How To Study for General Paper and Score A
HOW DO YOU STUDY FOR THE A LEVEL GP PAPER? MANY STUDENTS STRUGGLE WITH STUDYING FOR GP DUE TO HOW DEMANDING IT IS. NOT ONLY DOES IT DEMAND A STRONG COMMAND OF THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE BUT IT ALSO REQUIRES AN UNDERSTANDING OF POPULAR A LEVEL GP TOPICS. THERE ARE A FEW STRATEGIES THAT CAN HELP ANY STUDENT SEE TREMENDOUS IMPROVEMENTS IN THEIR GRADES FOR THE A LEVEL GP PAPER.
Navigating the rigorous demands of the A Level General Paper (GP) can often seem daunting for many students. Contrary to popular belief, success in GP isn't achieved by merely 'winging it', but is a product of a methodical and multifaceted approach to how you study and learn. This includes understanding global affairs, expanding your vocabulary, developing strong analytical abilities, and consistently honing your writing skills. It's a journey that calls for a well-rounded preparation.
As a pioneering force in the domain of General Paper tuition, illum.e stands at the forefront of educational excellence. We are deeply committed to providing students with a plethora of necessary tools, effective strategies, and bespoke learning experiences to help them transcend their academic potential and truly excel in their GP examinations.
1. Keep Up With Current Affairs
Perhaps the most obvious but most overlooked aspect of preparing for the A Level GP paper is keeping up with local and international affairs. Knowledge of current affairs is vital to the GP essay portion and the AQ portion of the A Level GP paper. Particularly in A Level GP paper 1, students are not given a choice of GP questions. Hence, students need to study and have a working knowledge of a wide range of popular A level GP topics.
The Straits Times is the first and most important resource that any student should consult to improve how they tackle GP questions. All will receive a complimentary Straits Times Online Subscription. The 'Opinions' section is particularly valuable for writing GP essays. This section will introduce students to a range of argumentative writing approaches in order to help them improve their GP essays.
Aside from The Straits Times, you might also want to consider other reputable news sources such as BBC News, The Wall Street Journal, and The Economist. Remember, your aim is to expand your horizons and diversify your knowledge base.
To further complement your learning, students can rely on GP notes curated by GP tuition centres such as illum.e. Curated notes would enable students to swiftly establish basic knowledge for popular A level GP topics. In this way, notes can help students get a jump start on their A Level GP paper journey. It should be stressed, however, that curated GP notes are not a substitute for being up to date on current events by reading newspapers.
2. Learn From Others
The best practices of other students and even their mistakes are very useful to a student on their A Level GP paper journey. For instance, by reading GP model essays produced by their peers, students will become familiar with the standards expected in their essays.
Crucially, by borrowing ideas from these GP model essays, students will learn how to study and approach a range of GP essay questions. KS bull, a collection of good essays produced by Rafflesians, is arguably the most famous source of GP model essays.
By reading non-ideal answers to GP questions, students can learn to avoid common mistakes. By being exposed to such errors, students will be able to identify these errors in their own GP essays or in their comprehension answers.
Good GP tuition centres focus on both aspects of learning from one another. They pick up best practices from essays that have done well in tests or written by experienced tutors. They would also have GP tuition classes focused on identifying errors in GP essays and AQ answers.
3. Expand Your Vocabulary
Having a diverse vocabulary is like wielding a powerful weapon in the realm of GP. In addition, it enables you to articulate your ideas with more precision and nuance, thereby securing essential marks. There are various ways to build your word arsenal, such as by reading broadly, consulting a thesaurus, understanding the origins of words, and incorporating newly learned words into your daily discourse and written work. Moreover, a robust vocabulary doesn't just improve your writing style; it breathes life into your arguments and makes your essays more compelling.
4. Learn to Analyse & Answer Questions
Central to excelling in GP is the skill to interpret questions correctly and craft pointed responses. The key lies in maintaining your focus and directly tackling the query — this distinction can elevate your work from satisfactory to exceptional.
At illum.e, we take great pride in providing our students with a comprehensive essay guide. Moreover, we enhance your ability to dissect questions accurately and equip you with strategies to ensure your responses align perfectly with the question's demands. Through our approach, we aim to instil in you the expertise to respond effectively to any GP question, thereby securing your path to excellence.
5. Practice Writing Often
Lastly, it is vital that students keep practising. There is this misconception that as the A level GP paper is only a H1 subject, it does not require much effort. However, this is simply not true. The A level GP paper not only requires great amounts of content for popular A Level GP topics but it also tests language and writing skills. Without practising these skills, they may get rusty and impede the student’s ability to do well in the A Level GP paper.
This is especially vital to the short answer GP questions in the A Level GP paper 1. These questions require a great amount of skills in identifying the GP question type, identifying relevant text and paraphrasing.
Without sufficient practice, these skills can and will get rusty. Hence, it is crucial that students keep practising their craft by writing GP essays or doing past year comprehension papers. Often GP tuition centres have dedicated drill sessions for both papers to ensure that students are well equipped to answer any GP questions that come their way.
For example, at illum.e we have comprehension drill sessions where students learn how to answer GP questions of different types. Our GP notes for these sessions will provide students with ample opportunities to practise answering GP questions of the various types. Hence leaving them in good stead to tackle similar GP questions in the A level GP paper.
To study for the A Level GP paper comes down to these 3 main things. If students are able to keep up with current affairs, learn from others and practise a lot, they would most definitely do very well for the A Level GP paper!
How illum.e Can Help You Excel in Your GP Paper
Acing the A Level GP paper boils down to mastering three primary aspects: staying informed about current affairs, learning from the successes and mistakes of others, and engaging in continuous practice. Rigorously adopting these strategies can significantly elevate your GP scores.
At illum.e, we're committed to facilitating your journey to A Level GP excellence. How? Our unique curriculum replicates the advantages of a one-on-one learning experience, with tailored learning paths designed by multiple expert tutors. We focus on immediate learning and progress, further bolstered by the real-world exam scenario replicated in our in-house mock examinations.
Our comprehensive curriculum ensures you develop a broad spectrum of necessary skills, from expanding your vocabulary and learning how to analyse GP questions accurately, to mastering the craft of essay writing. Moreover, you'll have access to a wide array of study resources, including, but not limited to, carefully curated notes and model essays.
Begin your journey to GP success with illum.e today. Learn how our team of dedicated, experienced tutors, proven teaching methodologies, and a wealth of learning resources can help you unlock your potential and achieve that coveted A grade.