Taking a History Course with Success
General: Students tend to come to history courses with the perception that they are boring GE requirements that have no relevance to daily life. While indeed your course is likely a GE, and may not be your favorite class of all time, it does in fact have relevance to your life today. We could not have come to the point that we are at in history – for good or bad – without following the path we have taken; or, where we might have taken a misstep. History is the map that shows us that path and helps us to better understand our surroundings. It is also the story of humankind and how we effect the world and society around us, and it is a vital, organic entity that constantly evolves, changes, adapts and responds directly to particular stimuli.
Part of what makes history inapproachable or ‘boring’ to the non-history major is difficulty with managing the information that is presented for your analysis. However, like any other subject, history has its own vocabulary and its own methodology to solving a given problem. What becomes a problem for students in history is information management, primarily because history is, by definition, a written medium. It requires the ability to read carefully, take notes, and apply those sets of data to a written format.
History is different in college compared to high school because at this level, you are required to analyze the facts and synthesize the materials in order to make connections to the broader historical implications. In other words, you will be required to think, analyze, and look at cause and effect. This is not something you can do by memorizing names and dates. Those names and dates are important, but they are more a means of speaking the language of history than of how it is actually constructed. There are, however sets of skills you can develop in order to become a better student of history and succeed in the class, which in many ways will translate out to better preparation in the university environment in general.
1. Listening and Note Taking
History is primarily a lecture-based course. This requires you to hone your skills in listening and sorting through information from the lecture. Some of the lecture material is intended to be case-specific, while other material is presented to give you the ‘big picture’ importance. Be an active listener. There are verbal cues embedded in the lecture: “This is important because…” or “what this means is…” are tips that a big point is about to be discussed or summarized. There are usually structural underpinnings to each lecture. Ask yourself at the end of class, “What was today’s lecture about?” Try to describe it in a paragraph or even a sentence.
What will help you become a more informed listener is to do the reading before you come to lecture. This will help you become familiar with the terms, ideas, and vocabulary being used that given day. If you are unfamiliar with the entire subject, you’re going to have to concentrate doubly hard – listening to new information being presented, and figuring out where it fits into what you have already learned. Each module of history is built upon the previous one you’ve studied. How has today’s information changed the picture of what you knew previously?
Notes: It is impossible (unless you are a trained stenographer or transcriptionist) to take down every word that is being said in lecture. But – crucial point here – you don’t have to. Basic information – names, dates, specific spelling of places – can all be obtained from your textbook. Again, this is easier if you are already familiar with the terminology, but if you miss anything, you can relax by knowing that you are able to find the information yourself and fill it in from the textbook. What you should focus on are the broad themes being discussed, and how specific cases illuminate those themes to advance a particular idea. How does the professor use those cases (or evidence) to tie the facts together and put them in context? How does lecture differ from the textbook? Is it more specific? Does it elaborate on themes that were covered to a lesser extent?
If the professor gives you a handout, an outline, or terminology, use that most effectively by taking it with you to lecture and following along. In many cases, this is also a ‘map’ to the lecture and will spell out for you explicitly what themes are being discussed. It may also minimize your need for note taking by providing you with a basic guideline of what you already need to know; from there, you can fill in the details.
Finally, keep in mind that it is equally important to take notes on your reading, as it is to take notes on lecture. You can highlight (see below), but for effective recall of this information, you need to write it down. You should also correlate your reading notes with your lecture notes and try to construct a comprehensive breakdown that incorporates both. See how they compare.
2. Class attendance
This is vital. While my approach to class attendance is that it is not mandatory, I strongly suggest it. Materials will be discussed in detail that are not present in your textbook. I will elaborate on more important points that enrich the picture of history and make it come together. While you can get the basic ideas from the textbook, they are not a substitute for lecture. Additionally, if you are already familiar with the material (but maybe have not yet put it together in the ‘big picture’), the discussions will help to reinforce the assimilation of information. Your success is directly correlated to attendance. If you find yourself missing class frequently, you should make arrangements to obtain notes from one of your classmates. You cannot be an active listener if you are not present in the classroom. (this includes mentally; we all zone out from time to time, but try to stay focused on the topic of the lecture, not what you have to do at work later that day, etc)
3.
This is also imperative. History is done by reading and analyzing texts. This extends to secondary texts as well; they are the basis by which you learn this language. As above, if you have done the reading ahead of time, you will have that much more familiarity with materials when you come to class. Time management is also important in the processing of information: if you sit down the night before a test to read through four chapters, highlight, assimilate, and process that information, you are almost certainly going to become overwhelmed and choke on it. If you break it down into manageable pieces every day, you will be able to digest it and process it better. In addition, because of the limited class time available, lecture is based on thematic approaches, rather than chronological narratives, and works on fleshing out the larger problems by analysis. If you are behind in reading, you are simply not going to understand it as well.
A final note: Highlighting. This is dubious. If you are selective in highlighting, you will be more successful. If you are highlighting 50% of the page, you need to be more selective in your assimilation because you are just demonstrating that your eyes have marked this spot on the page. This is not going to effectively enhance your recall of the information. What WILL enhance that recall is if you highlight key points or terms, and then go back through your reading and separately write out a summarization of those ideas. Again, break it down into smaller information: “What was this chapter/section/paragraph about?” and then correlate with, “How does it fit into the overall picture/theme?”
