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How do you study/revise for history?


Skylar

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So what is your problem exactly? Like which part do you have problem with? You don't know how to write an essay, can't remember the dates, or something like that? I have problem with history too. But at least after one year I kind of learned how to do better. So if you explain your problem more specifically, we can discuss and find a solution together :)

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It's that I can't remember facts very well. I'll get the general idea of pretty much everything, but when it comes to details I'm lost. Dates I'm less concerned about because my teacher doesn't really care about them (and I've heard IB doesn't either?), but just like... what happened during time periods and events, what people/groups did, and how people/groups interacted. Flashcards work well for me with my other classes, but I have no clue how to make history flashcards that cover what I actually need to know and not just the bare minimum.

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I did history anticipated and I found that I also had trouble remembering things, so a group of us started making little study guides where we took our notes and then condensed them. I found that this made me re-read my notes as well as continue thinking about the content as I wrote. Another thing that I found quite helpful is making sort of mini 'stories' about the events so it was more fun to remember in a way. I am quite a visual person so I also I found flashcards, as well as little drawings of certain situations really helpful.

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Well, as an HL History student, I got a LOT of stuff to know. I type all my notes so everything I need is on my ol trusty laptop.

In terms of studying, I usually organize my notes neatly and retype or reread what I did. For each theme (Ex: Evolution of arms in 20th Century), I would divide it in sub groups (Ex: Aviation, Navy, Land/Army, Other) and more subgroups (Ex: Other- Radar) and write down everything I know for each group.

For example:

Theme: Evolution of Arms in the 20th Century

Other: Radar (Radio and Detection and Ranging)

Invented by : Robert Watson-watt 1930's

Purpose : Defensive, to detect objects from a far away distance without being seen.

Advantages : Works during all times of weather and day since it uses radio waves/frequencies, Element of surprise, navigation...

Disadvantages : New technology introduced in 1930's, experience handling it is not high.

Important events which show the significance and use of radar : Battle of Britain and Battle of the Atlantic

Examples of Radar : Chain Home (Britain), ASV (American), Freya (German)

So basically, I would remember this and elaborate on each point. You could also use flashcards if that helps.

I do the same thing for wars, I use this format and just fill in the rest with information.

War: World War 1

Type of War : Total war

Longterm causes: Alliance system, Militarization, Nationalism...

Short term causes: Assassination of Francois Ferdinand...

Important people : blah blah blah

Important events : blah blah blah

Significance and effects: blah blah blah

Historian: blah blah blah

Hope that helps!

Funny10sport :)

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  • 4 weeks later...

It's also helpful if you just read information about an event, then without looking write down as much as you can remember and then check and you keep doing this until you have stored all your information. I also find it helpful to draw cartoons of events that happened and people's reactions to these events.

For example the 1976 Qingming Festival in China: I drew the Tiananmen Square filled with wreaths and mourning people and next to it Hua's and Mao's reaction and the sequence of events that occured...

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  • 3 weeks later...

Dates I'm less concerned about because my teacher doesn't really care about them (and I've heard IB doesn't either?),

NO! Not true! Dates are important! Well years are, not really days and months. It counts as 'evidence' which the IB LOVES.

One good way of revising is by pretending you're the teacher and explaining what happened to someone else. It doesn't have to be a real person; a pet, teddy or even a mirror will do. I read somewhere that you remember 30% of what someone else says but around 70% of what you say yourself (ballpark figures by the way). Also, it will show gaps in your knowledge.

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Approaching exam time I wrote somewhere around 20-25 practice essays which I read and re-read over and over.

Got one essay question on the exam which was basically a re-wording of a common question (Soviet Union/Gorbachev and end of Cold War) which I had already prepared for and basically knew the general flow by memory. Definitely not word for word though :P

Mind you this is SL, where there is much less to know.

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