Statements For Belonging Essays
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Sample Thesis Statements for Belonging Essays

BySave My HSC

Still have no idea what a thesis statement is? Take inspiration from these sample thesis statements for belonging essays. All of these thesis statements can be used as starting points for arguments about belonging! Experience Our life experiences teach us that when we stop trying to belong we realise that we have always belonged We…

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Writing Band Six Essays-Intelligent Introductions

BySave My HSC

The first thing the marker reads is your introduction, and thus a solid introduction can engage the marker and make them actually want to read your essay. The other advantage of a decent introduction is that if for some reason you don’t get to finish your essay, the marker will at least know what you…

Writing Band Six Essays-DO NOT PREPARE AND LEARN ONE ANSWER
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Writing Band Six Essays-DO NOT PREPARE AND LEARN ONE ANSWER

BySave My HSC

In case the capital letters didn’t scare you enough I will repeat it just so you can gauge the severity of this warning—do not pre prepare your essays. Unless you genuinely want to fail HSC English there is no excuse for going into your English exams with one memorised essay for each unit you have…

Five Ways to improve CREATIVE WRITING for Paper One Section Two
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Five Ways to improve CREATIVE WRITING for Paper One, Section Two

BySave My HSC

There is no other way to describe Paper One, Section Two but as the bane of every HSC student’s existence. Yes, this section requires you to compose an imaginative text that demonstrates what you have learnt about belonging and/or non-belonging. It is essentially a living hell, but don’t be disheartened. Use the ten tips in…

Five More Ways to Improve CREATIVE WRITING for Paper One, Section Two
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Five More Ways to Improve CREATIVE WRITING for Paper One, Section Two

BySave My HSC

Six: If you write a classic narrative, structure it well If you choose to write a narrative, write it properly. Think about WHO, WHERE, WHEN, WHAT, WHY, HOW to develop your storyline. Begin with your orientation-introduce the characters and setting and the details of the back story required to understand where your story is going….

Belonging-Everything you need to know about the Area Of Study
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Belonging-Everything you need to know about the Area Of Study

BySave My HSC

The Board of Studies tells us that “the Area of Study requires students to explore the ways in which the concept of belonging is represented in and through texts.”  Simple enough, yes? Not quite. Anyone who has ever gone through the excruciatingly painful procedure of studying one concept for just shy of half the English…