STUDY GUIDE AND ESSENTIAL TIPS
"The paradox of real learning is that you don’t get what you ‘want’ – and you certainly can’t buy it. The really vital aspects of the experience of studying something (a condition very different from ‘the student experience’) are bafflement and effort. Hacking your way through the jungle of unintelligibility to a few small clearings of partial intelligibility is a demanding and not always enjoyable process."
Stefan Collini, 'From Robbins to McKinsey', LRB, v.33:n16 (25 August 2011)
Stefan Collini, 'From Robbins to McKinsey', LRB, v.33:n16 (25 August 2011)
FROM SCHOOL TO UNIVERSITY - WHAT TO EXPECT
Read this guide
from_school_to_university__what_to_expect.docx | |
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KEY POINTS ABOUT WRITING HISTORY
HISTORY HAS NO 'ONE RIGHT ANSWER'. YOU ARE NOT SEARCHING FOR THE 'TRUTH' OR WORKING METHODICALLY FROM A 'TEXTBOOK'. YOU ARE FINDING THE MOST CONVINCING ARGUMENT USING THE MOST RELEVANT SUPPORTING EVIDENCE.
Always back up your argument with relevant supporting evidence. Analysis and argument are preferable to narrative and 'telling the story'. Read a wide range of historical opinions and types of evidence to provide a range of views.
Read this great blog post about how to write a successful history essay: http://melodeebeals.co.uk/reversing-engineering-assessment-criteria-or-so-thats-what-you-meant-by-critically-analyse/
1. Independent study
You are expected (as detailed in the Student Code of Conduct, UPR SA01, c.4.i) to undertake 40 hours per week study time for a full time programme. So 2 hours contact time requires at least 8 hours independent study per week.
You need to prepare for each workshop/seminar, not just for the odd one that is ‘relevant to the essay’. Prior preparation is especially important as there are informal and assessed discussion and group tasks throughout the module. The more you read and prepare, the more you will understand!
You should not expect that individual readings will provide answers to either the essay or exam questions. Instead, you should consider the connections and contradictions between different readings. For example, does the argument of one article contradict the evidence of another? or, Does the evidence used in one argument support the argument of another article as well?
NUMBER OF READINGS
There is no ideal number of readings on any given topic. You should explore as many texts as they feel they need to understand and discuss the topic. Failure to read the required texts, however, will prevent you from having common ground during seminars and make these sessions far less helpful. The tutor will not provide summaries of the required texts during seminar sessions.
For primary source based modules, a number of primary sources will also be assigned. We will discuss these in the workshops, and it is strongly advised that you read them and find out about them in advance of the workshop. You are more than welcome to find some primary sources for yourselves using the resources available, and share them with your group.
NOTE-TAKING
You should take notes from reading to suit their own learning preferences. However, you should always note the full bibliographic reference as well as make it clear whether you are quoting or paraphrasing the text. Failure to do this may result in unintentionally plagiarising your reading in their assessed work.
A good way to make notes is to divide your page into two (or use two adjacent pages), and use the left hand side to copy phrases or quotations from the text, with page numbers, and use the right hand side to add your own reflections, queries, connections with other reading, etc.
You need to prepare for each workshop/seminar, not just for the odd one that is ‘relevant to the essay’. Prior preparation is especially important as there are informal and assessed discussion and group tasks throughout the module. The more you read and prepare, the more you will understand!
You should not expect that individual readings will provide answers to either the essay or exam questions. Instead, you should consider the connections and contradictions between different readings. For example, does the argument of one article contradict the evidence of another? or, Does the evidence used in one argument support the argument of another article as well?
NUMBER OF READINGS
There is no ideal number of readings on any given topic. You should explore as many texts as they feel they need to understand and discuss the topic. Failure to read the required texts, however, will prevent you from having common ground during seminars and make these sessions far less helpful. The tutor will not provide summaries of the required texts during seminar sessions.
For primary source based modules, a number of primary sources will also be assigned. We will discuss these in the workshops, and it is strongly advised that you read them and find out about them in advance of the workshop. You are more than welcome to find some primary sources for yourselves using the resources available, and share them with your group.
NOTE-TAKING
You should take notes from reading to suit their own learning preferences. However, you should always note the full bibliographic reference as well as make it clear whether you are quoting or paraphrasing the text. Failure to do this may result in unintentionally plagiarising your reading in their assessed work.
A good way to make notes is to divide your page into two (or use two adjacent pages), and use the left hand side to copy phrases or quotations from the text, with page numbers, and use the right hand side to add your own reflections, queries, connections with other reading, etc.
2. Lectures
Lectures are opportunities for students to expand their perspectives on key themes through comparative analysis. Student should not expect attendance at lectures to replace required or supplementary reading on these themes. Instead, students should use lecture materials to place their readings into a wider context and to suggest additional possibilities for independent study.
ONLINE RESOURCES
All lecture handouts, slides, and other notes will be made available on studynet and on this website in advance. PLEASE DOWNLOAD, PRINT OUT AND READ LECTURE HANDOUTS IN ADVANCE OF THE LECTURE/WORKSHOP.
