Ep 47: 10 Tips for GAMSAT Essay Writing (From an 82 Scorer)

Mare (00:00)

Welcome to this week’s episode of Nurses Doing GAMSAT. My name’s Mare. I’m one of the directors here at Thank Flip. Not one of the doctors, one of the directors. I’m actually not a doctor at all!

Today I’m joined by Bella Neville, one of our Study Mentors and Section 2 Tutors, because we’re going to be talking all about the essays. I just got my Oprah voice on.

Bella Neville (00:27)

Woo!

Mare (00:31)

Welcome, Bella. I’m really excited to have you here.

Bella Neville (00:34)

Thank you so much for having me. I’m so happy to be here.

Mare (00:36)

I just want to share a little bit about you. I know you probably don’t love me embarrassing you, but I’m just so proud.

You scored an 82 in Section 2. You’re definitely one of our highest performers in the Acceleration Classes because we run live classes in the lead-up to the GAMSAT, and after every class we ask our students to rate the session.

Bella is our five-out-of-five queen. Everyone loves your classes.

So today I basically want to get you in here, pick your brain, ask you a ton of questions about preparing for the essay section, and hopefully help people realise they can improve, no matter where they’re starting.

So let’s dive straight in.

Bella Neville (01:08)

Thank you.

I’m glad you did.

Yes.

Mare (01:33)

I think one of the biggest myths I hear from students is that people say, “You’re either good at essays or you’re not.”

So let’s start there.

Do you think essay writing is actually something people can learn?

Bella Neville (01:48)

For sure.

I actually think that’s one of the most redeeming things about GAMSAT essays.

You don’t have to be a brilliant writer. You just have to be a person.

That’s what I love emphasising whenever we talk about Section 2. As I’ve said time and time again in my Acceleration Classes, the GAMSAT isn’t measuring how beautifully you write.

Yes, you need some structure and you need to communicate clearly, but they’re not looking for the next bestselling novelist or the most poetic writer they’ve ever seen.

They’re looking at whether you can communicate empathy.

Can you put that on the page?

Can you share your human qualities?

Can you demonstrate the qualities you’d need as a doctor?

They’re asking whether you can make a point, support it with meaningful examples, explain your reasoning, and communicate ideas that are empathetic, thoughtful, transferable and relevant to the people around you.

At the end of the day, what they’re really testing is whether you could sit in front of a patient and say, “I believe this is the best course of treatment for you. Here’s why. Let’s talk about it. I understand you might have concerns, and here’s how we can work through them together.”

That’s what I believe ACER is really looking for.

They want to see empathy. They want to see reasoning. They want to see whether you can connect with another person, even through writing.

That’s the difficult part because you’re not having a conversation back and forth.

So put on the page what you genuinely believe and what you can confidently support.

That doesn’t mean you have to be an amazing writer.

I’m definitely not.

My English teachers would happily tell you I’m a waffler. You can probably tell by the way I talk.

When I wrote essays, they’d constantly tell me, “Less. Say less. Get to the point.”

So I’ve never considered myself a naturally gifted writer.

It’s about putting a little bit of yourself on the page.

Have ideas.

Support those ideas.

Say what you need to say in an empathetic, open-minded and thoughtful way.

You want to show that you’re worldly, self-aware and capable of considering different perspectives.

So let go of the idea that you have to be a great writer.

As long as you have a clear structure, basic punctuation and writing that’s easy to follow, the most important thing is the quality of what you’re actually trying to communicate.

That’s why I think one of the biggest myths around the GAMSAT is people saying, “I’m not a good writer,” or, “English isn’t my thing.”

Honestly, that’s okay.

The way we wrote essays in school isn’t the way we should be writing GAMSAT essays anyway.

Throw that myth out the window.

People absolutely can learn to put themselves onto the page in a way that genuinely represents who they are, because every GAMSAT essay is different, just like every person is different.

Mare (13:33)

To me, this essay section is really about showing who you’re becoming. How do we articulate that? How do we put your empathy and your strengths on the page? Because we’ve all got strengths and we’ve all got weaknesses. Let’s just bugger off the weaknesses and showcase the strengths. It’s not that we need to turn our weaknesses into strengths, we just need to know how to harness what we’re already good at.

