Reading, finding and analyzing the minuscule details present in literature is not something easy to do, especially in the Canadian Ontario International Baccalaureate (IB) curriculum where marks are reflected in the essays you write and how well you are able to find the meaning behind a text. Like art, the marking in English courses is so subjective to the teacher that it can be detrimental to a student’s self-esteem, making them question the quality of the work.
In grade 10, my pre-IB English mark was not as high as I wanted it to be and seeing that low 80% really tore down my self-esteem and confidence in writing. My parents immigrated to Canada before I was born so growing up immersed in the English language put pressure on me to do well in English class and I expected myself to be achieving 90% and above.
In grade 10, I was either getting low 90% or 75% on my work so I felt lost. An assignment I felt good about would score low compared to one that I didn’t feel represented my best work. Ending grade 10 with a low eighties was just not acceptable to me and I really took that mark to heart for the rest of the school year. I used the summer to relax and came back stronger for Grade 11, ending the year with a 95% average. Therefore, in this blog, I will give you tips on how to achieve high marks in English.
1. Understand the assignment and read the rubric
This seems straightforward but this step is crucial to getting your first 90% (or more) on an English assignment. Read the rubric and make sure you fully understand what is being asked on you. What I always do is look at the highest scoring column on the rubric sheet, I read it over multiple times and refer to it over the course of the assignment so I know what to aim for. Refrain from looking at the lower levels and searching for the minimum percent needed to pass or maintain your average.
2. Reach out to graduates/students who have done the same assignment
You may not know students from older grades but put in the effort to reach out, introduce yourself and seek their expertise, and maybe they’ll read your work and give feedback. For me, I always found that looking at a good example, one that achieved high marks was beneficial because I knew what a high scoring assignment looked like and aimed to mimic that (no copying, of course!). A specific example would be when I needed to write a commentary for my Grade 11 English course. For those who don’t know, a commentary is an essay-like assignment where you write a detailed analysis of a theme in a novel and address how meaning is constructed in the text. You would include literary devices, conventions of the genre and author’s stylistic approach to create this commentary. Sounds confusing! At first, I thought the same and had no idea where to start. After asking older students who had done a similar assignment, I was able to write exactly what the teacher wanted. From reading other people’s work, I was able to delve deep into a novel and pick out the important devices/elements for my commentary.
3. Be open to feedback
“Feedback is the breakfast of champions” said by Ken Blanchard, cannot be more true in this case. I know sometimes you don’t want to share your work with others because you are afraid of judgement but this is the best way to improve and get those high marks! Ask friends, teachers, and family for their opinion, to see the clarity of the work and for grammatical errors. Use the advice/feedback to improve for the next assignment.
4. Identify your strengths and weaknesses
My final tip and probably the most important is to find out what you’re good at and what you’re not. After an assignment, whether or not you got a good mark, read and remember the feedback you got. Maybe you’re strong at creative writing but weak in analyzing text. Once you’ve identified those weaknesses, use the tips above to turn that weakness into a strength. If you don’t know where you’re lacking, don’t be afraid to ask your teacher. Teachers are not your enemy, they want the best for you so if you ask them for help, they will be more than happy to help you because they see that you are putting effort to improve.
Now that you’ve read all the tips, you should be confident in approaching your next English assignment. Implement these and you’ll receive the high 90s you’ve always wanted. Keep in mind that everything written here is my opinion and from my personal experience. Results are not guaranteed and also remember that marks are not everything. The quality of a piece of work should not be determined by the mark that appears on your report card….but, if you’re looking to improve your English mark then be sure to jot down all the tips from this blog!
Sara Guo is a grade 12 International Baccalaureate (IB) student at Monarch Park Collegiate Institute, Canada. She has a passion for design and social change and her favourite subjects include Film, Visual Arts, and Psychology. In the future, she is hoping to pursue a career in business to create innovative products/services to improve the lives of more people.
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