Putting the ‘Lit’ in Literature- Reflections of an English Nerd

I’ve always been one of those students who adults would tell, “You would make a great lawyer-” which now, I understand, was code for- “Wow, you talk A LOT and argue ALL THE TIME!” And if you ask anyone who took an English class with me in school, they’ll tell you that I had absolutely no qualms with taking a firm stance against a widely accepted opinion, or fervently shaking my head at the teacher’s own reading of a book or play. And although it gives me a little second hand embarrassment to reflect on those years, I wouldn’t do anything differently. 

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Throughout high school, English was my favourite subject. I did well in the end (attaining 1st in the state in Extension 1, 10th in Advanced + 99.95) because I genuinely loved the subject. So, it would be an absolute joy for me to share some tips and tricks that I’ve garnered throughout my years of being a devout lover of literature. 

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TLDR:

1. Purpose is everything  
2. Don’t expect to understand a text instantly
3. My stance on fancy words 
4. Read widely 
5. Discourse, discourse, discourse
6. Learn to disagree 
7. Draw from your own experiences 
8. Balance is incredibly important

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The words you write 

1. Purpose is everything  

So firstly, in the least insufferable way possible, studying English never felt like a burden for me because in hindsight, I made it a point to find a purpose in every text- and I promise, there’s always gonna be one- whether it's the Rainbow Fish or Macbeth. And the way I think you find this kind of purpose is by realising how crucial it is to see a text and see how it speaks to our own lives in the present. For me, I found it cool how texts change and evolve their meaning to find new relevance in new times. One of the most obvious examples I can think of is Ishiguro’s Klara and the Sun, which becomes more ironic as AI becomes more prevalent and the idea of an "Artificial Friend” becomes more feasible. So it was this currency of learning that became so compelling to me- I found the purpose of text to make up the purpose of my learning. 

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Eventually, what I learnt was that every subject, but especially English, rewards both living and observing our own unique lives. Creative writing is enriched by experiences that you yourself have had. Essay writing is forming a thesis that you yourself believe in. A purpose that’s unique and that you find alone. 

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2. Don’t expect to understand a text instantly

I’ll be honest- sometimes, you’ll be assigned a text that you just don’t understand. Sometimes, you’ll open the comprehension paper, skim the extract, skim it again, skim it some more…dissect it, analyse it…and still have a total mind blank. And I would like to tell you that understanding and grappling with a text takes time and effort. My tip here would be to break a text down into its simpler elements (before making any dramatic overtures that something is ‘dumb’ or ‘stupid.’). This looks like finding Youtube videos to explain a plot summary, or even maybe an abridged or illustrated version of a text. Reading an alumni’s essay to see how someone else viewed the text. I remember when I studied Little Women in school- to be frank, the thought of reading a full novel in my Year 8 summer holidays was daunting and terrible, so I bought the graphic novel to supplement :) 

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3. My stance on fancy words 

Before I move on, I’d like to share my English hot take- and that is that you do not  need long, rambling, esoteric words to make your essay good. English is a subject that is centred around communication- thus, when writing an essay think to yourself- Would the average person be able to pick up my essay and gain something useful from it? I mean, I appreciate a good crunchy word like the next English-lover, but I also think that it can become a slippery slope- relying on words instead of an actual solid thesis. 

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Forming your thesis 

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4. Read widely 

But how am I meant to know what to write? I think that an often overlooked (and undervalued, in today’s age of generative AI) aspect of English is enjoying the actual reading part yourself. There are a few reasons why I think this, and applicability I see across all the different sections of HSC English. For one, it helps massively in your creative/discursive writing. I studied this concept in English Extension 1-  the idea of the “palimpsest.” It’s the concept that no text exists in a vacuum, and every writer is in fact influenced or inspired by a vast repository of texts in the massive literary universe. When you read great literature, you subconsciously imbibe some of that writer’s language, making YOU a unique wielder of words. And it doesn’t have to exclusively be classics or old texts. Reading anything is better than not reading at all. 

