The Thinking behind a 45+ Scorer in VCE English (from someone who didn’t like reading or writing)

‘I’m bad at English. I’m a maths person so I can’t just magically get better at writing essays.’

I used to say the same thing.

But I knew something had to change. I was nearing the end of Year 11 and it had hit me like a truck that English had to be in my top 4. It was a flashing demon I couldn’t ignore, unlike the other deficiencies I could easily brush aside.

This constant thought ‘I’m bad at English’ was more of reassurance than anything else and it kept me strung like north and south pole magnets from the idea of working on my English. It was only a few years later I found out I was struggling from neuroticism- a common trait found amongst VCE students.

Neuroticism is a symptom of a fixed mindset and it attributes greatly to people’s fear of failure. This occurs when a person’s sense of self-worth and identity are at least partially dependent on outcomes instead of processes.

A neurotic thinker would say:

• ‘this seems hard, there's a highly likely chance I’m going to fail if I try so let me do something else.’

A non-neurotic thinker would say:

• ‘this seems hard, let me have a go to see if I can figure things out.’ This is in other words, a growth mindset.

The difference? One is consumed by outcomes (like aiming for a 45+), while the other values the small steps that get you there.

If English has always been your weak spot, this change is the first—and hardest—challenge you’ll face. Once you break through that mental barrier, the rest becomes process.

What follows in the rest of this article is a breakdown of how a growth minded VCE English student thinks, acts, and learns (in 3 steps), on their path to reaching their highest study score potential.

1. Feedback is King

This process is probably the most intuitive one, and finds its way back to basic human thinking.

We are not aware of all our errors, as no one can be perfect when they first begin on a journey. We begin with unconscious incompetence, at the bottom of the ladder.

So we must develop a model where someone can spot our errors, hand it to us, and help us change our bad habits→ into positive ones.

What better way than utilising teachers/tutors to give that valuable feedback. Make the most of every chance to extract that feedback—it's the most valuable thing they can offer.

Treat it like gold.

Imagine this: a student sets out his goal of achieving a raw 40 by the end of the year. He practises and practises, day through night, thinking his writing will naturally get better on its own.

Sure. He may write with better vocab. He may write better ideas. He may write quicker. But he’ll still be blind to the core mistakes that hold him back.

This student needs a special guiding hand, just like all VCE students, to consciously acknowledge and adjust their mistakes in the future, allowing them to climb up the ladder of competence.

If you get stuck, follow this basic cycle (it does not need to be overcomplicated).

Feedback----> Self-regulation -----> Application (your turn)

*Self regulation is when you try to fully understand the feedback and consciously admit your flaws.

*TIP: When doing the application step, a good idea is to write the feedback you focus on implementing at the top of your writing in dotpoints so you consciously remind yourself to apply yourself fully to improving, and at the end honestly ask yourself; did I apply it?

I used this cycle from the start of Year 12 until the end. At the start I probably had around 40+ flaws in my writing, but this exact process of feedback brought it down to probably less than 5.

It’s a process that works extremely well over the long-term (don’t think this will do wonders 2 weeks out from your exam), essentially cutting down on your weaknesses until you have no more; that's the mindset to adopt.

2. Be Patient (Focus on the long game)

Going on from this, you really need to understand that English is a skill. Just like learning to ride a bike, it takes a while to master.

When you do master it, it comes naturally to you without having to consciously think about it. Have you ever thought about how to ride a bike while you're riding it? No. It’s the same thing with English… just slightly more complex.

But here’s where many students go wrong: they treat English like a content-heavy subject. In subjects like Psychology or Biology, you can cram two weeks before a test and walk away with solid marks. In English, that strategy rarely works.

Why? Because English isn’t a memory game—it’s a muscle.

And muscles don’t grow overnight. That’s why students who are willing to be patient, to play the long game, tend to see the best results.

That’s why I like to believe people who hold the trait of patience, are much more likely to do better in English.

Because they can wait. Let someone spot their mistakes. Take time to understand their own mistakes. And spend even more time fixing them.

The long game is, well... long. But it's worth it, because in the end it is much more rewarding than the short game.

So as long as the time you spend on English is of quality practice, I believe the more effort you expend on the subject—> the better results you will yield.

How can you put this into practice?

One method I highly recommend is implementing focused practice sessions.

These are short, targeted writing sessions (around 30 minutes) that focus on one specific skill or recurring weakness.

For example:

• “One session could target improving topic sentences.”

• “Another could focus on embedding quotes more smoothly.”

• “Another could focus on strengthening the use of analytical verbs.”

Schedule 2–3 of these sessions per week. This creates a consistent rhythm, where you're gradually building skill and confidence in manageable chunks.

Remember: skill development isn’t linear. Some weaknesses (like writing with natural fluency) have a steeper learning curve. But if you stick with it, this process guarantees growth.

You just have to give it time…

and most importantly not give up.

3. Learn from High-Scoring Essays

If you don’t know what the final product will look like, where will you start? Every master starts by admiring the work of their predecessors.

High-scoring essays are more than just impressive pieces of writing…they’re roadmaps. Treat them as tools. When reading one, ask yourself:

• What has this person done to achieve such a high mark?

• How is their writing different from mine?

• What small tweaks in my writing can I make, to somehow write like this person?

It sounds a bit out of touch to start from a place completely distant from your current position. But it works.

It should also be quite reassuring in some ways even though it may seem an overwhelming task. Once you read and get a gauge on some of these high scoring pieces, you tend to realise that these individuals aren’t doing anything crazy in their writing. It’s just they do the basics… really well.

SO in that sense, it should motivate you even more. It means your goal is achievable.

While reading these pieces, remember to “Steal Like an Artist” . This is a book written by Austin Kleon, who contends that creative work builds on what came before, and thus nothing ever is completely original.

This is completely true. My work, your work, is formed by the bits and pieces we have seen throughout our lives. Nothing is truly original.

So don’t think you are plagiarizing when you are copying from these high scoring essays. Well… obviously I don’t mean copy entire sentences down.

BUT, steal like an artist.

Steal with intention.

For instance; ‘I really like the way this individual starts their sentences, OR I really like the way this individual discusses tone in this essay OR I really like this individual's way of embedding quotes.’

More than anything, this is all inspiration for you to create your own unique piece of work. Mix what you see and like with what you already have, and this will more than likely be conducive to improvement.

Pablo Picasso — 'Art is theft.'

Access our bank of High Scoring Essays here.

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So… all in all, maybe this article didn’t give you what you expected.

I can already hear the thoughts forming through the screen:

“Is that it?”

“Where’s the magic formula? The exact structure? The one thing that guarantees a 45+?”

And I get it—I’ve been there too. I used to chase tip after tip, hoping the next article, the next essay breakdown, would finally hand me the shortcut to VCE English success.

But before you click away…before you go searching for that next shiny trick…ask yourself this:

Did you actually take a moment to sit with what was shared here?

Or did you skim through it, dismissing it as vague or obvious?

Because if you didn’t give it real thought, if you rushed through hoping for a quick win, you might still be stuck at step one: the mindset of a neurotic thinker.

And that’s the first thing that needs to change.

The truth is, there’s no single technique that guarantees a 45+. What gets you there is patience. Discipline. A willingness to do the slow, often boring work of improving, step by step.

That’s what this article was about. And if you’re ready to take that in, you’ve already taken your first real step forward.