EXAM REVISION

[bec]

Alright, how do we do this?

I'm planning on rewriting my notes and making up some extended response topics for myself for revision, since there are only 2 VCAA exams on this new study design.

Has anyone got any practice exams? Who writes them - do they even exist for this subject?

Or...how are you doing it? Anyone got any efficient/creative ways of studying for this?

[hard]

you can go landmark book sales stores or other VCE retailers and they have revision books with a couple of prac exams.

or just ask your teacher

[bec]

How's everyone going with their revision?

I'm interested to know how other people write their extended responses - do you tend to include very much evidence? For example, would you include quotes or statistics, or just case studies/dates? How have you been taught to structure them? I usually just write a page and have lots of short paragraphs, rather than longer ones that are more fleshed out. I wish they had sample A+ responses on the examiner's reports, I want to see them!

Also, what's everyone thinking about the conflict essay - do you think it would be alright to only talk about terrorism?

[ursus]

i went to the SEV lecture and they said you have to use heaps of case examples and stats and quotes; it shouldn't be just a general overall.

and with the essay, depends on the question. if terrorism is the main focus of the question then yes, but if it asks for a specific post-cold war conflict then it's probably better to talk about Somalia or Rwanda or the war on terrorism.

[sonnypls]

Discuss the extent to which security considerations have dominated Australian foreign policy decision making
since 1996.

got any answer to this anyone?

[florallover]

yeah the answers are in last year's examiners' report, on the vcaa website (question = last year's exam)

[sonnypls]

That's why I'm asking it doesn't tell me shit.

[florallover]

yeah it is a bit vague. talk about all the security stuff they mention, like the us alliance which howard emphasised, bali bombings (working closely with indonesia) etc in one paragraph - use the list that they put up and then make a link to australia focusing on security. then talk about economic stuff like becoming closer with china in another paragraph to show that it wasnt just security ('extent'). does that help?

[icedark]

Argh.. anyone else feeling a tad screwed for this exam?
So much to remember!

[florallover]

i know! luckily its the last one though, more time to remember things (unless you do french or chinese...)

[sonnypls]

or a LOTE you mean since it's on monday.
uh I'm a bit screwed as well.
so if that reappeared do you think I could talk about ANZUS.

and how it's an insurance policy for AUS, and a deterrent for conflict?
which Howard invoked after 9/11

[ursus]

yeah i have indo the day after and i'm pretty much screwed for that coz i've had to spend all my time doing int. studies.

[florallover]

oh i forgot about indo even though some of my friends do it, my bad. good luck! btw what conflicts are people preparing for the exam?

[florallover]

and how it's an insurance policy for AUS, and a deterrent for conflict?
which Howard invoked after 9/11

lol you mean the lote on monday (jap/latin?/i think theres like vietnamese and something else too) right, not inter?

yeah talk about anzus, but talk about closer security ties with asia too, like how we've worked more closely with indonesia, and talk about east timor - how we helped east timor because we didnt want a lot of refugees. it probably wont come up in the exam though (hopefully?) because theres so much under afp. hopefully they ask about the alliance, its so straightforward lol

[sonnypls]

yeah I have japanese on monday.
well okaelies cheers.
I wonder what the essay will be on, hopefully it asks how to assess a global conflict and how the forms of power were used to achieve it's national interest goals or some shit and I be like talking about USA and IRAQ and yah.