Ok look, so here’s the deal.

One of the hardest thing during GAMSAT prep, is turning down social invites.

Coffees, brunches, movies, parties, hang-outs, high teas, Netflix-&-chills, and so-on.

It’s even harder if you’re studying for the March GAMSAT, because you’ll be studying through the holidays.

And not just a few weeks of holidays.

No, we’re talking mid-November to late-February, more than a quarter-of-a-whole-bloody-year holiday.

And you know what? It’s bad enough that you had uni for a whole year, and don’t get to have your fair share of long-ass holidays – now you gotta feel guilty about socialising too?

But what if I told you that socialising during GAMSAT prep is perfectly fine?

Table of Contents Firstly, A Quick Disclaimer The word “socialising” means different things to different ppl1. What I mean by “socialising” in the context of this post (i.e. can be beneficial to GAMSAT study), is meeting up with your friends, in settings where meaningful discussions can take place. If your definition of “socialising”, is getting fucked up, picking fights, then getting fucked up, or grinding against booty- and/or bulge-shaped things while promoting hearing loss, or insta-faking with “friends” – then I wouldn’t socialise during GAMSAT prep if I were you.

Can Socialising During GAMSAT Prep Actually Be Beneficial?

Most Gamsters avoid or minimise socialising during GAMSAT prep, because they think that studying and going out are two completely unrelated things.

Whilst they may be right, they are only partially right.

To judge the relevance of socialising to GAMSAT prep, we need to analyse what’s required for each part of the GAMSAT, and how socialising fits into things.

When I say parts of the GAMSAT, I mean the 3 sections.

Section 1 is about analysing humanities-based material, and answering questions about meaning, intention, vibe, and so on. Since the stimulus material is in text or cartoon format, prep is more of a read-it-yourself type of affair, and there is not much usefulness to be had through socialising.

Section 3 is about analysing science-based material, and answering questions by using calculations, logic, and – um – science. Because of how academic this whole thing is, the section calls for learning chapters and doing practice questions and eating your veges like a good little boy, and socialising doesn’t really come into it.

For Sections 1 and 3, the only role socialising could play, is if you asked ppl about questions you were having trouble with – but then, you’ll probably stop getting invited to stuff. And anyway, that’s what study groups are for. You’re allowed to have study groups, you know.

You may have noticed that I skipped Section 2.

The Relevance of Socialising To Section 2

Section 2 is different.

The other two sections are close-ended: There are right ways and wrong ways to interpret the stimulus material, and there are right answers and wrong answers; and this calls for academic-style prep, which is all about doing things the right way.

Section 2 is open-ended: Whilst there are right ways and wrong ways of interpreting quotes, you can choose the essay topic to write about, the experiences to recount, the opinions to argue, and so on. There is no end to the possibilities of that you can write about – or know about. And the richer and more unique your understanding of the topics are, the more engaging your essays will be. In fact, the major scary thing about Section 2, is that you’ll look at the quotes, and have nothing good to write about.

Having nothing to write about for Section 2 can be due to different reasons:

1. You get writer’s block from being too nervous
2. You haven’t learnt the way to properly brainstorm essays
3. You haven’t thought enough about the topic to have any opinions or experiences on hand
4. You don’t know enough about the topic to write anything meaningful

For the above problems:

1. You overcome writer’s block by practicing essays regularly, and use reliable essay-writing processes consistently, until they become second nature.
2. You learn to brainstorm essays properly.
3. You think up opinions and experiences, by making time for them.
4. You learn about topics by studying them yourself – but also by talking to others about them.

And that’s where socialising comes in.

Use Socialising to Super-charge Section 2 Prep

If you read other posts around this blog (such as the one about Podcasting, with the ballin’ nerd on the cover), you know that FastGAMSAT is about passing the GAMSAT in less time than ppl think is required, and that I am all about reclaiming time not spent for GAMSAT prep – and somehow using it to help with GAMSAT prep.

Things are no different with socialising.

In fact, I’m going to teach you not only how to make your socialising time useful for GAMSAT prep (specifically, for Section 2 prep), but make your socialising more enjoyable, and help you grow closer to your friends.

Excited? Well let’s get started then.

Step 1: Identify Your Weak-points

When you’re doing practice essays, you’ll run into your weaknesses:

Topics you can’t think of any opinions for, or any stories for, or know anything about.

