Your relationship with the General Paper (with Rizz)
Do YOU want to learn how to enjoy the General Paper IMMEDIATELY?
Do YOU want to CONQUER this daunting subject TODAY?
Do YOU want to CLINCH that A, right NOW?
If you answered all the questions above with an impassioned “YES!”, then you’ve come to the right place!
For a small price of $999, you can get all of tha-
I’m kidding, of course.
Improving your General Paper is a marathon, not a sprint – you’re in it for the long game.
And, in the spirit of Valentines’ day, I will (very kindly) divulge to you my nuggets of wisdom on love.
But, before you read on. I suggest you check out our previous blog posts too, just so you get an idea of how to introduce yourself to this subject. Any good love story starts with a good introduction.
The Talking Stage
You’re excited but unsure, giddy but queasy, delighted but cautious. You feel as if you’re stuck in a state of limbo.
Welcome to “the talking stage” of the General Paper.
Maybe you’ve finally got down to actually studying for this subject, or maybe you’ve just stumbled across a jaw-dropping essay in your school’s bulletin – either way, you’re just finding out about the beauty and thrill of this subject.
The excitement is immediate. You feel as though something is blooming within you. You cannot wait to pen down something beautiful – and then you stop. Hesitation creeps in, you’re not sure what to write and you’re definitely not sure of HOW to write it.
We’ve all been there. We see someone else write something so evocative and so breath-taking that we just want to (awkwardly) replicate it immediately. Or, you’ve poured your heart out into your most recent essay and yet you receive the most disappointing marks back.
I know that the easiest thought right now is to just give up. Surely, it's much more comforting to return to your Mathematics equations, right? The one that you will surely get correct?
No. The only easy day was yesterday.
The key here is to press on.
Press on in this awkward limbo. Probe deep into the subject – think until your brain hurts and write until your hand feels the same.
And, one day, you will find that you’ve reached…
The Dating Stage
You’re not quite together yet, but you know that you’re exclusive.
This is probably the part where you will start getting the “icks”. Something about the subject will start to annoy you. Is it too banal? Too repetitive? Too tedious? And, once again, the idea of giving up will tempt you.
I’m here to tell you again… NO!
But, instead of advising you to just keep pressing on. I would suggest you try and approach the subject from a different point of view. Switch things up and approach things in another way.
Is your current method of content absorption too passive? Consider switching to other multi-modal means (ie. watching a film or a documentary about the subject). Do you find yourself always attempting the same few questions? Attempt a “wild-card” question, then.
To find out what is boring you, examine what and how you are studying. If you put in the work and continue in this marathon, you will see yourself approaching the next milestone.
In a Relationship
Finally, hurrah! You’re together – it’s confirmed and you’re absolutely over the moon. At this point, the subject should come quite naturally to you. You’d probably be more excited than scared if there was a pop test coming up.
I must congratulate you. You put in hard work and dedication to get here.
And yet, I also must warn you. For any kind of relationship, maintaining it will take hard work. The General Paper is no different. Finally attaining your first ‘A’ doesn’t guarantee that you will keep getting it. You have to be consistent and you have to be mindful.
Good couples will learn to overcome problems, find ways to keep the relationship refreshing and seek ways to grow as people – and surely, you want to be in a good relationship too, right?
So, get ready to go on a journey of a lifetime, and embark on a romance that will change you in indelible ways.
Au Revoir,
Bubbles