4. Exams
First of all, everyone understands that exams are stressful. Even when you have prepared and are confident of the material, you are being presented with a situation in which you are being judged on your performance. It is easy to lose focus or be shaken. However, there are several strategies that will make this easier.
A) Read the instructions. That sounds obvious, but you would be amazed at how often it is just glossed over. Are you being asked to do three or five identifications? Are you being asked to write one or two essays? You run the risk of losing points if you do not follow the instructions.
B) Read the entire exam before you start on it. What are your question choices? Make a quick assessment of the shape of the test. From that point, budget your time. If you have 1.5 hours to do five terms and one essay, and you spend half the time doing the ID’s, which end up being worth 25% of the point value, this is not the most effective use of your time. If you run short of time on the essay, you run the risk of losing more points that way.
C) Read the entire question and make sure you answer all parts of it. Frequently the questions are ‘layered’ in that they ask for several comparative features. If you miss half of the question, you will lose points. Also, again running the risk of sounding obvious, be sure that you are actually answering the question that is being asked, and not going off on a tangent that is somehow related, but doesn’t directly answer the question at hand. Your answer may not be factually incorrect and may be well-argued, but that is moot if it was not the question asked.
D) Take a moment and collect your thoughts before you begin writing. There are several strategies that may be helpful: write an outline, jot down key terms or points that you want to make on the inside cover of the bluebook or the back of the test (if allowed). This will give you a space to organize your thoughts and present an essay that is focused, tight and coherent. You can develop your thesis better if you can ‘see’ what you’re working on and what evidence is at hand. (Finally, and this goes only for myself, if you find that you do run out of time, if you have constructed a fairly good outline that lets me see where you would have gone had you had further time, I will usually give at least partial credit).
E) Re-read your essay before you turn it in. Did you answer all parts of the question? Did you get in all the points and evidence that you wanted? In the frenzy of writing, did you construct a sound essay with a thesis, evidence and conclusions? In other words, does it make sense? Stream-of-consciousness worked for Virginia Woolf, but is less convincing in a historical essay. If you want to change anything, be sure that you cross out what you don’t want read. This does not mean you have to completely obliterate the page; and in fact, many professors will not accept a bluebook with missing pages.
F) Try to relax and write neatly, even if that means slowing down. You may have a brilliant argument, but if I can’t read it, that doesn’t help you.
G) Review the exam. What did you do right? What did you do wrong? Did you undercut your argument with historical inaccuracies? Look up the background and see where the essay went astray (usually there will be some kind of comment to this).
Challenging a grade: You are always within your right to politely enquire about the reason for a grade, and to disagree if there is a factual basis for doing so. Before approaching the professor, however, you want to be sure that your reason for challenging the grade is sound. Read any comments first. Do they specify what is missing from the exam? What would have made it stronger or more convincing? Did you apply the evidence correctly? If you take issue with the assignment of a grade, try to write out an argument for why you think an error was made. Understand that mistakes do happen. We are trying to push through a large number of exams in a very short period of time, and it is possible to make math mistakes or even to overlook a point that was made. What is NOT effective in challenging a grade is:
1) comparison with a friend’s work; no matter if you studied together, got the same question and used the same evidence, you did not write the same essay. Language is very malleable, and your friend may have stated more clearly what you think you stated, but only implied.
2) “but I meant to say that…” I can only grade on what you present. It must be clearly stated and supported. I cannot assume you knew (or didn’t know) something not in evidence.
3) The assumption that effort is commensurate to quality. You are not being graded on effort, but on result. I believe that your efforts are sincere. I understand that you are working an insane number of hours both on studies and outside jobs; me, too. I believe that you are mostly all fine and kind individuals (I give it the qualification of ‘mostly’ only because I don’t get a chance to know a lot of you outside of class). Please understand that my assignment of a grade is not a judgment of you as a person, but an objective evaluation of the work presented.
Striving for a grade: The criteria below will give an idea of what is being sought in an essay. If you make a grade that is below your expectations, try to review where the deficiencies are and see where your essay could be improved.
An A essay: Well written both in structure and execution. While this is not an English class, spelling, grammar and proper sentence structure can only enhance your work. Your essay has a good, strong thesis, and your opening paragraph clearly and coherently lays out your objectives, citing what evidence you will use. It then follows through in the body of the essay to demonstrate your points, using specific evidence and factual data that illustrates your thesis and effectively places it in context. Your transitions are smooth and logical. You have a lot of concrete, solid and factual data that demonstrates your understanding of both the topic and the question. Your conclusion concisely ties it all together and demonstrates how you have effectively answered all parts of the question.
A B essay: Generally sound structure, makes most of the logical connections and applies a good amount of evidence, although perhaps less convincingly. Its thesis does not really expand on the question but demonstrates how you will answer it. Organized, but not as tightly. Demonstrates a command of the facts, but delves less into detail and applies less analysis. Conclusions are weaker.
A C essay: it lacks a clear thesis, instead restating the question. It recites facts that are true, but does not demonstrate any significant analysis or relation to the question. It does not follow a particularly logical development. You may have missed portions of the question, been vague in explanation, or not provided supporting evidence. Organization is minimal. Conclusions are not included, or merely state the question again.
A D essay: No thesis, no attempt at organization, some broad statements that have no context, tied together by one or two sort-of correct facts. No conclusion, no analysis. Gross factual errors.
An F Essay: You have no idea what was going on here and are trying to BS your way through. Stop it. I may give you mercy points if you don’t annoy me by making me plow through this stuff.