History, so full of facts and dates and events, can make your head swim. Use this method to steady yourself.
Instructions
1. Start studying early. It's hard to learn all you'll need to learn in one night.
2. Make a timeline for the period of history you're studying, using your class notes and textbooks.
3. Look over the timeline, going back and forth several times, getting a feel for the ebb and flow of events.
4. Draw a blank timeline. Fill in the major events without looking at any notes or books, then consult the original timeline to see how much you got right.
5. Keep drawing new blank timelines and filling them in until you get it all right.
6. Make a list of key people and places for each event on the timeline.
7. Look at the big picture. Make yourself aware of the texture of history: Why was event X at time Y important? Why are you learning this in the first place?
8. Think in terms of change over time. What was fundamentally different at Time B from how things had been at Time A?
9. Think about major transitions and periodization. For instance, why do we talk about the preindustrial period and the postindustrial period as being so different from each other?
10. Consider forming a study group with other students in the class. Working together will help all of you understand the material better.
11. Review all the material at least once after your main study session.
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