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On another note, reading academic articles helped me massively in grasping some of the more difficult texts. For example, I was never one to be able to read a Shakespeare play cover-to-cover before the school term actually started. So, a great place for me to start was Google Scholar, or JSTOR. You can get the general gist of a play or book by reading what a bunch of clever academics have said before you, and you can pick up some seriously crunchy, delicious vocabulary in the meantime. 

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So, read widely, and anything you can get your hands on. In a world where students are implicitly encouraged to throw a prompt into Chat or Claude, I implore you to make the conscious decision to use your big, beautiful brain for good. 

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5. Discourse, discourse, discourse

One of the best things you can do for your English brain is to engage in discourse. I was great at this (though, important to note the distinction between arguing respectfully and disrespectfully) but conversations can happen in a lot of ways. For one, exchanging essays with friends helped greatly, because you’re able to see how different people read a certain text. And just because a friend has a different thesis or focus doesn’t make your take any less valid- rather, it expands both of your worldviews- allowing you to make revisions to your own argument, one that will be enriched by the fellow scholars you co-pollinate with. 

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6. Learn to disagree 

On that note, it is also important to learn how to disagree, and not passively accept certain opinions. It’s something a lot of students don’t realise- for example, in a “To what extent…” essay, it’s very much possible to disagree with a critical quote or analysis. I think that disagreeing and debating certain issues engages a part of your brain that rewards creativity and engagement. You learn a lot from other people’s dissenting views, even if you totally disagree, because you learn at its core that such views exist and circulate throughout the world. And attaining that insight into the diversity of the world will make you a better English student because you’ll be able to see the world of literature for what it is- reflective of the real world (As I’m writing this, I want you to imagine walking into a bookstore and reading the titles of all the  sections in the store- Feminist literature, Queer literature, Postcolonial, Marxist, Indigenous, Asian-Australian, Eco-literature, Proletarian, Biographies, Autobiographies…. The list goes on and on!)

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7. Draw from your own experiences 

English does not exist within a vacuum. It’s not like maths in that sense (no shade to my STEM lovers) where you rely on formulas and equations to follow a linear path to a certain answer. Instead, English is a subject that requires active meaning-making (A bit of reader-response theory, if you will). So, I encourage you to see how a text slots into your own worldview. For me, Shakespeare was an awesome example- I remember reading Othello and Macbeth and thinking- Wow, I actually know people and public figures who take on these same character traits. I remember reading Anne of Green Gables and relating so fiercely to Anne Shirley-Cuthbert and her love of words and language. 

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On that note, don’t be afraid to cherish the last moments you have with friends in Year 12 and chase experiences. Because these experiences will invariably benefit your English brain! How do you know how to write about what sand feels like, the individual grains beneath your feet, if you haven’t been to the beach? How can you write about injustice and the experiences of a minority group if you haven’t gone out into the world and met or talked to one? Ultimately, I feel like a huge part of maintaining interest in English  is seeing how what you study extends beyond the HSC. 

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High school in general

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8. Balance is incredibly important

My final tip is not about English but instead about high school in general. And that is, as I’m sure many grads will tell you, that balance is incredibly important- not just academically, but socially. For example, the library was a great example of work-life balance during the HSC. If any of you know me, you’ll know I like to be social. And in the beginning of Year 12, I kind of tried to tell myself not to be during exam periods. But I genuinely cannot stress how IMPORTANT the library and studying together became as the year went on (shoutout Ashfield library). So, to circle back to my initial point on purpose- my amazing friends gave me a greater purpose. I had a reason to go to the library, because I knew I’d have a good chat or exam debrief, or cheeky Woolies run. In any case, prioritising human connection kept me sane and added some whimsy to a time that goes insufferably slowly and painfully quickly at the same time. 

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English isn’t everyone’s cup of tea, but I firmly believe that anyone can find even the smallest bit of meaning in a text if they see where it fits into the grander scheme of life. So, be generous with your time and relationship with English. My opinion is that the purpose of the HSC is not the ATAR-  instead I think gathering knowledge and experiences should be yours, and the ATAR is a metric of reward, but not measuring it alone. So no matter what you’re studying, I hope for everyone to find a purpose in this really hard, but really rewarding part of high school. 

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• Jio xx

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