If weaknesses pop up in the exam that counts, then it’s a bad thing; but they appeared during practice, so it’s a good thing – like how vaccination is good – because you can address them before they affect the performance that counts.

So, during your practice essays, when you’re struggling with some quotes or topics, make a quick note of this, e.g.

• Mastery: None known
• Politics: No opinions
• Loss: No e.g.s

Step 2: Make a list

Great, now that you have some weaknesses identified!

After the practice essays (or practice exam), collect up the weak-points into a list. I would personally use something like Google Keep or Google Docs, because then you have the list with you everywhere (both Keep and Docs have mobile apps), and you can also edit it on your computer to save you typing with your thumbs (AKA sucky).

Or, even better, use a list app like Wunderlist, which can also sync between computer and mobile, but you can enter items in a checklist, and easily tick them off when you’ve addressed them.

For extra clarity, I would categorise the weak-points, e.g.

No knowledge at all:

• PPL who achieved mastery by doing the same thing for decades
• Mental health issues

No opinions:

• Politics in general
• Backpacking

No stories/examples:

• Personal loss
• Strokes of genius
• When everything went unexpectedly

Step 3: Talk to Your Friends About Weak-Point Topics

The next time you meet with your friends, start talking to your friends about these topics – it’s literally that simple.

But Wouldn’t That Seem Weird?

You may be thinking “Can I just bring up essay topics for discussions during socialising?”

And my response would be: Why couldn’t you?

Look, you’ve probably told your social circle that you’re taking the GAMSAT: You kind of can’t keep it from them – especially if you’re going to snub their invites repeatedly (especially during the holidays).

If your social circle knows that you’re taking the GAMSAT, they can expect to talk to you about exam prep. They can also reasonably expect you to run into challenges, and they can expect to talk about these challenges. That’s why ppl ask what you’ve been up to when they see you – to see what’s relevant to talk about. That’s also why ppl talk about the challenges they’ve had with their work, their family, and their relationships – because that’s what ppl do.

I also want to note, you’re not being boring or repetitive or wrong: You’re not annoying the same friends with the same shit about your asshole boyfriend being an asshole, or telling the same story about that time when you caught a tuna that was THIS BIG (until a shark ate its tail), or delivering that much-anticipated update that your pressure ulcer didn’t make as much pus today.

No, you are bringing up topics that are interesting and accessible enough to write short essays about; and every time your friends see you, you’re (most likely) talking about different topics – and you are letting your friends talk. If your friends want to give you shit for bringing stimulating discussions to the table, hell, I’ll help you find better friends.

The only thing that could be seen as weird or awkward, is if you hijack the conversation immediately upon meeting up, and make everyone talk about your topics for the whole meet-up. However, the premise of this post is that you actually have social skills, and thus have friends, and thus have the desire to socialise.

So, obviously follow social etiquette: Tell ppl that you’re bringing up the topic because you encountered it during essay-writing, that you want to talk about it cos you had trouble with the topic, and that it’s fine too if they want to talk about something else – and if the friend/s seem unenthused, or have something else they want to talk about, then be accommodating to their needs.

You’ll probably find that some friends are more interested in discussing essay topics with you than other friends. In that case, it’s up to you to decide which friends you want to see at what time.

How To Talk About Essay Topics

Depending on the types of weak-points you have, you can introduce the topics in the relevant manners:

Issue: No Knowledge At All

Preferably, you would’ve done some research yourself. If you haven’t though, you can still get a lot out of talking about it, by having other ppl explain it to you according to their understanding.

And of course, ask them about their opinions and stories too.

