JC History Tuition Bishan Bedok Tampines Singapore - How to revise for A Level History

How to revise for A Level History?

How to study for A Level History? The study of A Level History requires carefully planning and execution to make significant progress in your preparation for the examinations. Apart from the identification of common errors, development of SBQ answering techniques and essay writing skills, it is imperative that you have organised your study materials and practice questions. Therefore, in this issue, we will focusing on various aspects of revision to guide you through this meaningful journey that leads you to the goal of attaining A at the A Level History examination.

Step 1. Arrange your materials Start your revision by arranging your learning materials that you have received. By organising your own notes, essays and SBQs, you are also de-cluttering your mind. This approach is important as it ensures that you are clear on where to source for the relevant information should the need arises.

One useful way is to separate your materials by Themes or Topics. For example, the Topic on Cold War, which features a three-part series [Emergence of Bipolarity, World divided by the Cold War and End of Bipolarity], can be organised as one individual set of materials. You can consider using a file divider or even a colored A4 paper as a make-shift divider.

Within each set of materials, make sure that you have separated them into the following: (i) Notes (ii) Questions [Essays/SBQs]. For Notes, you are encouraged to include a summary cover page to list down the areas of study (which will be elaborated later below). As for Questions, you can organise them into ‘Basic’ and ‘Challenging’ types.

Step 2. Plan your timetable Now that you have organised your learning materials, the second step involves the development of a personal timetable. A timetable is important as it helps you to set priorities on your daily tasks, be it academic, recreational or personal matters. As quoted by many, ‘Fail to plan, plan to fail’. Getting your priorities right will ensure that you stay committed and focused on the ultimate aim of acing the A Level History examinations.

To get started, you can use a physical or online daily planner to organise your time. For example, you can use an Excel Spreadsheet that display the monthly calendar. First, fill in the time-slots that you are certain of, like the classes at school. Second, include time-slots that you want to revise for History, as well as other subjects. Personally, I am of the opinion that one day’s worth of revision should not exceed two subjects. For instance, your revision in one full day can be as such: History from morning till mid-afternoon; General Paper from mid-afternoon till late evening.

Step 3. Take notes during revision In the context of A Level History, it is understandable that some students may dread the revision process as it requires thorough reading and comprehension of facts and figures. However, that is only partially true as students are not expected to regurgitate every single piece of information that they have access to. The third step involves the process of taking notes. This means that you take a given set of materials, then re-organise and summarise the essential parts that can be used for the examination questions.

There are many ways to take notes while reading the materials. One of the most common practices is writing out the points on a separate piece of paper. For some students, they have the preference of creating ‘mind-maps’ to form mental images of the information. Others may have the inclination to type the points out in soft copy and compile the pointers by topics or themes. Try out different approaches to determine your preference for note-taking.

Here are some useful pointers to guide you in your note-taking experience: – List down the key events that took place. Include a brief description of the incident with the following considerations, like ‘what happened’, ‘why did it happen’ and ‘how does it relate to the topic of study’ – Create a timeline to obtain a clearer picture of the events that occurred in relation to the topic of study [For example, set a timeline of what happened before the Cold War began]  – Leave out the intricate details in your personalised set of notes. Remember, you can always refer to your original copy of learning materials, like the additional readings or even online sources, if the need arises. Focus on the idea of preparing a condensed version of your notes  

Step 4. Attempt and review practice questions After the note-taking process has concluded, assess its applicability by answering essay or source-based case study questions. By attempting questions, you can find out whether the information listed in your condensed notes are of relevance to the examination. If it is your first time preparing a personalised set of notes, do not be discouraged if you have left out any information. Revisit the original set of study materials and add the relevant parts into your notes.

Typically, the original set of notes should contain the examples and supplementary information to back up a common argument to a historical perspective. However, the notes may lack elaboration that provides direction in the discussion of the examination questions. Therefore, you can consider using a ‘basic’ question to organise your materials more effectively. For example, in the Paper 1 topic of United Nations, set a generic question, like the ‘Factors affecting the political effectiveness of the United Nations in the Cold War period’ to arrange your notes. Clearly, it would make more sense to re-organise your content from separate Case Studies into specific factors, since examination questions tend to focuses on the reasons why the UN was successful in certain cases.

Bonus: Keep trying! Now that you have identified the basic methods to revise for A Level History, what matters most is that you incorporate these tips into your revision programme. Grasping historical concepts and mastering the ‘Art of Writing’ do not happen overnight. Persistence and consistent application are the key ingredients to realise your goal.

The H2 and H1 History Tuition feature online discussion and writing practices to enhance your knowledge application skills. Get useful study notes and clarify your doubts on the subject with the tutor. You can also follow our Telegram Channel to get useful updates. We have other JC tuition classes, such as JC Math Tuition and JC Chemistry Tuition. For Secondary Tuition, we provide Secondary English Tuition, Secondary Math tuition, Secondary Chemistry Tuition, Social Studies Tuition, Geography, History Tuition and Secondary Economics Tuition. For Primary Tuition, we have Primary English, Math and Science Tuition. Call 9658 5789 to find out more.
JC History Tuition Singapore Bishan Bedok Tampines - Myths and Errors of History

Common errors and myths of JC History

How to learn History? For students who have selected A Level History as one of the subjects to learn at schools, some hold the perception that it is a challenging subject due to the vast content to remember and understand. As such, these students feel a sense of apprehension and anxiety as they are concerned over the inability to recall relevant information during examinations. While it is undeniable that A Level History is indeed a subject that covers a wide range of themes, topics and issues, I believe that it is a feasible and achievable task to grasp the essential knowledge and ace the examinations. In this issue, we will examine the common myths and errors that students that may have with regards to JC History.

