A letter to the Students:
by Richard Oloffson, Honors Practicum undergraduate
January 2003
As I see it, the purpose of taking lecture notes is two fold:
1. To get down the important concepts of the course in a clear and thorough fashion.
2. To prepare a set of notes that will help one study for the exam with little confusion.
What I have found most helpful when studying my in-class notes, is to take them home and then re-write them. This method was first suggested to me when I was a Freshman in college, and at the time I thought it was the most ridiculous and inefficient method of note-taking possible. However, I have discovered that it allows me to clarify my writing before I forget what my abbreviations mean, to organize my thoughts better, and to get down things I remembered from lecture but did not put in my notes. I have also found that it is a more effective way to study my notes. When re-reading them before an exam, I often find myself simply “going through the motions” and not remembering anything I read. When I re-write my notes, I have to be actively concentrating on what they say in order to transfer them from the page onto the screen. Though this is a long and time-consuming process, I have found it to be by far the most effective method of refining my notes, determining where my weaknesses are, and discovering what parts of the lecture I still have questions about.
One may offer the objection, “I take notes by writing on the power-point outlines provided on the website.” To this I respond, that while I recognize the benefits to having the lecture outlines ahead of time (and there are many), I believe it is more beneficial to read them before class and leave them at home. That way, one has an idea of what to expect during lecture, but at the same time MUST listen to the lecture, actively write what the professor is saying, and not rely on some other security blanket. I have found that attempting to take notes using only a provided outline causes one to take less copious notes and to assume that all the crucial points are already in their notes (which is often not the case). It is not uncommon for professors to add things and change things from pre-written lecture outlines, and it is also common for students to miss such changes who rely solely on the provided outlines. By taking notes free-hand, one is forced to keep listening and writing simultaneously, thus making their notes more in-tune to what is actually said during lecture.
Now, I know that I said before that there are certain advantages to the provided outlines, and there certainly are. The outlines are an excellent way of studying for the test, and also to help you take notes on the reading. I have found that rather than use the lecture outlines to assist me in taking notes from lecture, that those outlines are much MORE helpful in taking notes from the book. Historians don’t often include pointless information ,especially in survey textbooks like Spielvogel’s. Therefore, one is right to assume that about 99% of the stuff on the page is important. The trick is determining what is most important and most pertinent to one’s understanding of the class. The job of the professor and the teaching assistants is to assist students in determining what those most important concepts are. The lecture outlines help with that, and if one fills the outlines in while reading along in the book, they help guide reading, and assist in making sense out of what appears to be a very solid body of complex and important concepts.
Below is a typed (actually legible) version of my in-class notes from class on 1/28. I included explanations of why I formatted my notes the way I did and included what I did in order to give students a better idea of what to be looking for and how to clarify their own notes. I recognize my system is not the end-all be-all of note taking, but I have found it to be simple and effective. I am happy to meet with anyone who may need suggestions on how to better take notes in class. My office hours are
11:30 am - 1:15 pm T/TH in 10 SH.
Sincerely,
Rich Oloffson
This selection of notes includes in italics the reasons why I included what I did. For best flow, feel free to delete the italicized commentary.
~R.
1/28
THE FRENCH REVOLUTION I
[I always make sure to date my notes, and give them a title, so that when I go back and review them I can look back over them either in chronological order or by subject if need be].
I. Review
1. Note to self, look over the outline of tensions in Europe in 1789 discussed on Thursday.
a. Do not just look at the concepts.
b. Look at the tensions between the concepts.
2. The French Revolution will be the next unit.
a. Hierarchy v. Privileges.
b. Egalitarianism & rights.
3. The French Revolution will be on of the most condensed units in the course.
4. The French Revolution will have profound impact and influence on 19th & 20th C.s.
[I open each days notes with a brief section on Review. It provides a specific place for any information on upcoming due dates, a link back to what we ended with. I have also found that for classes that are primarily essay based, Professors will typically begin each unit with the different themes that will be reflected in that unit. By putting them at the beginning of my notes, I have a reminder of what I should be looking for while taking notes.]
II. KF [Kingdom of France] Before the Revolution.
[I have come into the habit of abbreviating the names of the different states in Europe depending on the period, for example KF = Kingdom of France, FR = French Republic, A-H = Austria-Hungary &c. When considering how long the names of the countries are and how much time it takes to write them, I have found it easier to abbreviate them.]
