Ahh English General Paper. It is easy to dismiss this subject in favour of other more "full" subjects. Even I am guilty of this.
Yet it has the power to quite possibly make or break not only your result but you yourself as well. Many have enjoyed A and A* in their results only for General Paper to hit them in the face with a C or D. So what? surely it's only an AS Level subject (half credit). Surely universities won't pay it much heed when you have a juicy stack of all-stars in other subjects.
That may be the case but regardless of what you want to do for your undergrad, I cannot stress the value of General Paper. Personally speaking, it taught me to write essays in a more coherent manner, taught me the importance of saving your class from boredom when discussions were bought up with everyone as silent as a rock but most importantly it taught me to become more articulate in my speaking and writing. In today's world, it pays to be articulate (especially without *cough ChatGPT). No matter your accomplishments, if you aren't able to express yourself properly then you can kiss goodbye to the position that should be rightfully yours. A small thing such as being diligent in your GP essay homework can lead to a great personal essay later on when you are applying for universities abroad. Terrible essays have been the downfall of many promising students with A* results. Poor writing still, has caused much devastation, especially for those majoring in STEM. Okay, I may have been exaggerating a little but these are valid concerns.
Many of you will probably be giving SAT. What you do for English General Paper will affect this. The preparations I will be listing will more than pay off in the Reading and Writing section.
Don't get me wrong. I'm not asking you to spend as much time as you would, for example practising another subject like Mathematics on General Paper. But a small investment goes very far. Besides most of the "practice" for GP will be rather passive. Active prep is simple and very straightforward. If you play your cards right, GP will become a rather manageable subject where an A or at the least B is guaranteed. And the benefits aren't just limited to this half-credit subject from what I've stressed in this post.
I am here to tell you what to invest in, via the resources on this site. After all, I have known what it feels like to walk through the swampland that is A Level English General Paper 8021.
Good luck!