Examples Mental Health This is kind of embarrassing, but I don’t know much about mental health (Person seems to have regular mental health) What do you think it means to have good mental health? Do you know anyone with mental health issues? Tell me about them. Do you think mental health is something you can improve upon? If so, what do you think works best, and what’s over-rated, and why? (Person has mental health issues that they’ve told you about) In the past, you mentioned that you have/had X (e.g. depression/bipolar/schizophrenia) If you’re comfortable talking about it, I’d like to know more about your experiences with that. When you’re experiencing X more than usual, how do you feel it affects your life? For example, your personality, actions, decisions; or how you feel other ppl respond to you? Do you feel a before-and-after effect, where you see the experience differently during X, and when X (rainclouds – another obscure DDLC Sayori reference) has gone away? If so, how is it different? What do you think about the general public’s view of X? How do you deal with daily responsibilities (e.g. uni, work, assessments, family, errands, cooking) when X is there? Are there things you can do to make X affect you less, or go away faster? If so, what are these things? What advice would you give to ppl going through X as well? Expertise and Mastery So the other day, I realised that I don’t know anything about ppl who become experts in their field, from doing the same thing for, like, forever. [Person doesn’t seem to be an expert at stuff] Do you know anyone who’s an expert at something? What is it about them that would make you call them an expert? What are they like when it comes to the thing they’re an expert at? Do you know why they became an expert at that thing in particular? [Person seems to be an expert at stuff] I know that you’ve been doing X (e.g. drawing/dancing/footy/yoga/gaming) for a long time – and actually, you’re quite good at it4. I know that you’re not the bragging type, and it probably feels weird to think of yourself as an expert of something – but let’s say you are, for the purpose of this discussion5: What do you think it means to be an expert? And what makes an expert, well, an expert? What made you stick to it rather than something else? What was it like doing that thing so regularly? It sounds like it could be boring or even soul-crushing to literally do the same thing over and over – how do you get yourself over those hard times? How much do you think is talent, and how much is hard work? What do you think about the public impression about talent? Do you feel you’ve learnt different things after doing it for a long time, as opposed to when you just started out? And what are these different things? How do you feel that being an expert at this has affected you as a person? E.g. Your personality, how you see yourself, how you think other ppl see you, the identity you portray to the world If someone new to X asked you for advice, what would you tell them? What do you feel most ppl misunderstand about being an expert? Can you remember the time when you felt “Shit, I’m actually good at this”? Tell me about it.

Issue: No Opinions

If you know stuff about a topic, but have no opinions on it, it usually just means you haven’t thought enough about it – and you should think about it in your own time too.

However, hearing ppl’s opinions can help clarify your own opinions a lot quicker, because you can ask yourself if you agree or disagree with the stated opinions, or how said opinions make you feel, and from those reactions, you have a lot of reference points to explore your own values and attitudes – and relate them to the topic.

One important thing to note, is that ppl’s opinions are valuable, even when they don’t have experience or expertise: When you’re writing from the expert’s viewpoint, giving the layperson’s view too gives your essay the proper contrast and balance; and in some cases, an essay is more interesting when it is argued or recounted from the non-conventional (i.e. the layman’s) perspective – like how well-written essays argued from the less-popular side tend to be more interesting than well-written essays argued from the mainstream perspective. In both cases, the reader learns a lot more from the non-conventional viewpoint.

Examples Politics in general I kind of know this about myself already, but the essay topic reminded me of this – I don’t have a lot of opinions about politics. Do you have strong opinions about politics? [Strong political opinions] What do you think is the best way to handle this country’s policies? (e.g. general issues like healthcare or budget; and specific issues like abortion, gun control, drug legalisation) Do you agree with the government’s handling of policies? Why do you think they made those decisions? [Weak/no political opinions] Seems like you also don’t have strong opinions on politics – why do you think that is? Can you see a situation in which you become much more interested and outspoken about politics? What would that situation be and why? Backpacking I’ve never backpacked before, or considered backpacking that much – have you backpacked before? [Never backpacked] Have you considered backpacking before? What’s the reason you’ve never been? Do you think you’ll backpack in the future? When are you thinking of going? And why that time? Do you know anyone who’s backpacked before? What are they like? Do you know why they did it? Do you know anyone who you didn’t expect to have backpacked, but have anyway? What is it about them that made you surprised that they’ve backpacked before? Do you know why they did it? [Backpacked before] When did you backpack? Where did you go? What did you like/not like about it? Ask “why?” for all of these questions Do you feel backpacking was “Just a phase” in your life? If so, what made it a phase for you? If not, why did you stop? Do you want to backpack more in the future? Why’s that?

No Stories/Examples

Ok, you might know stuff objectively about a topic, and also have opinions on it – but not have any stories or examples, because you can’t remember them, or you don’t have personal experience. If it’s the former, then talking to ppl about it – and listening to their stories – can help jog your memory; if it’s the latter, then other ppl’s stories become examples that you can write about.

