Friday, December 19, 2:15. NOTE: The final will be given only at this time, except for students with a documented conflict with another final exam which has a department number lower than 16.
The final exam will be held in the normal lecture room, W10 pbb, except for students in Annie Parker's sections (sec 1, 2, 3), who will take the exam in W151 pbb.
Doing Well on an Essay Exam:
When answering an essay question, take care to:
1. construct an argument that directly answers the question, rather than putting in information for its own sake;
2. support your argument with specific information that relates to your argument;
3. remember that you are being tested on your ability to use facts to construct an argument, rather than your ability to remember facts.
Taking Notes on the Lectures:
When preparing for the exams, concentrate on the topics raised in lecture. The web outlines are meant to be both a lecture outline and a study guide. They are not a substitute for good lecture notes. Concentrate on the material in the textbook that relates to the topics raised in lecture. Not all topics in the outlines are of equal importance. One way to distinguish the most important from the least important is to attend the lectures, and review your lecture notes.
In the lecture, look out for the story line. History almost always takes the form of a narrative, i.e. a story. What is the lecturer's story?
Look out, also, for the argument. Remember, history is a form of rhetoric, i.e. designed to persuade you that one thing is more persuasive than another. What is the lecturer's argument?
Doing Well On Your Papers
1. Be sure and pay attention to your graduate instructor's instructions.
2. Follow these three simple rules of style.
ITS denotes the possessive:Virtue is its own reward.IT'S is the contraction of it is:
It's easy if you try!
It is nearly half past five. We cannot reach town before dark.
Incorrect:
It is nearly half past five, we cannot reach town before dark.
You can use a comma to splice (connect) two sentences or independent clauses if you combine it with one of the coordinate conjunctions: and, but, or.
Correct:It is nearly half past five, and we cannot reach town before dark.
A well regulated militia being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed.
Incorrect:
A well regulated militia being necessary to the security of a free state. The right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed.
How Do Things Change?
Where to Start?
Chronology
The Old Regime
The Long Nineteenth Century
The Short Twentieth Century
General Education?
Historical Allusions
Western Civ
Critical Skills
Form vs. Content
303 Schaeffer Hall
Check out The Elements of Style
What's Important in History?