3u English is VERY different to the way in which 3u maths complements 2u maths as a "harder" version of its concepts - it is actually a completely different course to Advanced English. Thus, you have to be so much more self-driven in order to well. I would advise you to know your texts inside and out, do a LOT of context research on the influences of the era and the ways of thinking and basically immerse yourself to the point where you actually enjoy reading about it. This is paramount to success in the course because the questions in the HSC for Extension have an inclination to be quite specific and curveballs are pretty typical, so just basic knowledge won't cut it. Simply put, you are exponentially better off in Extension if you seek interest in your elective - otherwise you will probably burn out from the boredom anyway (70% of my class did) which you will otherwise make the class out to be. Not only is the content different to Advanced, but the standards are much higher imo. Your essays are expected to critically evaluate by fleshing out your own argument which must be supported by quotes from scholars, critics etc. And you also ultimately end up writing about 4 texts in an essay, so you have to be able to integrate and synthesise your response, as opposed to a block essay style for the 2 texts in Advanced. Also, it is much harder to achieve in the A range in Extension in my experience, so draft early and keep handing them into your teacher. Oh and also, not that this is within your control really, but your teacher can definitely make or break your experience in the course. Unfortunately I am currently experiencing the latter; however, earlier in the year, I had an incredible teacher who was so passionate about our elective and it made me look forward to class each lesson. That said, it is a lot of work for a single unit and frankly it always feels like it's just another 2 units of English. I know there is this tendency to prioritise Advanced - I know I certainly did in prelim - but dedication to Extension is also important if you want to achieve high marks. Advanced in itself is notorious for being difficult (not so much in prelim, but HSC is definitely a jump), so you might find it hard to balance the two. That's why I think you would highly benefit if you manage your time well and start your essays early! [emoji4] Also, this is from an HSC student doing the former syllabus (I'm assuming you'll be the first cohort to undertake the new one), so it may not be the most accurate but it should be pretty close nonetheless!
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