Go through this first!!!! -> 7 MAJOR AREAS OF INTEREST FOR GP
The strategy here is to find your strong area and specialise in it while also having backup topics to fall on. A grasp over three areas at a minimum will be needed for Paper 1. Questions on politics, science, individuals and arts are the most common but you can never be sure. You don't want to keep focusing on a single topic on all of your term exams only for it to not even be asked in the actual paper. Even worse would be if the only question from the topic you specialized in is something that you have no idea about.
Personally speaking, my strong areas were politics and general topics. I could write pretty good essays when it came to media and science as well. My essays on arts and individual topics tended to be decent, nothing special. However, quite unusually I sucked at writing essays on environmental topics. If I were in your shoes, I would go along with politics, general and media topics for maximizing my chances of scoring better. What suits me won't necessarily suit you. Find out what excites the most passions from youOnce you figure out what you think are your strong areas then two types of preparation will be needed. Passive and Active.
Passive:
1) Start consuming as much information as you can on the topics you're specializing in.
Spare some time of the day to devote to this. If you can't seem to find spare time then there are always free periods and homerooms. Frequent the library to read physical newspaper articles. Use online news sites if that's not possible. Try watching educational content on YouTube during your spare time. Don't just limit yourself to flashy Instagram/Twitter infographics. Read all perspectives even if you disagree with them. You can find a list of amazing content on my cheat sheet.
2) Develop your vocabulary and writing intuition.
Intuition is that feeling when you understand something immediately without rational thinking. Some of you may be able to do math problems pretty quickly upon a glance, that is intuition in simple terms. That is what you want when writing essays.
Aside from newspapers, start reading books in your spare time if possible. Plus point if you are already reading books across a variety of genres. Watch movies and YouTube videos with subtitles on. Try your hand at writing when you're bored. Journalling before going to sleep will put what your subconscious has learnt into practice. Google the meaning of any word you're not familiar with
The best way to grab information while simultaneously developing your writing is to read through opinion articles in newspapers. You may not agree with them necessarily but they are very close to the writing styles in a typical GP essay. Watch how the "subjective" argument is put forward. Pay heed to the vocabulary used. Bonus point if the opinion article is among the topics you've chosen.
3) Contribute to the discussions in your GP class.
The discussions in GP classes for me personally, were like a breath of fresh air after tedious periods. I was free to speak my mind about the things that were being talked about in the news or something that I found interesting. I had debates with friends. Even if everyone didn't say much, we still learnt something new.
Be enthusiastic and give it a try. Even if you are wrong or not well-informed, it will at least save the class from boredom. Plus it is a good place to recount what you've learnt.
Active:
4) Learn how to write a well-structured essay.
While learning the material to write examples in your essay will take some passive learning, the least you can do is write an essay as per the format. It will mean nothing if you can't write a coherent essay while boasting all the knowledge of the world.
Beginners and Advanced writers alike, can find an in-depth essay format + writing process here. Cambridge might not have a fixed criterion on how to write an essay but that doesn't give you the liberty to pass off ramblings as an essay. Next time you get an essay assignment, keep that analysis pdf open in a separate new tab. You can switch things up a little once you feel consistent with your results. But I recommend sticking to this trusty format if writing isn't your strong point or you find that your teacher isn't receptive to new changes.
5) Do your assignments diligently.
An interesting thing I noticed during my student years was that many of my peers would procrastinate when it came to their GP essay assignments until the very deadline. As generic as it sounds, you must complete the essay as fast as possible or else it becomes a ticking time bomb.
General Paper essays are designed in such a way that it becomes punishing to do at the very last minute when compared to other subjects. Other assignments may be more demanding but making a brain map at least on the very day you get your GP essay assignment will save you from a world of untold suffering. Even better if you get the introduction done on the same day!
Another thing of interest was that some of my peers would complain if they got a topic that wasn't too favourable for them ie it went against their views. I get that. But the difference between an amazing grade in GP and a mediocre one is adapting. Adapt to any new perspective that you might be forced into. This is not a GP-exclusive skill. The world is full of nuances. Look from the other side without complaining and you might just find how green the grass is. Besides you will have the liberty to pick your own side on the actual CIE exam.
6) Practice and PRACTICE.
Don't just do your homework assignments. Those won't be fixed according to the topics you have specialized in. What use will an art-themed essay question be to someone not specializing in that? Certainly, you can't complain to your teacher that you aren't going to do your homework just because you are gunning for another area of interest.
Look through relevant past paper questions. If you have the time, put yourself under exam conditions and do the essay. Doing this even once a month is worth it. If you can't spare the time then at least make a brain map/essay plan for those questions with a proper thesis statement.
7) Always be Extra.
Your GP teacher is an asset to your grade. Make sure that you don't just attend classes for the sake of attending classes. Talk to them. Be on the lookout for feedback. Give them the essays or brain maps outside of assignments from your practice to review and check. Constantly question them.
You might have a good chance in other subjects to be clueless about a problem and then just self-studying it later on. That won't work for GP. You must adapt based on what your teachers tell you and implement it as soon as possible if you want a good grade.
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Note that the line between passive and active is blurred here and will blur in your case as well. By passive I ideally mean that you can do those preparations quite casually while doing other tasks and going on about with your life. Consider active prep as something you must do for and in your GP class and that requires your immediate attention. You will be somewhat aware of the benefits you get from it whereas you will not see the value of passive prep immediately upfront.
Passive preparation is the skeleton holding up the body that is active preparation. Without passive prep, your essays will appear lacklustre and unconvincing whereas without active prep, your essay will be incoherent. Do not skip out on both of them!!!
Regardless, follow this advice while maintaining a calm head and you will prosper in GP. The resources in this blog are more than enough to land you a comfortable A or a B.
A "How to Prepare for Paper 2" is out as well.