So tell me, for someone who’s feeling nervous about essay writing, what’s the first step they should take just to get better or even just get started?

Bella Neville (14:03)

Yeah, that’s a great question.

I think the first step is simply to think. There’s nothing wrong with just thinking.

Everyone seems to believe they have to sit down and write a full essay straight away, but you don’t. Look at the theme and ask yourself, “What do I think about this? What comes to mind? What in my own life connects to this?”

Let’s say the theme is farming. I’ve been loving that one lately. What comes to mind when you hear “farming”? Do you know anyone who works on a farm? Have you ever visited one? What did you think about it?

People immediately jump to, “I’ve got to turn this into the perfect essay. I need an introduction, body paragraphs and a conclusion.”

That’s putting the cart before the horse.

First, you need an idea.

The biggest thing I’d encourage people to do is start talking to the people around them. Build the habit of asking, “How do I create an idea? How do I become interested in what I’m writing about?”

People often want this perfect thesis before they’ve even begun. But that’s not how it works.

When I first started studying for the GAMSAT, I was exactly the same. I thought I needed the perfect thesis before I could write anything. You end up staring at a blank page with writer’s block.

If you’re anything like me, you end up writing three pages and your tutors tell you, “Please stop.”

My first two essays were over 1,000 words each.

They were terrible.

I have absolutely no shame admitting that when I submitted my first two essays to the Bootcamp, they scored 28 and 28.5 out of 100.

That didn’t stop me from eventually achieving the score I wanted.

The biggest change was reimagining how I approached Section 2.

To get started, just come up with an idea. Any idea.

I started by talking to my family. Once they got sick of me asking random questions, I kept asking anyway.

Mare (17:22)

Is your brother the devil or the angel?

Bella Neville (17:33)

Channel your inner toddler and keep asking, “Why?”

I’d sit at the dinner table with my parents and ask, “What does everyone think about fear?”

They’d look at me and say, “Bella, what is wrong with you?”

Then I’d ask, “Mum, what do you think about neoliberalism?”

She’d say, “Bella, I’m not sitting the GAMSAT. You are. Stop asking me these random questions.”

But on the days they were happy to indulge me, we had some fantastic conversations.

Sometimes you’d hear something and think, “That’s really interesting.”

Other times you’d think, “I completely disagree with that.”

Either way, you’ve suddenly got something you’re passionate enough to write about.

Sometimes the best people to talk to are the ones who disagree with you. Before you know it, you’re having a mini debate, and suddenly you’ve got the foundations of an essay.

So don’t be afraid to just think.

Don’t worry about writing the essay straight away.

Build the ideas first.

Bella Neville (18:05)

Yes, we’ll get to writing essays, but before that, ask yourself questions.

Ask yourself why.

Ask the people around you why.

You’ll be surprised how many ideas come from a simple conversation.

One of the biggest things I used to do was ask people what they thought about random topics. Sometimes they had no idea, sometimes they had amazing insights, and sometimes we completely disagreed.

Every single one of those conversations became useful.

Because at the end of the day, an essay isn’t about knowing the “right” answer. It’s about being able to think.

Mare (18:35)

I actually really love that because I think people feel like they have to study alone.

But what you’re talking about is almost making essay preparation part of everyday life.

Bella Neville (18:46)

Exactly.

You don’t have to be sitting at your desk with a notebook all the time.

You can be having dinner with your family, chatting to your partner, catching up with friends or going for a walk.

Every conversation is an opportunity to build ideas.

The more you do that, the easier it becomes to think critically.

Then, when you finally sit down to write, you’re not starting from nothing.

You’ve already developed the habit of asking questions and exploring different perspectives.

That’s what you’re trying to build.

Not perfect essays.

The thinking behind them.

Mare (19:23)

I think that’s something people really underestimate.

They’re so focused on producing a finished essay that they forget the skill they’re actually trying to build.

Bella Neville (19:34)

Absolutely.

And that’s why I tell people not to panic if they don’t know much about a particular topic.

You don’t need to know everything.

You just need to know how to think.

If you can take a theme and ask yourself questions, reflect on your experiences, consider other perspectives and build a thoughtful argument, you’re already doing what Section 2 is asking of you.

