Comments on: The Grade Whisperer: Eric Prepares to Battle English Lit http://calnewport.com/blog/2009/05/22/the-grade-whisperer-eric-prepares-to-battle-english-lit/ Decoding Patterns of Success Tue, 07 Feb 2012 16:32:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: YoungMin http://calnewport.com/blog/2009/05/22/the-grade-whisperer-eric-prepares-to-battle-english-lit/#comment-9113 YoungMin Thu, 25 Jun 2009 17:24:20 +0000 http://calnewport.com/blog/2009/05/22/the-grade-whisperer-eric-prepares-to-battle-english-lit/#comment-9113 I just wanna say this is what i love about your advices. I've always been hopelessly romantic when it comes to education and I've always believed in school as more than a place to go to before gettin a job. I love that your advices are more of "enjoy the experience, because it's fun" than the conventional advices i find in books "here's a specific way of takin notes and you'll get straight A's" I just wanna say this is what i love about your advices. I’ve always been hopelessly romantic when it comes to education and I’ve always believed in school as more than a place to go to before gettin a job. I love that your advices are more of “enjoy the experience, because it’s fun” than the conventional advices i find in books “here’s a specific way of takin notes and you’ll get straight A’s”

]]> By: DustinHuibregtse http://calnewport.com/blog/2009/05/22/the-grade-whisperer-eric-prepares-to-battle-english-lit/#comment-9076 DustinHuibregtse Thu, 18 Jun 2009 17:28:39 +0000 http://calnewport.com/blog/2009/05/22/the-grade-whisperer-eric-prepares-to-battle-english-lit/#comment-9076 Laura and VTA method Man - I agree on the notes approach. Where I have the most problems when going back and trying to find quotes and reread passages is that I don't remember where they are. Having notes for each chapter, or highlighting important areas in your notebook with page numbers allowed me to navigate the book easily afterwords to get to those important quotes, passages, and concepts that I wanted to explore further. But I think Chris kind of goes after this in his statement on "meditation and deep thinking time". Nejka, great list I will definitely be using. Laura and VTA method Man – I agree on the notes approach. Where I have the most problems when going back and trying to find quotes and reread passages is that I don’t remember where they are. Having notes for each chapter, or highlighting important areas in your notebook with page numbers allowed me to navigate the book easily afterwords to get to those important quotes, passages, and concepts that I wanted to explore further. But I think Chris kind of goes after this in his statement on “meditation and deep thinking time”.

Nejka, great list I will definitely be using.

]]> By: Stefan | StudySuccessful.com http://calnewport.com/blog/2009/05/22/the-grade-whisperer-eric-prepares-to-battle-english-lit/#comment-8892 Stefan | StudySuccessful.com Sun, 24 May 2009 20:30:19 +0000 http://calnewport.com/blog/2009/05/22/the-grade-whisperer-eric-prepares-to-battle-english-lit/#comment-8892 I love the 'drink strong coffee.' I love the ‘drink strong coffee.’

]]> By: Study Hacks http://calnewport.com/blog/2009/05/22/the-grade-whisperer-eric-prepares-to-battle-english-lit/#comment-8891 Study Hacks Sun, 24 May 2009 20:05:59 +0000 http://calnewport.com/blog/2009/05/22/the-grade-whisperer-eric-prepares-to-battle-english-lit/#comment-8891 <blockquote> If were to summarize their strategies to single line it would be to look for the tension points in the text, analyze them, and relate them to whole of the text.</blockquote> Do you find that something this specific works across the wide divesity of literature types you encounter in such classes? <blockquote>Wow, I never thought my question would end up becoming a part of the Case Studies section.</blockquote> Yes, this is the hidden gamble taken by all who write me for advice :)

If were to summarize their strategies to single line it would be to look for the tension points in the text, analyze them, and relate them to whole of the text.

Do you find that something this specific works across the wide divesity of literature types you encounter in such classes?

Wow, I never thought my question would end up becoming a part of the Case Studies section.

Yes, this is the hidden gamble taken by all who write me for advice :)

]]> By: Study Hacks http://calnewport.com/blog/2009/05/22/the-grade-whisperer-eric-prepares-to-battle-english-lit/#comment-8890 Study Hacks Sun, 24 May 2009 20:04:17 +0000 http://calnewport.com/blog/2009/05/22/the-grade-whisperer-eric-prepares-to-battle-english-lit/#comment-8890 Thank you everyone who contributed advice from their own experience with the subject. I think the combination of your comments above make for an excellent study guide in its own right. I hope most readers of the original post make it down to the comments. Thank you everyone who contributed advice from their own experience with the subject. I think the combination of your comments above make for an excellent study guide in its own right. I hope most readers of the original post make it down to the comments.

]]> By: Jason http://calnewport.com/blog/2009/05/22/the-grade-whisperer-eric-prepares-to-battle-english-lit/#comment-8889 Jason Sun, 24 May 2009 17:12:24 +0000 http://calnewport.com/blog/2009/05/22/the-grade-whisperer-eric-prepares-to-battle-english-lit/#comment-8889 I would highy recommend the Macmiillan "How to Study" guides on english lit. How to begin studying english lit & How to study the novel are two of favorites in the series. If were to summarize their strategies to single line it would be to look for the tension points in the text, analyze them, and relate them to whole of the text. For whatever aspect of the text, character or theme etc, it usually boils to doing the above. I would highy recommend the Macmiillan “How to Study” guides on english lit. How to begin studying english lit & How to study the novel are two of favorites in the series. If were to summarize their strategies to single line it would be to look for the tension points in the text, analyze them, and relate them to whole of the text. For whatever aspect of the text, character or theme etc, it usually boils to doing the above.

