Study for an exam essay by brainstorming potential topics.
Writing an exam essay is difficult because of the time limitation and the fact that you often do not know exactly what the essay question will be. Furthermore, many students find writing under pressure stressful. You are more likely to make mistakes and you do not have as much time to consider your ideas. However, if you prepare you can avoid the temptation to panic.
Studying
Studying for an exam essay is possible. If your teacher has not already given you an exam review, brainstorm possible essay topics. Consider the texts you studied in class. English exam essay questions usually ask you to compare or contrast two or more texts. On a piece of paper using a list or a mind map, brainstorm all the similarities and differences between the novels, plays and poems you studied during the semester. Look especially for repeating themes, for example, heroism, tragedy, industrialism, etc.
Planning Your Time
Because you are under time constraints in an exam, allot yourself so many minutes for every step of the essay. If you have a total of 30 minutes to write the essay, plan for five minutes to write an outline, 22 minutes to write the essay and three minutes to proofread. This planning will ensure you do not run out of time.
Outlining Your Ideas
Outlining your ideas will save you time. Never just begin to write the essay without planning what you are going to say first. Separating the planning and writing stages leads to faster writing because at that stage you already know what you want to say. You simply have to put it into sentences. Come up with a solid thesis (argument) or topic sentence, three major reasons and two or three minor points to support the major reasons.
Staying Focused
Avoid panicking during your exam. Relax, take a deep breath and try not to look up from your page to see what other students are doing. Sit near the back of the classroom if possible so you are not bothered by students finishing and leaving early. If there are other sections on the exam, you may want to finish the essay first.
Proofreading
Always leave yourself two or three minutes to read over your essay quickly. Check for grammar, spelling and punctuation mistakes. Because you already planned a solid outline, the ideas in your essay should be sound, but check that the reader can follow your ideas from one sentence to the next.
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