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What to expect in HL history?


Musicalhearts

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Hi,

I'm starting school soon, and the one subject that I'm most scared about is HL History. I don't enjoy the subject at all, and have horrible memory. So obviously, none of those things are going to help me succeed in HL history.

I was wondering what I should expect in HL history. Debates? Essays (oh I know about the essays...)? Presentations? Etc etc.

Also, if any of you have any tips for succeeding well in HL History (especially with a terrible memory), I would be so grateful for them.

Thanks!

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Essays is the big one. Your teacher might have some in-class presentations or debates, but the exams are all essays. The IA is a long paper, and then the exams are simply essay after essay after essay :)

 

Tips for HL history: Get a good pen that doesn't smear. Make a guide at the end of each unit that you can study right before the finals. You'll find that you'll need to know evidence, but specifics are actually less important than you might have originally thought. HL History is much less about remembering specific dates, for example, than being able to explain changes in policy.

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Hi,

I'm starting school soon, and the one subject that I'm most scared about is HL History. I don't enjoy the subject at all, and have horrible memory. So obviously, none of those things are going to help me succeed in HL history.

I was wondering what I should expect in HL history. Debates? Essays (oh I know about the essays...)? Presentations? Etc etc.

Also, if any of you have any tips for succeeding well in HL History (especially with a terrible memory), I would be so grateful for them.

Thanks!

 

History is not about memorizing specific details, it's more about analyzing and explaining the connections between events in a historical period to support your position. This is what you have to do in your essay. Seeing the connections and cause-effect is very crucial to a great history essay. The essay gets enhanced if you offer counterclaims and then use them to support your claim. 

In my class, we didn't have a lot of debates. We did have some essays and presentations though, but presentations were for completion marks, and the sole purpose 

of the presentations were for the best of our essays. 

Thus, you have to get used to writing essays. The essay focus is more on how well you explain the connections between events to support your claim (thus analysis), rather than grammar, word usage, stylish elements, etc. 

It's really helpful to get a pen that can be erased (I found an average one in a local store, but saw a REALLY GREAT ONE in a local university bookstore. Check those out). At least those pens were helpful to me. 

An essay that you have to write in 45min and writing 2 (paper 2), and 3 (paper 3) sound tough and scary at first, but once you get through it and actually study hard and prepare, practice writing essays and search for resources, then I'm sure you will do great :) 

If you are really struggling, then I suggest you search for the IB "textbooks" a.k.a. resource books (if your class already have them, then that's good. Mine didn't ahve them, so I had to buy them) You can buy them in Amazon. Pearson and Cambridge publishers' books are great. 

Good luck in your beginning IB year! 

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