It’s a skill.

Like any other skill, it gets stronger the more you practise it.

Mare (20:04)

One thing I hear all the time is, “I don’t know enough facts.”

People think they need to memorise statistics or historical events for every possible theme.

Bella Neville (20:16)

I hear that all the time too.

People ask, “Should I memorise quotes? Should I memorise statistics? Should I memorise historical examples?”

If you naturally remember those things, fantastic.

Use them.

But most people don’t.

I certainly didn’t.

Instead, I focused on building ideas.

Because ideas are transferable.

If you’ve developed the skill of thinking deeply about a topic, you can apply that to almost any theme that comes up on the day.

Your own experiences are incredibly valuable.

The conversations you’ve had, the mistakes you’ve made, the lessons you’ve learned, the books you’ve read, the podcasts you’ve listened to, the patients you’ve worked with, the people you’ve cared for.

All of those experiences become evidence.

People often underestimate how powerful their own lives are as examples.

Mare (21:10)

That’s actually really reassuring.

Because I think so many healthcare professionals worry that they haven’t studied philosophy or politics or history enough.

Bella Neville (21:20)

Exactly.

If you’re a nurse, paramedic, physio, occupational therapist, pharmacist or any other healthcare professional, you’ve already spent years working with people.

You’ve seen resilience.

You’ve seen grief.

You’ve seen hope.

You’ve seen fear.

You’ve seen compassion.

Those experiences are incredibly valuable.

Don’t leave them outside the exam room.

Bring them with you.

They’re part of who you are, and that’s exactly what makes your essays unique.

Mare (22:03)

Ha ha ha!

Bella Neville (22:19)

You probably practised these skills at uni within the last 20 years anyway.

Even the way you respond to people or communicate every day means you’re already stringing ideas together.

Don’t stress about the finished product.

Focus on the skills.

Really build those skills.

One of the best things you can do is write mini essay plans instead of full essays all the time.

What’s your thesis?

What’s Body Paragraph One?

What’s Body Paragraph Two?

What examples are you going to use?

Do you have a counterargument?

Some people love writing those plans down, and I think they’re one of the best drills you can do.

Another exercise I love is taking a quote and trying to identify the theme.

Mare (22:50)

Massive. Massive.

Bella Neville (23:11)

People often worry, “What if I can’t work out the theme?”

Well, test yourself.

I have a Quote of the Day app on my phone.

Every day I’d get a little notification with a quote and ask myself, “What’s the theme here?”

If I couldn’t work it out, I’d look it up.

I’d ask, “What does this quote actually mean?”

Sometimes I’d ask my mum.

She’d say, “Bella, what are you doing now?”

I’d say, “What do you think this quote means?”

Again, we’d end up having a conversation.

I’d also encourage people to start talking more.

Ask someone, “What do you think about this?”

Or say, “This is what I think. What do you think?”

The number of times my brothers would say, “Bella, that’s ridiculous. Why do you think that?”

It usually started with an insult.

Then it turned into a fantastic discussion.

I also had a little study group in the Bootcamp with a few other students.

We’d start talking about something completely random and, before we knew it, we’d say, “We could write an essay about this.”

Suddenly we had a full essay plan.

Sometimes I’d listen to a podcast while walking the dogs.

If I felt guilty about not actively studying, I’d put on a podcast, go for a walk, come home, write down two things I’d learned, and think about how they could support an essay.

Bella Neville (24:05)

I had a little study group in the Bootcamp with a few other students, and we’d have these amazing conversations.

It would start with something completely random and off-topic, and then someone would say, “We could write an essay on this.”

Before you knew it, we had a full essay plan.

Sometimes I’d even put on a podcast. I’d take the dogs for a walk whenever I felt like I needed to move. You know that feeling when you think, “I’m not really studying”? I’d put on a podcast, go for a walk, come home, write down two things I’d learned from it, and then think about how I could use them to support an essay.

It doesn’t matter if you’re never going to write on that exact topic.

You’re training yourself to use the world around you. What you learn, what you see and what you hear all become evidence.

At the end of the day, you need flexibility.