NOTE-TAKING
As much factual information will be made available through the textbook and PowerPoint materials, and may be accessed at any time before or after the lecture, you should consider taking reflective notes during the lectures. For example, rather than transcribe the dates and biographies of individual historical figures, you may wish to note down how these definitions relate to your reading and notes from previous weeks or what you should look for in your future research.
ONLINE RESOURCES
All lecture handouts, slides, and other notes will be made available on studynet and on this website in advance. PLEASE DOWNLOAD, PRINT OUT AND READ LECTURE HANDOUTS IN ADVANCE OF THE LECTURE/WORKSHOP.
NOTE-TAKING
As much factual information will be made available through the textbook and PowerPoint materials, and may be accessed at any time before or after the lecture, you should consider taking reflective notes during the lectures. For example, rather than transcribe the dates and biographies of individual historical figures, you may wish to note down how these definitions relate to your reading and notes from previous weeks or what you should look for in your future research.
3. Seminar preparation
Seminar discussion allows you to confirm their understanding of the factual information presented in lectures and readings, as well as debate the interpretation of this information with other students and the tutor. You should not expect to obtain any new factual information from the tutor during these sessions. Instead, you should come to seminars and workshops prepared to explain their own interpretation of the reading material, as well as any questions you have regarding specific evidence or arguments.
The aim of the workshop/seminar is not to collect a large amount of new information, but to refine and organise the information you already possess.
ETIQUETTE
The tutor does not expect you to perform or demonstrate their memorisation of factual information during workshops. Instead, the tutor will act as a facilitator in a discussion between students regarding their interpretations of historical events and processes. Respect each others' comments and questions. Listen to what everyone has to say. Make eye contact with each other, and not just with the tutor. Don't dominate the discussion, and give others room and time to think and respond.
NOTE-TAKING
Seminars are opportunities for discussion rather than information gathering. Therefore, note-taking should be very limited, such as quickly noting new authors or pieces of evidence offered by peers. Students may decide, as a group, to allocate time for reflective writing during the seminar in order to consolidate thoughts raised from the discussion.
ELECTRONIC DEVICES
As a courtesy to peers, electronic devices such as mobile phones should be turned off and put away during the discussion. During collaborative work, note-taking devices may be used.
The aim of the workshop/seminar is not to collect a large amount of new information, but to refine and organise the information you already possess.
ETIQUETTE
The tutor does not expect you to perform or demonstrate their memorisation of factual information during workshops. Instead, the tutor will act as a facilitator in a discussion between students regarding their interpretations of historical events and processes. Respect each others' comments and questions. Listen to what everyone has to say. Make eye contact with each other, and not just with the tutor. Don't dominate the discussion, and give others room and time to think and respond.
NOTE-TAKING
Seminars are opportunities for discussion rather than information gathering. Therefore, note-taking should be very limited, such as quickly noting new authors or pieces of evidence offered by peers. Students may decide, as a group, to allocate time for reflective writing during the seminar in order to consolidate thoughts raised from the discussion.
ELECTRONIC DEVICES
As a courtesy to peers, electronic devices such as mobile phones should be turned off and put away during the discussion. During collaborative work, note-taking devices may be used.
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Help with references, essay structure, spelling and grammar
Funny grammar tips: http://theoatmeal.com/tag/grammar
10 words you need to stop misspelling: http://theoatmeal.com/comics/misspelling
How to use a semi-colon: http://theoatmeal.com/comics/semicolon
Useful exercises in grammar: http://www.bristol.ac.uk/arts/exercises/grammar/grammar_tutorial/page_01.htm
10 words you need to stop misspelling: http://theoatmeal.com/comics/misspelling
How to use a semi-colon: http://theoatmeal.com/comics/semicolon
Useful exercises in grammar: http://www.bristol.ac.uk/arts/exercises/grammar/grammar_tutorial/page_01.htm
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planning_essays.pdf | |
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writing_history_essays_dos_and_donts.pdf | |
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help_with_reading_journal_articles.pdf | |
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how_to_take_good_notes.pdf | |
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how_to_find_historiography.pdf | |
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This is a good site explaining how to write a good history essay and how not to: http://www.hamilton.edu/writing/writing-resources/writing-a-good-history-paper
also
Read this great blog post about how to write a successful history essay: http://melodeebeals.co.uk/reversing-engineering-assessment-criteria-or-so-thats-what-you-meant-by-critically-analyse/
also
Read this great blog post about how to write a successful history essay: http://melodeebeals.co.uk/reversing-engineering-assessment-criteria-or-so-thats-what-you-meant-by-critically-analyse/
Further reflections on Collini, as quoted above.
it is *normal* to not understand something the first time, have to go back and re-read something before grasping its basic meaning, and that everything can't be ingested (certainly not in History, anyway), in 'bite-size chunks'. This also applies, as Collini is arguing, to the whole degree, what a university education is for, and how expansion of the mind *takes time*. It can't be an exercise in ticking the 'correct' boxes and completing exercises with the sole goal of completing them. Rather, a university education should be developing oneself to think independently and critically for life.