As you’re listening, try to tease out the factors that make a story great: What was unexpected? Were there any challenges or conflicts? What were the stakes (e.g. reputation, money, grades, physical well-being)? What was particularly notable or interesting? What lessons did they learn?

Examples Personal loss The other day, I came across the topic of personal loss. I’m very lucky to say that I hadn’t had to deal with any major tragedies or losses before, but I know that most ppl have. Have you had to deal with personal loss before? [They had] What was a loss that particularly stood out to you? Tell me about it. (This isn’t an interview – remember that you’re chatting with a friend – so remember to empathise, you robot) Did you have a feeling (or see any signs) that that was going to happen? Or did it happen out of the blue? Where were you in life when that happened? Did you have to deal with anything else at the time? What about this event stood out to you? It sucks to think of these kind of things as having a silver-lining – but did you learn anything from this experience? If so, what is it? What do you do differently now, because of this experience? Strokes of genius I came across this quote on the Eureka Moment, and wasn’t able to think of any examples on the spot – it, it’s not because I’m not a genius, dumbass (gosh [Napoleon Dynamite What are you gonna do today Napolean? Whatever feel like GOSH!])! – but yeah, I wanted to hear about ppl’s examples of when they had their own strokes of genius What’s a time that you had a stroke of inspiration? Tell me about it. Was it a high-stakes or high-pressure situation? Was there anything particularly cool about it? (E.g. Pulled it out of nowhere against all odds, not the type of thought they usually have, they remembered something they learnt ages ago that they didn’t know they still remembered) Did it refute the fact that you’re indeed a dumbass? What did you learn about that experience? You know, I’ve been doing mostly the same things, and getting similar results – but sometimes, nothing goes the way you expect. Has that happened to you before? Tell me about a notable instance What did you expect, and happened? What was particularly unexpected about it? Were you really counting on things going right too? What were the stakes? What did you learn from that time?

More Ways Chatting Helps Section 2

Now, you can see that chatting helps Section 2 from the above examples. To bring the point home, let’s elaborate on ways socially chatting about essay topics helps with Section 2.

If you chat to someone who knows a lot about that topic:

• For topics you know nothing about, it becomes the fastest way to learn about that topic:
  • They can easily put things in words you understand
  • They can explain it differently immediately if needed
  • They can further illustrate by using examples you understand
  • You can ask them highly specific questions, and get instant answers
• For topics you have no opinions about, you get to inherit their highly-informed and logically-consistent reasoning
  • Obviously, you still need to make up your own mind about it – maybe by doing your own research
  • That said, there are worse places to start out
• For topics you have no stories and examples of – well, now you do

Even if they’re not an expert, chatting about the topic still has benefits

• They provide a sounding-board to clarify your thoughts and opinions
  • Sometimes you already have the answers inside of you – you just needed someone to listen and understand and ask the right questions
  • That’s kind of how therapy works most of the time (for everyday life issues, when messed-up shit like complexes and trauma aren’t involved)
• They inspire you about directions to research or think about
  • It’s hard to know where and when inspiration may strike – sometimes it’s in a completely unrelated context, like in the shower, or on the toilet
  • Usually, though, you get inspiration from related things, like chatting about the topic
  • It’s kind of like those times during an exam, when the stimulus material of a question gives you the answer to an earlier question that you couldn’t answer

Why GAMSAT Chats Help With Socialising

So, you can probably see the benefits of chatting about essay topics now, which is reason enough to do this.

But the benefits don’t stop there.

In fact, discussing such a wide range of topics helps with socialising greatly, for many reasons.

You Build Stronger Social Connections

Here’s a tip about socialising: The favourite topic of pretty much everyone, is ourselves.

That’s because we all want to meet our own wants and needs, and be understood and accepted and liked for who we really are.

In fact, you might think that ppl feel more connected with ppl they understand more about – but the opposite is actually true: PPL feel more connected with ppl they feel understood by.

That means that if Person A wants to become more emotionally close to Person B, A shouldn’t talk at B as much as possible, but actually listen to B as much as possible.

And not just about surface stuff that B doesn’t care about and that everyone asks about, like uni degree and work – but deeper stuff, like opinions, feelings, values, fears and insecurities, wants and needs, and life goals.

