(Sappho) Paper one practice : Feedback/Reflection

The word CAT had been prowling around the crevices of my mind for a week, but, as one does, I left my ‘preparation’ for the last day. Unfortunately, this was not a result of bad time management, but rather a result of no time left to manage. As I sat in my seat staring at the surplus of information, scrolling through the slides given, I wondered if any work I did in the two hours ahead of me would have an impact on my practice test the next day.

 

Surprisingly, it did.

 

Here’s what I learnt from this practice test:

 

  • Practice truly makes perfect: writing a paper one under timed conditions and being able to make connections isn’t a skill that one comes by easily. I plan to write one paper one every Sunday, allowing for a slow, but steady improvement

 

  • Learn to develop eye and vocabulary in view of CRAFT issue.
    • We use the term Narrative Elements to describe aspects of storytelling. The term Literary Devices refers to specific tools of language that can appear in any genre of writing.Our Narrative Elements are setting, foreshadowing, and characterization. They apply to most texts that tell a story, fiction or nonfiction, and they tend to be closely linked to an overall narrative arc. Although we have not focused on them here, other elements of narrative include theme, plot, conflict, and point of view.

      Our Literary Devices are alliteration, personification, simile, metaphor, allusion, irony, and parallel structure. These are some of the techniques authors use to convey meaning. There are many other literary devices, including understatement, hyperbole, and onomatopoeia.

      If you want to learn more about the aspects of author’s craft that we have not emphasized in this project, try doing some research online. The craft of writing offers endless opportunities for learning!

 

  • The seven lies in the details: there’s very little space for general statements, empty platitudes, and more of the same. Unlike philosophy, TOK, art, the abstract is a distraction, and I gain more from being direct and precise in my approach, whether it is accurate or not.

 

  • Stress really is a true inhibitor: Good sleep, a stable mental state, etc are key for a successful CAT, allowing me to analyse my mistakes without stress playing into the blunders.

 

  • Re-reading is extremely important

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