Myth #1: The content is too much for me to remember! Based on conventional views, some argue that A Level History is a tough subject to grasp as there is too much to remember. Let’s refer to the syllabus requirements set by the Singapore Examinations and Assessment Board (SEAB):

For H2 History students, there are two overarching areas to learn, namely ‘Shaping the International Order (1945-2000)’ and ‘Making of Independent Southeast Asia (Independence-2000)’. For the former, there are three main themes that cover the Cold War, Global Economy and the United Nations. Similarly, the latter features three themes that cover Political Development, Economic Development and Regional Conflicts and Cooperation in ASEAN.

Given this understanding, it is easy to jump to the conclusion that it is an uphill task to learn these topics and be competent in applying the knowledge to A Level History examinations at the end of the two-year journey.

In fact, this misconceived perception is the result of ineffective strategies. The absence of an organized revision plan, a proper process to analyze historical issues and development of proficient writing methods are some of the critical components to create a productive revision plan. On a related note, students who have attended our JC History Tuition programme benefited from our exam-driven class activities and developed the capabilities to address the above-mentioned challenges.

Myth #2: I should provide as many examples as possible to attain higher marks for my JC History Essays. In addition, some students may bear the notion that they should include many examples to support their arguments in their History essays to obtain higher grades. As such, these students tend to spend much of their revision time reading through notes and additional readings to remember specific case studies and country-based examples. Then, the ‘regurgitation’ of information is evidenced by the disproportionate weight of writing on the use of examples in each ‘Main Body’ paragraph.

By applying this strategy, there is one fatal flaw. Students who lack the awareness may lose track of their arguments and deviate from the discussion, giving rise to the problem of ‘not answering the question’. For example, the essay writing may contain irrelevant information, like specific dates and quotes mentioned by Historians. Consequently, examiners are likely to penalise the students.

This error is the result of the inability to identify the question requirements. Students should pay attention to the command words and given statement (if any). By analyzing the question, students will know what to write and how much to write. By joining our JC History Tuition programme, we will guide students through this learning process and review their answers to minimise this error.

Do I have enough time to rectify my errors? Yes, there is! Although A Level History may appear intimidating to students, especially JC1s, it is possible to grasp the content well and attain grade A for the examinations. You can learn the ‘art of writing’ by focusing your efforts on reading reflectively, write logically and answer systematically.

The H2 and H1 History Tuition feature online discussion and writing practices to enhance your knowledge application skills. Get useful study notes and clarify your doubts on the subject with the tutor. You can also follow our Telegram Channel to get useful updates. We have other JC tuition classes, such as JC Math Tuition and JC Chemistry Tuition. For Secondary Tuition, we provide Secondary English Tuition, Secondary Math tuition, Secondary Chemistry Tuition, Social Studies Tuition, Geography, History Tuition and Secondary Economics Tuition. For Primary Tuition, we have Primary English, Math and Science Tuition. Call 9658 5789 to find out more.
JC History Tuition - Blog - Journey

Every journey begins with a single step

Why start now? If you believe that you have what it takes to overcome the odds and emerge victorious at the end, stick to the plan and give it your very best. This advice can be applied to not only our study of A Level History, but also in other aspects of your life. It is through consistent preparation and commitment to your plan that will make your dreams come true.

Making every second count In preparation for the exciting year of 2018, JCHistoryTuition.com.sg will feature different areas of discussion to aid you, as a JC student aspiring for success, to pursue your goals. Subsequent articles would discuss various topics, like the essentials of essay writing, source-based case study questions and A Level History content. Also, the articles will cover general issues to guide you on your journey for academic success, such as motivation, stress and time management.

Work towards your goal Think of your journey as a marathon, rather than a sprint.

Education is a continual process that requires persistence. Go forth, one step at a time. You will discover the interesting facets of History and the more important implication of learning, which shapes your personal development.

Along the way, it is inevitable that you will encounter obstacles. Do not be discouraged. Avoid perceiving these obstacles as mere setbacks. Rather, hold the thought that they are learning opportunities for you to grow and become stronger as a student. A SMART LEARNER does not give up that easily. You can do it!

The H2 and H1 History Tuition feature online discussion and writing practices to enhance your knowledge application skills. Get useful study notes and clarify your doubts on the subject with the tutor. You can also follow our Telegram Channel to get useful updates. We have other JC tuition classes, such as JC Math Tuition and JC Chemistry Tuition. For Secondary Tuition, we provide Secondary English Tuition, Secondary Math tuition, Secondary Chemistry Tuition, Social Studies Tuition, Geography, History Tuition and Secondary Economics Tuition. For Primary Tuition, we have Primary English, Math and Science Tuition. Call 9658 5789 to find out more.