PAST AND PRESENT HIST REVS STUDENTS!

[Phresh]

Hey all

Just wondering how you study history? Is the best way to take notes? Go through checkpoints? or just wide reading?

At the moment i'm afraid of not doing enough for history.. i'm aiming for 40+ study score.

Any hints and tips are welcome!

Thank you

[kendraaaaa]

Read. Then read some more, and when you're done reading go and read.

Which revolutions are you studying?

[Phresh]

The Russian and Chinese revolutions.

Do you recommend going through past exams as i finish each AOS ? and whereabouts can i get history exams :S the resources for history seems to be lacking

Thanks!

[kendraaaaa]

I think the most important thing in this subject is constant revision. I'll try and explain kind of elaborately but this is important.

Week 1 - A
Week 2 - B
Week 3 - C
Week 4 - D

Imagine each letter is a seperate section of the AOS, for instance A is Bloody Sunday and B is Witte's reforms and so on. In school, you will be taught these things sequentially, and at the end of the AOS you will be marked upon it by a SAC. Now, the most dangerous thing (which was my downfall, I speak from experience) is simply moving on and letting go of what you have learnt. You need to read back over old notes every week. From that, you will absorb all that knowledge into your long-term memory. Come exam revision time, you will not be learning the course all over again but you will be doing checkpoints and past exams - which is the only, ONLY, way to do well in the Revs exam.

Pardon the long winded post, but I believe it's really important in life to learn from other's mistakes. Yes, History resources are scarce. The only (easy) way to get exams would be from your Revs teacher, if you go to a better off school this will be easy. If you went to a shit school like me you'll be given 1 trial exam and told good luck.

[Phresh]

I think the most important thing in this subject is constant revision. I'll try and explain kind of elaborately but this is important.

Week 1 - A
Week 2 - B
Week 3 - C
Week 4 - D

Imagine each letter is a seperate section of the AOS, for instance A is Bloody Sunday and B is Witte's reforms and so on. In school, you will be taught these things sequentially, and at the end of the AOS you will be marked upon it by a SAC. Now, the most dangerous thing (which was my downfall, I speak from experience) is simply moving on and letting go of what you have learnt. You need to read back over old notes every week. From that, you will absorb all that knowledge into your long-term memory. Come exam revision time, you will not be learning the course all over again but you will be doing checkpoints and past exams - which is the only, ONLY, way to do well in the Revs exam.

Pardon the long winded post, but I believe it's really important in life to learn from other's mistakes. Yes, History resources are scarce. The only (easy) way to get exams would be from your Revs teacher, if you go to a better off school this will be easy. If you went to a shit school like me you'll be given 1 trial exam and told good luck.

Thanks alot kendra! that is very very very helpful!
I'm a bit concerned about the structure of my responses when answering exam type questions. I'm not sure how the marks are allocated.
I've done an exam question recently, and handed in to my teacher. He didn't give me any feedback, but just a comment; 'excellent'. But i don't want to take any chances thinking my response was 'excellent', i'm sure there has to be flaws. For the history exams does the marking scheme vary from examiner to examiner?

TY

[kendraaaaa]

Would you have a digital copy of your response? I could take a look at it if you want.

You're teacher should have, told you want essay format he deems to be the 'best'. Each Rev teacher is anal about how you write your essays. If he has taught you a structure, stick to that. Because after all he is going to be marking your SACs. If not, I'll tell you what my teacher taught me.

[TrueLight]

yeah take notes ... read ... a lot! read read read...highlight if you want... answer some extended response questions....listen to your teacher...go through practice questions or essay questions before sacs...i liked the structured progression of the things we were taught for revs... i did russian and chinese too..

[i.am.amanda]

Read, read, read, and then write, write and write. Make sure you study everything that could possibly be on the exam. My biggest mistake was taking 'educated guesses' about what was going to be on the exam. Ugh. Just study everything!

I found note 'pages' very helpful. I would condense information like, dot points of info about the event, historians views, facts and figures, all on one page and that was all I would study for that event. I ended up with 2 display folders completely full of info though, lol.

Although, I found studying for the exam during the year/early in the year really difficult. Partly becuase I didn't have a detailed knowledge of the revolution, and my skills were just not up to scratch. That may just be me! By the end of the year, I looked back on my first SAC and though "WTF How on earth did I get an A+ for THAT piece of crap?!?"

Just find what works for you...and enjoy it! Revolutions is awesome! xD

[Trent]

Constant revision, extensive reading outside set readings and practice writing within the parameters of the questions asked. Also, develop your own interpretation of events.