1. What are commonly seen as the causes of the French Revolution?
a. Class warfare
b. Poverty and the have-nots v. the haves
c. Ideas inspiring people to take action.
[Note the format of point #1. “What are commonly seen as the causes of the French Revolution?” was a rhetorical question that Professor Lawrence asked during lecture. The possibilities she gave were listed in three points. It has been my experience that rhetorical questions asked during lecture often reappear as test questions. By listing in “a, b, c” format the different theories of the causes, I can go back and study (in this case) for a multiple choice exam question asking either “Which of the following are thought to be causes of the French Revolution” or “Of the following, which is not thought to be a cause of the French Revolution.” This makes studying more efficient].
2. Know that the political & social structure of France is key to understanding the Revolution.
3. Look where the actual power in the Kingdom was.
4. Also look at the Enlightenment and its influence on the ideas.
a. The Work of the Philosophes
b. Religious Skepticisim
5. The Political Structure of France:
a. One King
b. One Language
c. One Law
d. To a large extent, One Religion (HRCC) [HRCC = Holy Roman Catholic Church]
6. This structure is similar in most of the rest of Europe (i.e. most European states are Kingdoms or Empires).
7. HRE [Holy Roman Empire] is a political area of German speaking peoples divided into smaller states.
8. Italy was also divided into smaller states.
[While this may seem like pointless background knowledge about the other states of Europe that are not included in the French Revolution, I must know that Germany and Italy are not divided states today, and the fact that they were must somehow be important. Even if not important for this particular point in the unit, it may be later on in the course, and at some point (1871) must be important to remember.]
III. The Ancien Regime (The Old Regime) à Political and Social History of pre-Rev. France
1. Monarchy:
a. Government by kings and the royal family.
b. Royal tradition of kingship based on divine right (i.e. the right to rule comes from God).
2. Monarch:
a. The person who is the ruler.
b. The continuity of the nation is held together in the person of the King.
c. Patriarchal system, use of primogeniture
[I know that primogeniture means: inheritance being passed to the eldest son, and by using that larger vocabulary word saved myself from writing more than necessary.]
d. Monarchy is a Holy institution (i.e. supported by the church).
3. The Divine Right of Kings:
a. God’s intention for the government is monarchy.
b. At the coronation of the new king there is a religious rite performed.
c. The King is anointed and spiritually elevated.
d. From this mandate from God, the king is made ruler of the people.
[The Divine Right of Kings is not only an important concept in understanding the Political history of pre-Revolutionary France, but is so critical a concept to the unit that I “bet” that it may come back as an ID and Significance question. Knowing that ID and Significance questions often take the form of:
Who were they/who was responsible.
What happened/What did they do
How did it happen
When did it happen
Why is it important that this person, event, or idea existed then?
I made sure to include who (the King, the HRCC, God “a.” - “d.”), What (the definition of the term “a.”), When (see “III” the Ancien Regime -- Pre-Revolutionary France), How (the ceremony/anointment “b. & c.”), and Why (divine right accepted as legitimate reason for ruling over the people “d.”).]
4. Louis XVI (? 1754-1793) [The “?” is there because I’m not sure if this meant his reign or his life. I know that when I re-type my notes it is something I should look for].
a. Married at 16 to Marie Antoinette to cement the union of KF & A-H
*** b. History is often about individual characters
[Point “b.” is starred because this statement indicates that Louis XVI is one of those characters, and if he is one of those individuals who influenced history, I need to know who he is, and probably look for the rest of the ID and Sig. components relating to him throughout my notes later].
c. Comes to the throne of France at age 20 (i.e. he was a young king)
IV. The Nobility prior to the F-Rev.
1. The nobility is a group of titled aristocrats and their families.
2. Nobles of the Sword:
a. Trace lineage back to the feudal ages.
i. Feudal age significance: Provided military support to the king & protection to the people.
3. Nobility of the Robe:
a. Named to the office (e.g. Judges)
b. Nobility is entirely of the male lineage.
[When discussing similar concepts like these, I have found it best to use the term as the headline, and then indent and bullet the sub-points of each. That way, on the test, when asked about differences or the definitions of these two concepts, I can distinguish one from the other, and the components of one from the other.]
