<p>Honestly, I practiced writing only once before the November test. I got an 11 on the real thing. Didn’t practice at all from there; 12 on the January one. The important thing is to clearly come up with a position that you feel will be easier to write about. Sometimes, that might be the most radical. For example, for the January test:</p>
<p>ASSIGNMENT: Is an idealistic approach less valuable than a practical approach?</p>
<p>My first sentences were</p>
<p>“When selecting an approach to a problem, the more idealistic one is always best. When we set good standards-notwithstanding the occasional failures-we get more accomplished than if we set pragmatic but overly-achievable ones. This is epitomized by events in history, such as in the space industry, and also by my personal life experiences.”</p>
<p>Then I talked about space, the final frontier, and how “sending people to the moon” used to be an utmost ludicrous proposition, but in the end, that it’s gotten us far.</p>
<p>So I was 3/4 done… I decided to BS a personal example. I talked about how I wanted to do a project that was out of my grasp, but would be really awesome. I said people laughed at my, but I persisted, and in the end achieved it.</p>
<p>And, the last paragraph:</p>
<p>“Can one really say that a practical approach is more valuable than an idealistic one? Have advances in technology - [example] - all been subjects of pragmatism? No, getting there meant crashing rockets, exploding vessels, and overcoming remonstrating criticism, and most certainly an attitude of idealism and striving for the best.”</p>
<p>This seemed to work for me. I don’t consider myself a good writer, but I guess when it comes to writing a lot without thinking under pressured situations, I’m good. Good luck!</p>