Sometimes re-engineering the way you approach Section 2, by focusing on building skills and building confidence, is far more valuable than simply sitting down and writing essay after essay.

That said, every plan you write should eventually become an essay.

When I was about a month and a half out from the exam, I was writing every day. Every day I’d set my 30-minute timer and write an essay.

Before that, though, I was only writing two or three times a week. Sometimes I’d write two essays in one session. Sometimes I’d just write one.

The important thing was getting comfortable with the process of writing.

It wasn’t that every single Section 2 study session had to end with a completed essay.

Instead, I’d ask myself, “What skill am I building today?”

Some people struggle because they have too many ideas.

Others struggle because they have none.

They stare at the theme and their mind goes completely blank.

So let’s work on that.

What questions can you ask yourself?

Where’s that little toddler sitting on your shoulder asking, “Why?”

Sometimes it’s simply being willing to have that conversation with yourself.

I even used to record myself talking through ideas.

I absolutely hated listening back because I couldn’t stand hearing my own voice.

Mare (25:51)

Everyone feels that way.

Bella Neville (25:54)

Exactly!

But I’d challenge myself to keep doing it anyway.

The more you throw yourself into the process, the more you actually start to enjoy it.

I got to the point where I genuinely liked writing essays.

At the beginning, I hated them.

Honestly, I’d have rather washed the car than written an essay.

My brothers would ask, “Can you take me somewhere?”

I’d be like, “Absolutely!”

Mare (26:15)

Doesn’t matter where it is.

You’re like, “Yep!”

Bella Neville (26:18)

I wouldn’t even ask where we were going.

“Across town? No worries, let’s go!”

Anything to avoid writing.

But eventually that changed.

I started enjoying the conversations that came from essay preparation.

Even now, as a tutor, I’ll ask my friends, “This is one of the themes I’m presenting to my students this week. What do you think?”

Sometimes I’ll write the essay myself because I think, “Actually, this is a really interesting topic.”

So make it enjoyable.

Read about things you’re genuinely interested in.

One of the exercises we encourage is leaning into your passions.

If you enjoy reading about feminism, philosophy or psychology, read those things.

Then ask yourself, “What essay themes could I use this for? What evidence could this become?”

I love listening to the Mel Robbins podcast because she has incredible guests.

One episode featured a cognitive specialist who talked about common thinking patterns and why we often decide we don’t like something before we’ve even tried it.

We associate it with a previous experience, so our brain has already decided it’s going to be unpleasant.

I ended up using that concept in an essay.

I think the theme was favouritism… or maybe nepotism. Something along those lines.

It wasn’t directly related, but I found a way to connect it.

That’s the point.

The more you expose yourself to ideas, the more connections you can make.

No essay is ever perfect.

Even the essays I write now probably aren’t perfect.

They’re probably not what people imagine the “perfect” essay looks like.

But there isn’t one perfect standard.

The examiners aren’t marking you because you didn’t use a particular word or phrase.

They’re assessing the quality of your thinking.

They’re looking at the strength of your ideas and how well you support them.

That’s what really matters.

Mare (47:14)

I want to finish with a few rapid-fire questions.

Just 30 seconds to a minute each.

Are you ready?

Are you sure you’re ready?

From one waffler to another, we’ll see how we go.

I actually appreciate it because my husband is very much a “just get to the point” kind of person.

Bella Neville (47:19)

Of course I’m ready.

Well… I’m a waffler, so I’m probably never ready!

Mare (47:40)

No, I’m with you.

I want the whole story. I want the backstory, the front story, the middle story… preferably not in the right order.

So, at what point do you think students should start practising under timed conditions?

Bella Neville (47:41)

That’s a great question.

I’d much rather people build the skills first.

Don’t put yourself under time pressure straight away.

I’d suggest introducing timed practice about a month and a half to two months before the exam, or even a month beforehand if you’re feeling confident with your skill building.

For example, when I first started studying in April, I wanted to write everything under timed conditions.

One of the best pieces of advice I received was, “If you’re rushing, you’re not building the skill. You’re just practising writing under pressure.”

So don’t be afraid to take the pressure off.

Take as long as you need to write an essay in the beginning, but keep track of how long it takes.