4. Privileges of the Nobility:
a. The nobility did not have to pay taxes.
b. Right to bear arms, and this right was restricted to only the nobility.
V. The Catholic Church
1. In France you either live as a Catholic or are forced to hide your religion.
2. Hierarchy in Frances goes from Cardinals down through the local priests.
3. There were also cloistered monks and nuns of various orders.
4. The Cardinals, Archbishops, Bishops &c. [etc.] were often from the same class and even the SAME FAMILIES as the nobility.
[The point about similar family lineage is important for understanding the relationship between the nobility and the clergy, especially for the writing assignment.]
VI. The Third Estate
1. Included the Peasantry
2. Also included the new emerging bourgeoisie.
3. Bourgeois ß Someone who lived in a town
4. Not only did the bourg. live in towns, but commonly practiced certain professions (e.g.):
a. Educators (at least, the Bourg. were educated.)
b. Doctors
c. Lawyers
d. Merchants.
e. The Bourg. are well-off, but still lived in towns, not in the open countryside like the nobility.
5. Also Bourg. includes skilled tradesmen:
a. Craftsmen
b. Apothecaries
c. Also live in urban areas
6. Third Estate also includes “everybody else” including laborers, beggars, &c.
a. They have NO class privileges.
7. Demographics:
a. Population c. [circa or close to] 27 million people.
b. .5% Clergy (1st Estate) à 130,000 owning 10% of the land.
c. Note at this time, land ownership was the primary barometer of wealth.
d. ____ Nobility (2nd Estate) à 350,000 owning 30% of the land.
e. 2.3 Million Bourg. (3rd Estate) à 2.3 million people owning 25% of the land.
f. 80% of the population are peasants (3rd Estate) and own 35% of the land.
a. One may have owned a small plot of land as a peasant, but also had to WORK your nobles’ land.
b. Signeurial Rights: Must produce “X” amount of revenue for my Dukedom in order to pay for upkeep and public works &c.
c. Most of the significant income was swallowed by taxes (income of the peasants).
[Note the vagueness in the definition of signeurial rights. If I had not re-typed these notes, I never would have caught that. Now I know that I need to ask about that particular concept in my discussion section, or in lecture in order to shore up that point.]
VII. The Estates General.
1. The King could not rule by decree alone.
2. There had been a long standing tradition of a calling of the Estates General to sanction certain royal decrees (e.g. raising taxes).
3. Estates General
a. Included the commoners (3rd Estate)
b. Only reason to call them was for money (i.e. they held the power of the purse).
c. E-G had to agree on the taxes.
4. It had not been called for a very long time.
5. The King had found ways of raising revenues without the E-G.
a. Salt taxes and other duties go to the King personally.
6. The enormous national debt was funded by taxes.
7. The King had two sources of Strength:
a. Military
b. The Bureaucracy
8. The Problem:
a. The Parlements [note the spelling, NOT Parliaments, the spelling is critical] were special law courts which provided checks and balances against the King’s decrees.
b. The parlement had the power to register the King’s decrees, and those they felt went against French tradition simply weren’t registered.
c. The parlement had its power removed, but was given back in 1774 by Louis XVI.
9. The King had also managed to take most of the power away from the nobility.
10. The Bourg. were becoming very unhappy.
a. King’s power to stop their trade deals.
b. Enlightenment ideas stir them up.
11. Main characters of the Enlightenment are the philosophes:
a. Philosophes were not academics at universities
b. They were educated, critical, and out-spoken.
c. Salons: Big dinner parties where new ideas would be shared.
d. Wrote in vernacular and their audience was the Bourg.
e. They were the intellectual elite:
i. Most of their stuff didn’t circulate in publication widely.
ii. Belief that human beings have natural reason à rationality.
iii. Religious skepticism (atheism, agnosticism, Deism) à seen as very radical. (END)
[Notice how this set of notes was broken down into a semi-outline format. The reason for this is that while the individual points are written in a form conducive to studying for multiple choice and ID and Sig. questions, the entire set of notes is an outline for a big paper or in-class essay on the political and social divisions in France prior to the Revolution. Some classes will be less well-structured, and when preparing for an essay exam, especially if I know the possible questions in advance, is easier if my notes are taken in the form of an outline. That way, as I prep my essay, I simply re-copy my notes and then cut out the parts that don’t apply to the topic.]
I hope this helps.
~R.