Think about it: How many ppl talk to you about studies and work? And who are they to you socially? Probably just acquaintances, or ppl you’ve met maybe like once. And what happens if I told you that you couldn’t see them again? You’d probably shrug and go back to checking your social feed.

Now, how about the ppl who talk to you about your challenges, bucket list items, or true opinion about stuff? Or that you feel you can talk to about anything? They’re probably your partner, or family members, or best friends. And what if I told you that you can’t see them again? You’ll probably choke me out, torture some info out of me⁶, then go on a rescue mission to bring them back.

And to think that’s all from just asking the right questions, and being a good listener.

Guess what? By chatting about essay topics, that’s what you’re doing: You’re asking about ppl’s thoughts, feelings, experiences, opinions, and expertise.

And you’re not just doing an interview – you’re actually interested: Interested in them, and what their deal is.

And you’re really getting in deep with the understanding, by getting them to explain, and elaborate, and really dig deep and give you their perspective.

So, in the process of you gaining sweet S2 topical knowledge, you’re also learning tons about your friends, and growing emotionally closer in the process.

Bonus benefit: Mental Investment I nearly forgot, but there’s another powerful effect at play when ppl talk about themselves, and that is investment. The more time and effort we spend on something, the more invested we feel: We may take a job for granted if it was just given to us, but treat it more seriously if we had to jump through hoop after hoop for it. PPL stay in toxic relationships, not just out of fear and the effort to make a change, but also because they don’t like feeling that all their time and energy was all for nothing. Even if you don’t feel like it on the day, you’re more likely to go to an event if you had to pay for the ticket, as opposed to if you got the ticket for free. The same thing works for social interactions: The more time and effort and resources ppl spend on someone, the more invested they feel towards that someone, and the more they like and feel close to that person. And yes, talking counts as effort. So the longer someone talks, and has to dig deep to come up with their truest opinions and funniest stories and most-well-structured explanations, the more invested they become.

Socially, There is Only Upside

Talking about topics deeply is one of those things that has no downsides⁷.

What do I mean by that?

Ok, so let’s take your social circle.

PPL are going to fall on a spectrum of closeness, from friends you’re already close with, to acquaintances you don’t really know, don’t find interesting, or don’t have anything in common with.

Out of all these ppl, there will be ppl who aren’t interested in talking about deep topics, or about anything different⁸.

In these cases, your relationship won’t change with them, and that’s fine too.

But let’s say they do play ball, and they’re just an acquaintance; and during your chat, you find out that you’re more alike than you thought, or that they like something you like, or that they actually wanted to be better friends with you but were just shy or didn’t know what to talk about – suddenly you have a new friend.

And if they were a good friend already, and you noticed you can talk to them about anything (and vice versa, they noticed that about you too), and that you have even more in common than you both suspected, you now have a new super best friend that you can talk to about your crushes, invite to overseas holidays, brag to ppl about, and show off at the Christmas party and stuff.

Socialising Becomes More Interesting

To most ppl, their social circle is a routine – they do the same things together, and talk about the same things together.

That’s all well and good, but things can get a bit same-ish after a while: I have a best friend who I can chat about anything to – but I’ve noticed in one instance, I saw him way too often in too short of a period, and when he came over next, I ended up feeling that it’d be good if he didn’t stay for too long. He ended up staying for quite a while, and I enjoyed the long visit – but that was because we talked extensively about something different (in this case, the types of girls we were into)

In the – um – same way, by intentionally talking about different topics, you can make socialising more interesting.

But Some Topics Are Kinda Touchy

For sensitive subjects (especially relating to the person or someone they know), obviously use discretion: Word the topic in a way that’s natural to your normal interactions, acknowledge that the subject may apply to them or ppl they know, and that talking about it could be awkward, and that you won’t push the topic if they don’t feel comfortable. Then just start exploring the topic at the pace that’s comfortable to that person.

Depending on the mix of your social circle⁹, some ppl may only be comfortable chatting about certain topics one-on-one. You can usually tell this in advance, by:

• How open individual ppl are with chatting about deeply-held opinions or sensitive topics
• If ppl talk about sensitive topics – just not when certain ppl are around
• If ppl chat about sensitive topics only when one-on-one, or in groups in general

Just plan your topics accordingly, and chat to individuals and groups who are comfortable with it.

