Extension History

[Hannah.Camelotti]

Hi Everyone,
I have just picked up extension history and i am really enjoying it!
My question is... I am wanting to drop biology (which is my worst subject), which will give me 11 units, however I am wondering how hard history extension is? I know that there is a major work which accounts for 80% of the course mark. I am coming first in my ancient history class, however I just need a bit of reassurance about the course and what to expect?
Thank you!

[sudodds]

Hi Everyone,
I have just picked up extension history and i am really enjoying it!
My question is... I am wanting to drop biology (which is my worst subject), which will give me 11 units, however I am wondering how hard history extension is? I know that there is a major work which accounts for 80% of the course mark. I am coming first in my ancient history class, however I just need a bit of reassurance about the course and what to expect?
Thank you!

Hey! I studied history extension, and it was definitely one of the best decisions that I made for my HSC! I absolutely loved the course. It is hard, but it is also accessible - its a subject that you grow with. No one starts off with a natural ability at historiography aha, but if you are a dedicated history student, which it sounds like you are, you definitely have to ability to excel in extension! The major work is a lot, but it is also internally marked, meaning that the major work really only contributes to your rank - the decider is the final exam Maybe thats a good thing, maybe its a bad thing, but it is a thing that needs to be taken into account (ie. don't neglect your in class essay skills!).

I wrote this article on whether or not history extension is right for you if you want to have a look! It also has links to a bunch of other threads that I (and others) have created/contributed to, in order to help you out (like a major work guide).

[Hannah.Camelotti]

Thank you very much for your reply, it sounds like you really enjoyed the subject which makes me excited about what is to come! 
When you say that it is internally marked does that mean it will be marked by my extension history teacher? Also what is the HSC exam comprised of- is it source analysis questions and essays?  Thank you very much !

[sudodds]

Thank you very much for your reply, it sounds like you really enjoyed the subject which makes me excited about what is to come! 
When you say that it is internally marked does that mean it will be marked by my extension history teacher? Also what is the HSC exam comprised of- is it source analysis questions and essays?  Thank you very much !

I did! And truth be told, History Extension has actually related more to the content I am learning in uni than anything else that I learned. Yes, the focus is on historians, but you deal so much with broader social and philosophical issues (eg. nature of truth, media power, etc.) that it really is fascinating to study.

Yes, so unlike pretty much all other major work subjects, your essay will be marked by your teacher, rather than be sent off to NESA to be marked. That means that its really just a heavily weighted assessment task.

The exam is just two essays in two hours - one on 'What is History' with a long source (usually 1 page) that you need to be consistently referencing, and then one on your case study - I studied Western Imperialism, however JFK is probably the most popular -  where you still look at historiography, but that specifically of the historians writing about your case study

[Hannah.Camelotti]

Thank you very much for all of your help and advice

[willstudyforcookies]

Yeah I definitely agree with Susie here,
I won't lie, it is very hard. But its one of those things where you have an "aha" moment and everything just clicks into place. If you're anything like me you'll spend the first 3 terms confused out of your mind, but I picked up a copy of E.H Carr and just read the whole thing ( Which I would seriously recommend if you want to know what you're going to be learning about for the next year) and everything snapped into place - i went from getting 30/50 in my half yearly to a perfect 49/50 in my trial. History extension is just one of those things you have to knuckle down on a bit, but its so worth it in the end. If you're coming first in ancient you'll love it - its all about why Herodotus, Thucdidydes, Plutarch and Tactitus wrote the way they did, how they tainted the "history" of the Julio Claudians, what sociological and psychological factors caused them to write the way they did, how has that impacted on our past and the way we see ourselves. Its honestly such a fascinating subject you just have break through the crazy long sentences and convuluted meanings (Read E.H Carr trust me).  By the end of it you will have completely changed how you see the world - its honestly the only HSC course that i truly feel has taught me something i can use in the real world. One word of advice is to also consider your english marks, as in extension you are marked on how well you write , compared to ancient where its all about sources and content - so if you're doing absolutely terrible in english maybe give it a second thought - but if you're mediocre dont worry because extension has its own lingo that you can master easily . You also have to be willing to read - I spent the first 2 terms never reading the handouts we where given, which ended up forming a 50cm tall pile. I was really bored one day and just decided to read them all - throwing out the ones I hated / didnt think were useful. This changed my attitude to the course and allowed me to better understand what i was doing. Most importantly, remember that the course is not about the historians - you are not learning about these people to write a biography in the exam. You're learning about them to take their arguments and either agree or disagree with them in the exam to create a strong thesis about your own idea of what history is - is it fiction? Is it a construct? Does it have any worth? Is history true and objective? Is history only for the intelligent? Also, get yourself a list of terms (I have one i can send you if you want) and make flashcards of them right away - you don't want to spend the year hearing all these big terms and having no idea what they mean - language is pivotal in extension.
Anywhoo, Good Luck with my favourite subject!