Maybe your first essay takes an hour and two minutes.

Great.

The next one takes 57 minutes.

Ask yourself, “What changed? What helped me get faster?”

Focus on building the skills first.

Then, as you get closer to the exam, I’d use about the six-week mark as a benchmark to start becoming familiar with what 30 minutes actually feels like.

That’s exactly what I did.

I’d set a 30-minute timer.

At first, I never finished my essays.

But I became very familiar with that timeframe.

Eventually I learnt how much I could realistically produce in 30 minutes.

Ironically, for me it became about writing less, not more.

So yes, I’d say around six weeks to a month before the exam is a really good time to start writing under timed conditions.

Mare (49:12)

You often recommend writing one timed essay every day leading up to the exam, probably from around that six-week mark.

Why do you think that’s important?

Bella Neville (49:22)

Because we learn through repetition and consistency.

Thirty minutes is always thirty minutes.

Whether the theme is easy or difficult, the clock doesn’t change.

You want to become comfortable with what you can realistically achieve in that time.

Some days I’d finish my essay.

Some days I wouldn’t.

But as I got closer to the exam, I learnt how to adapt.

If the theme was particularly challenging, maybe I’d write a little less.

If it was straightforward, maybe I’d get more onto the page.

The important thing was becoming comfortable with the time limit.

That’s why I recommend writing timed essays consistently in the lead-up to the exam.

You’re not just practising writing.

You’re practising making decisions under pressure.

Mare (50:18)

I also think people underestimate how much improvement can happen in six weeks.

Bella Neville (50:25)

Absolutely.

People often think, “I’ve only got six weeks left.”

I look at it completely differently.

I think, “Fantastic. We’ve got six weeks.”

That’s six weeks to build ideas.

Six weeks to improve your structure.

Six weeks to strengthen your thesis.

Six weeks to improve your evidence.

Six weeks to become more confident.

There’s so much you can achieve if you use that time intentionally.

Sometimes people think they’re running out of time.

I actually think you’re buying yourself time by starting early and working consistently towards your goal.

There’s a lot that can change in six weeks.

Mare (51:11)

So after you’ve finished writing an essay, what’s the best way to review it?

Bella Neville (51:16)

Walk away.

Take a break.

Get yourself out of that stressed, adrenaline-filled headspace.

I used to give myself about half an hour.

I’d go and see my dogs, have a drink of water, make a cup of tea.

I’d even ask them, “What does neoliberalism mean to you, Coco?”

Mare (51:33)

Pets help.

They really are calming.

You have dogs.

My cat would just tell me to go away.

Bella Neville (51:45)

I have three cats.

I never asked them because they’d literally get up and walk away.

But my dogs always looked like they were listening.

I genuinely felt like they had my best interests at heart.

At least someone was listening!

Mare (51:57)

I love pets.

I always tell students to bring their pets along to the Acceleration Classes.

The best one was last year. I don’t think you were teaching that class.

Someone brought their baby chicks onto Zoom.

It was amazing.

We all spent a minute saying, “You have chickens?”

Obviously they weren’t bringing them on the train or anything. They were just showing them on Zoom.

Particularly during the mindset classes, we talk about some really vulnerable things.

Sometimes if you’re patting your cat or cuddling your dog while you’re listening, it just makes you feel a little better.

Bella Neville (52:27)

Absolutely.

One of the essay themes years ago was about loving your pets.

I could have written that essay a hundred times over.

I’d always start with Coco Bear or Ruby.

I have a little mini farm at home.

Well… three cats as well, although they don’t appreciate me nearly as much.

Mare (52:51)

Really?

Alright.

I love my dogs.

I hate my cats.

Although my cat loves me.

She’s lying next to me right now and has slept through this entire podcast.

Bella Neville (53:11)

See? That’s support.

My cats would have walked out halfway through and thought, “Not the essays again!”

But that’s another example of writing from your own experience.

If I got stuck, I’d get up, cuddle Coco, pat Ruby, have a drink of water, clear my head, then come back.

One thing I also love about the Bootcamp is the resources we have for reviewing essays.

I’d read my essay again and ask myself, “Can I clearly see the structure?”

Do I have an introduction?

Body paragraphs?

