Mastering the General Paper: Proven Strategies for D-Day
It’s the night before the big exam.
For some, they’ve had an ongoing A streak that they are stressed to maintain, and for others, General Paper is one of the hardest subjects that they’ve ever had to tackle. But no matter which camp you are in, I’m sure that we all feel the bite of anxiety – it just depends on whether it’s a nibble or a chomp.
Today, let’s go through what you can do to ease this stress and make sure that you perform at your best in your next GP exam.
Go in, Prepared
I’m sure that this is quite a duh idea. However, it is the hard truth. The best way to ease your nerves is to be sure that you’ve already tried your best, way prior to the exam.
If you want to know how to prepare/study for the general paper, click here to be directed to our previous blog post for revision techniques.
If you’re reading this and you feel called out. Then, that’s a sign that you’ve not done enough, not enough to make yourself proud, at least. Keep this thought in mind and make sure that you’ll be more prepared by the next examination.
Adopt Frameworks
Choosing a good question to do for paper 1 was one of the most challenging tasks for me. How do I know if it’s the best question? Which one am I most prepared for? What if none of the questions make sense to me?
So, this framework I learned from Classicle really made things a lot simpler.
Shortlist 3 questions that feel the most familiar to you.
If you’re a prepared little birdy, chances are some of the questions are similar to others you’ve practiced before. If they’re not, choose the ones that sound the most exciting and or comfortable.
Try and list out 8 examples that come to mind for each question
These examples should come to you naturally. You shouldn’t have to crack your head open for them and you shouldn’t have to spend an inordinate amount of time generating them. If you can’t think of 8 examples for a question, then just move on to the next question.
The 1 choice is clear.
For which question did the example generating come easiest? Which question feels the most familiar? At this point, the choice should be obvious.
And once you’ve chosen the question, don’t look back. That’s the only question that exists now, and that’s the question that you’re going to excel at. Don’t let any semblance of doubt creep into your mind.
There are plenty more frameworks that can be adopted into your arsenal. (What are some sure-win buzzwords for the AQ?) Exchange tips with your friends and figure out which ones work best for you. Knowing all these viable frameworks will make you feel much more confident when you step into the exam hall.
Adapt. Improvise. Overcome.
I know that most of us tend to bank on a few topics. Politics, Media, Sports, whatever. And our greatest fear is that one day, none of these topics will appear in our 8 or 12 options. I can’t tell you that that won’t happen (Murphy’s law – anything that can go wrong will go wrong) but I can tell you that you will be able to tackle the paper, nonetheless.
Get ready to be flexible. Your favourite topic can become a paragraph for a completely unrelated question. A lot of the ideas that are most familiar to you can be applied to other topics too. For example, (and this is an easter egg from our previous blog post,）your favourite example about Messi and Ronaldo can be applied to an essay about leadership. Or, that lingering tidbit about the most disgusting art piece can be adapted to fit an essay about controversies.
Reconfigure your mind. Know that tomorrow is full of uncertainties but you will be able to tide any wave.
This all seems much easier said than done but we know that you’re more than capable. And so I leave you with one of my favourite quotes.
“I have loved the stars too fondly to be fearful of the night” – Sarah Williams
You got this.
Bubbles