But My Social Circle Never Talks About Deep Topics. Ever.

In some cases, maybe no one in a social circle ever talks about sensitive topics. This may not mean that no one wants to talk about them, but simply that there’s not a habit or tradition set up in this social circle to talk about these things.

This is especially common in social circles with mostly guys, since there’s no cultural expectation for guys to have deep-and-meaningfuls with one another.

In these cases, introduce the habit gradually, by first chatting to members of the social circle one-on-one about topics.

If pretty much everyone seems open to talking about these topics, and even seem enthusiastic about it, suggest (again, one-on-one first) that you start chatting about these things as a group. If everyone agrees, then start chatting about topics as a whole group.

If some members just aren’t interested in chatting about this different topics, or even seem negative about it¹⁰, then, um, stop talking to these members about these topics, and just don’t have deep discussions when they’re around.

Now, Chat Away!

Hopefully I’ve convinced you that, yes, you can do socialising during GAMSAT prep, by doing GAMSAT prep during socialising; and by chatting about deep topics, you’re not only getting more learned for S2, but you’re also growing closer to your friends and acquaintances.

Again, the steps are as follows:

1. Identify your weak-ass topics through practice essays
2. Make a list of said topics
3. Take your list when socialising, and chat about your S2 topics

Th-that’s about it really. So, the next time during GAMSAT prep, when catching up with friends, feel a little less guilty, and go have a chat!

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1. Kinda like the term “hooking up”, which I thought just meant having sex/secks/funsies. It took me until 2018 to learn (via a podcast interview) that the phrase could mean anything from sex to just kissing. I remember reading an Asian news post, early-2010, about “internet popular sayings”, which is supposed to teach old ppl what words like LOL and Orz meant, and shaking my head (SMH). It sucks when you end up on the butt side of the joke.

I’m guessing the ambiguity of “hooking up” lets guys brag about maybe-possibly scoring, when they barely got to first base; and for girls to downplay things to just a bit of making out and maybe heavy petting, when actually toys and toilet seats were involved; then the participants can play humble-coy when pressed for details.

2. (^Φ∇Φ^) You do know that Will is just another alias for Bill, right?

Σ( ﾟдﾟ) Don’t- life’s hard enough without attempts on your life!

3. If you suspect that they have mental health issues, but they haven’t acknowledged it or told ppl about it, then it’s a delicate situation – you should have a separate talk with them to explore their feelings, and voice your concerns, and encourage them to seek help (or refer help to them, if relevant).

Don’t talk about mental health as a general, impersonal topic before this, otherwise it might have unintended consequences, such as put unhelpful thoughts in their heads, make them question your agenda, and so on. You’ve got to protect the cinnamon bun.

4. (  ﾟ∀ﾟ) Hey Snarksy, I- I know that you’ve been a cat for quite a while, and that you’re quite good at being a cat and stuff!

( ^ – д – ^) Flattery won’t get you anywhere in this case. 

5. In this case, it’s asking a friend, rather than asking for a friend (here’s a song!).

6. You: Did you know that drinking straws work perfectly well as urinary catheters? Here let me demonstrate.

(￣∇￣) No please don’t I yield I’ll tell you everything do you also want to know where I hid the brownies you’ll never find them no you won’t

7. Unless you tell them things that ruins your reputation or sends you to jail – but that’s unlikely to happen, since you’re the one getting them to talk.

8. E.g. They only know about sports, and only want to talk about sports, while watching sports.

9. Some ppl only hang out with a certain type of ppl, whereas others hang out with all sorts. This affects the likelihood of there being judgemental or gossipy ppl if you hang out with more than one person.

Rather than just sticking to convenient friends (ppl I grew up with, study with, or work with; or friends of friends), I consciously choose my social circle, and I surround myself with open-minded and humorous ppl – so I am usually fine with talking about most topics, even if it’s not one-on-one (like, not to brag or anything).

10. This can be due to different reasons: Maybe they view the social circle (even one-on-ones) as a place to unwind – a comfort zone where everything is predictable and easy; or maybe they have deep insecurities which they’re not prepared to address, and talking deeply about issues requires them to look inwards, which disturbs said insecurities – so they rather leave these topics alone.