]]> By: Wilhelm Scream http://calnewport.com/blog/2009/05/22/the-grade-whisperer-eric-prepares-to-battle-english-lit/#comment-8886 Wilhelm Scream Sun, 24 May 2009 09:34:30 +0000 http://calnewport.com/blog/2009/05/22/the-grade-whisperer-eric-prepares-to-battle-english-lit/#comment-8886 Just a little note to say that you might want to remove one of the "possible"s in the following sentence: <em>take the best possible Q/E/C notes possible</em>. Just a little note to say that you might want to remove one of the “possible”s in the following sentence: take the best possible Q/E/C notes possible.

]]> By: Nejka http://calnewport.com/blog/2009/05/22/the-grade-whisperer-eric-prepares-to-battle-english-lit/#comment-8885 Nejka Sun, 24 May 2009 09:04:14 +0000 http://calnewport.com/blog/2009/05/22/the-grade-whisperer-eric-prepares-to-battle-english-lit/#comment-8885 I'm studying literature, according to the old European system where we have to read some 15 to 30 literature books for one exam. Needless to say, it's an enormous amount of texts to be covered. I've devised a list of checkpoints for the analysis of a literary text: 1. Information about the book: title, author, year it was written 2. External structure of the text: title, subtitle; motto, dedication; genre; division into chapters, sections; length; specifics (pictures, different typographies ...) 3. Main theme or problem: What is the text about? 4. Narrative perspective 5. Plot: Where, when, what? 6. Literary figures: names, ages, occupation, familial and other relationships, character; What drives them, what do they want? 7. Circles of themes, motives, symbols 8. Language and style 9. Belonging to a particular literary period or movement 10. Memorable quotes 11. Relevance of the text, how it was received by the audience, the impact it had, prizes it won This information helps to re-create the book in your mind, so that if you have to write a critical essay, you basically have the book before you. It helps to read the book with these questions in mind, so that you know what to look out for, and later it is easier to take notes and to construct arguments. Of course, this approach will not work for just any literature course or exam, as some courses may have other focuses, it is good as a basis, though. I hope this helps. I’m studying literature, according to the old European system where we have to read some 15 to 30 literature books for one exam. Needless to say, it’s an enormous amount of texts to be covered.

I’ve devised a list of checkpoints for the analysis of a literary text:

1. Information about the book: title, author, year it was written
2. External structure of the text: title, subtitle; motto, dedication; genre; division into chapters, sections; length; specifics (pictures, different typographies …)
3. Main theme or problem: What is the text about?
4. Narrative perspective
5. Plot: Where, when, what?
6. Literary figures: names, ages, occupation, familial and other relationships, character; What drives them, what do they want?
7. Circles of themes, motives, symbols
8. Language and style
9. Belonging to a particular literary period or movement
10. Memorable quotes
11. Relevance of the text, how it was received by the audience, the impact it had, prizes it won

This information helps to re-create the book in your mind, so that if you have to write a critical essay, you basically have the book before you.
It helps to read the book with these questions in mind, so that you know what to look out for, and later it is easier to take notes and to construct arguments.

Of course, this approach will not work for just any literature course or exam, as some courses may have other focuses, it is good as a basis, though.

I hope this helps.

]]> By: Eric http://calnewport.com/blog/2009/05/22/the-grade-whisperer-eric-prepares-to-battle-english-lit/#comment-8884 Eric Sun, 24 May 2009 05:22:31 +0000 http://calnewport.com/blog/2009/05/22/the-grade-whisperer-eric-prepares-to-battle-english-lit/#comment-8884 Wow, I never thought my question would end up becoming a part of the Case Studies section.. XD It's quite an honor... LOL Wow, I never thought my question would end up becoming a part of the Case Studies section.. XD
It’s quite an honor… LOL

]]> By: Kathryn http://calnewport.com/blog/2009/05/22/the-grade-whisperer-eric-prepares-to-battle-english-lit/#comment-8883 Kathryn Sat, 23 May 2009 18:02:19 +0000 http://calnewport.com/blog/2009/05/22/the-grade-whisperer-eric-prepares-to-battle-english-lit/#comment-8883 Great tips! Can I add one suggestion? If you'll eventually to write a paper about the novel, you might keep a pen handy while reading and underline lines in the novel that seem significant as you go. You don't have to know they're important quotes -- just have a vague notion that they could be useful later on. I call this "underlining stuff that's cool" as you read. This will make it easier later on, when you're writing the paper, to find quotes that help illustrate the your ideas about the novel. Otherwise, you could spend hours looking for a quote you remember seeing somewhere. -Kathryn, college English instructor Great tips! Can I add one suggestion?

If you’ll eventually to write a paper about the novel, you might keep a pen handy while reading and underline lines in the novel that seem significant as you go. You don’t have to know they’re important quotes — just have a vague notion that they could be useful later on. I call this “underlining stuff that’s cool” as you read. This will make it easier later on, when you’re writing the paper, to find quotes that help illustrate the your ideas about the novel. Otherwise, you could spend hours looking for a quote you remember seeing somewhere.

-Kathryn, college English instructor

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