A conclusion?

Then I’d zoom in further.

Do I have a clear topic sentence?

Did I use an example?

Did I actually analyse that example?

Was it a strong example, or was it a weak one because I was rushing?

Just asking yourself those questions can be incredibly helpful.

And don’t be afraid to have someone else read your essay.

You’re always going to be your own harshest critic.

Mare (54:12)

Honestly, I’d actually say don’t send it to a friend, because they don’t know what the hell they’re marking against.

They don’t have the criteria.

You need someone who actually knows what they’re talking about.

That’s my very strong opinion, although you’re welcome to disagree with me.

The reason I say that is because I often speak to students before they’ve joined the Bootcamp, and they’ll say, “I’m still sending my essays to my Year 12 English teacher.”

And I always think, your Year 12 English teacher isn’t marking a GAMSAT essay.

They’re simply not using the same criteria.

Bella Neville (54:19)

Exactly.

I completely agree.

That’s one of the strengths of the Bootcamp. We have a network of people who actually understand how GAMSAT essays are assessed.

If I gave an essay to a friend who wasn’t familiar with the GAMSAT, I’d be very specific about what I wanted from them.

I’d say, “Don’t tell me whether you like my structure or my thesis.”

Instead, I’d ask:

“Did it make sense?”

“Was my idea clear?”

“Did I explain myself well?”

Sometimes people want to tell you, “I wouldn’t have written it like that.”

And you’re thinking, “That’s not what I asked!”

Or they’ll tell you your thesis should be different.

That’s not helpful if they don’t understand the assessment criteria.

Mare (55:11)

Exactly.

Tell them to bugger off.

Bella Neville (55:26)

Exactly!

When I gave my essays to people outside the GAMSAT world, I only wanted them to tell me whether my communication was clear.

Nothing more.

The technical feedback needs to come from someone who actually understands the exam.

That’s why getting quality feedback is so valuable.

Mare (55:52)

One of the things we always say is that you’re joining a tribe.

Bella Neville (56:00)

Exactly.

Having people around you who understand the process makes such a difference.

People who can challenge your thinking.

People who can encourage you.

People who can give meaningful feedback.

That support network is incredibly valuable.

Mare (56:51)

A tribe.

Bella Neville (57:13)

Use the resources that are available to you, but always keep trying to improve.

It’s never about saying, “This is a terrible essay.”

Instead, ask yourself, “This is good… but how can I make it even better?”

How can I make it stronger?

How can I make it deeper?

How can I be more concise?

Sometimes I’d look at an essay and realise I’d written another thousand words.

Then I’d think, “Okay, how do I say this more clearly with fewer words?”

There’s always something you can improve.

Mare (57:33)

If students only remembered one thing from today’s conversation about essay preparation, what would you want it to be?

Bella Neville (57:40)

Focus on the skills, not the final product.

We don’t know what the essay themes are going to be.

But if you’ve developed the skills to generate ideas, connect those ideas through strong evidence, draw on your own experiences and the world around you, and organise everything into a clear structure, you’ll be in a really strong position.

Maybe you have a reliable way of building your thesis.

Maybe you’ve developed a structure for your topic sentences.

Maybe you’ve learnt how to connect your examples more effectively.

Those are the things that matter.

You could write a thousand essays, but if you haven’t developed the underlying skills, you won’t get very far.

Mare (58:17)

I love that.

Focus on the skills.

Bella, it has been an absolute delight having you on the podcast.

Honestly, I could talk to you about essays for the next 15 years.

We’re definitely getting you back.

I’m not inviting you.

I’m insisting.

And if you’re listening right now, please join me in insisting that Bella comes back, because I have so many more questions I want to ask.

Thank you so much for sharing so openly today.

Bella Neville (58:20)

Thank you.

It’s been amazing.

Mare (58:46)

And thank you for simply being the incredible person you are.

We really appreciate you.

To everyone listening, thanks so much for joining us today.

If you enjoyed this episode, make sure you like, follow and subscribe on your favourite podcast platform, and follow us across all our social channels.

That really helps us reach more people.

Have an amazing day.

Keep writing.

Bye for now.

Bella Neville (58:49)

Thank you.

Bye, everyone.