Study skills.
The trick with study skills is
to avoid being set in ways of study.
It is really good to keep alert
to new ways. The key to study
is learning to learn and to
adopt new methods and skills.
This engagement is life long.
 

Do you have a minute?
Earlier study bites to dip into

Words and concepts.
An interest in words, a wider
vocabulary and an appreciation
of concepts and their place in
History narrative are, cumulatively
worth a jump of about two grades.
A ‘Chinese water torture’ approach
is best. Comments on concepts here.

Spacing out notes.
The most important item on a page
of notes is white space; the space
between your words. The best notes
can be understood by being looked at,
not having to be read. Good notes
have a structure imposed on them
in which the more important information
is differentiated from the less important.
There is more on notes in the Study Guide

Use of your own words with notes.
A major, but difficult, task with note
making is to use your own words. Some
copying of expression may be needed
but notes that copy chunks from a book
don’t use your time well. On notes see
pages 5 to 8 here.

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The importance of vocabulary.
Command of English is worth between
a third and half your History grade.
Try to have a page or notebook in
which you jot words if you are uncertain
of their meaning. When you have a spare
15 mins use a dictionary and put them
in a little notebook to look at again
to remind you. More on words and English.

Reading with a purpose in your mind.
Apart from initial topic overall survey
reading, whenever you read you should aim
to have in your mind questions you want to
find answers to from the pages.
For more discussion on this look here.

Weekend or weak end?
The weekend starts soon
and if you have learned the
‘little and often’ approach to
study you will be up to date
with your study tasks and able to
enter into the great ‘time off’ mood.

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The length of study sessions.
How much time to spend in a study session?
If you spend too long, over an hour without
a break, you will gain less benefit per minute
spent. If you spend less than 30 minutes on
reading and noting work you will lack the
continuity to gain most from time spent.
In short, 40-50 minutes without breaks,
followed by a good break, is good practice.

The importance of discussion.
The place and importance of discussion
in History study is easily overlooked.
Debate is at the centre of the History
discipline and discussion, either formally
in tutor groups or informally with friends,
tends to foster clarity of thought and expression
and bring interest and energy to study.
For more on discussion click here.

How detailed your notes should be.
Sad fact for today: unless you are an
Einstein or Newton, you do need to
make notes from books and lectures.
The trick is not to summarise the
book but to select what to record
in order to remember and analyse the passage
read. Look here for more on note making.

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Better times of the day to study.
Loosely, students are either Owls or Larks.
The first rise late and work late, the second
[Larks] are the opposite. As a general rule
an hour’s study before 2pm is worth nearly
twice as much as an hour after 10 pm.

Good resolutions.
Many students  are starting back
after a break. Now is the time
to make  resolutions. Why make resolutions
when you know you will break them?
Break them maybe but a resolution
even partly fulfilled is better than no
resolution. Suggestions for resolutions:
1. to keep to deadlines
2. to read/investigate beyond the basic
3. to widen vocabulary to help your written work
4. to talk more about the topics and assignments
Follow the links for more comment from our site.
Go beyond these comments with the brief
Four keys to AS/A2 History Study Success

A narrow focus is a disadvantage.
Whether you are an AS or A2 student
you are halfway through your course
this year. You have a sense of your task
and your opportunity. You will be aware
of the skills you need. You may have been
sparing with your effort or you may have
focused only on the immediate work
assignment requirements. Now is a good time
to see a wider picture. Have a quick look at 
brief comments here and here. A little
circumspection and sideways reading
can bring great rewards and, don‘t forget,
for your time on the course to be worthwhile,
you ought to gain enjoyment from it.

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Good practice with note making.
Whether you are AS or A2 level
it is useful to remember and to practice
the avoidance of reading only a sentence
before you write a note. Aim to read at least
a paragraph, hold the content in your mind,
select what to record and write your note
in your own words as far as possible.

Realistic targets help morale.
Set realistic study targets for the next 4 days.
Be moderate; not too much, not too little.
Acknowledge your success when you have
completed the work. Students can be too
hard on themselves. A sense that you are
no good is the greatest disincentive to study.

Study skills.
The trick with study skills is
to avoid being set in ways of study.
It is really good to keep alert
to new ways. The key to study
is learning to learn and to
adopt new methods and skills.
This engagement is life long.

Go to top of page

It’s not rocket science,
it’s the Chinese water torture.
Success up to first degree level
requires not brilliance but steady,
plodding work. Aiming for too much
can stop you starting. See this funny vid
on procrastination. Just get started
25 minutes work and congratulate
yourself. Stitch a few of these sessions
together and you’ll be making progress.

Students and holidays.
Unless you are hugely behind with
assignments, holidays are the time to
ease up. If you are very keen on
History, as many of you are, it is
good to read, or see [DVD, film, play],
something to do with History but not
prescribed for your course. It is surprising
where insight and inspiration can
come from. Do have a good break.

Assessment time
Remember the most important time
in an exam is when you read the questions.
See the point of the question.
Then seek to write clearly and
keep to the time for the answer.
For a one page comment
on good writing look here.
Our collected consolidation files
in a dedicated section on this here.

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The long break.
This is not a time for files and notes, surely?
No, certainly not, but students of
History can take from the long break
far more profitably. Our understanding
of the past is related to our understanding
of the present and of ourselves as
human beings. Activities that further
that understanding will provide benefits
during the next academic year.
If you are really stuck for helpful
activity, try an insightful biography
(for any era) or novel and think what
was ‘going on’ with the people portrayed.

A new year, a new start
Welcome to a new year and our site.
This is the best time to make resolutions.
These could include resolving to try
for good grades and to keep to deadlines,
and these are easier to make than to keep,
especially in the dark days of November.
Another, less obvious, resolution is
to seek to keep balance between the
varied parts of school/college student
life. There is nothing wrong with
partying or revision and library work
but when any one activity takes too
prominent a place its time to reflect.

Revision
Revision is a special time when
gaps in past performance can be made
good and high coursework grades
protected. Careful revision can
raise your standard by over
two grades. It is best to plan
and pace your revision. Our
Study Centre has lots of help
and open access see these
guidelines. Good Luck.