Leaving Cert. History

kevinmcc

I am doing higher level history at the moment but hate it. I'm finding it really hard to learn 5 A4 pages or so off by heart to write out. If I drop to Ordinary level are the essays any shorter or what is the difference between pass and higher level history in the LC?

Bono_85

You shouldn't learn it off by heart, try and read through the topic take notes and then piece together an essay, you can't write out an essay learnt by heart and get full marks because the questions are specific and require specific answers. Anyway in Ordinary level there are short questions and the essays are somewhat easier, less detail etc

neGev

First of all, you shouldn't have to learn off your essays. Four or five pages of A4 is damn hard to learn off, so learning essays off by heart should be considered a last resort.

Try to learn the most important parts of each topic - write out phrases or even words on a sheet to remind you of these important parts. Then, when you write an essay on that topic, you will know the main parts and will be able to show the examiner that you know the topic in question.
Do this for each topic you're covering in European and Irish history.
I also found that getting the exam papers and doing past exam questions over and over again helped greatly.

The history course does seem quite daunting at first glance, but remember you can cut out about 30% of the course while still leaving yourself with a choice in each of the questions in the exam. (For instance, we never touched on any Russian history at all)
I'm not entirely sure about ordinary level, but I think that you get short questions and a 15-line essay (or possibly 2) on each section.
Remember that an A+ in pass is only worth 60(?) points, which is only the equivalent of a C3(?) or something like that.
Also, if you're doing the Leaving this June coming, you have heaps of time left, so don't worry about it too much. A lot of work can be done between now and then.

kevinmcc

I have no other option than to learn the essay though. The teacher gives us the notes on the topics and at the end of the topic gives us at least a 4 A4 page essay on it to write out and usually have no more than a week to learn it. This I think is too time consuming as I spend hours nightly trying to learn it off. Whats worse is if you don't know a section or only know some off it he keeps you in at lunch to write it out until you have the essay completed. He is a total wanker and I've now decided to drop to pass cause I'm toally fed up with his ****. Took me all night to learn one page.

neGev

I know what it's like to have a teacher that you hate, one that's really irritating. Don't throw away the 40 point difference between an A in pass and an A in honours just because of him/her. Surely you can put up with this person for one year?

If this teacher is making you learn every single section, ask him/her to trim off the sections you don't *have* to do. Make sure that there are at least a few people who will support your request though, and make sure you don't go in to the room with an attitude either.
Besides, if you're flying though sections at a rate of one per week, then you should have loads of time to repeat sections that you're not happy with.
--
As a by the way, it seems that you're learning too much on each section. Remember to read through the chapter in your textbook several times to get the gist of the section. History leaves a lot of room for filling in gaps with quality english - getting your point across clearly is as important as learning facts.

PHB

The teacher doesnt know what the **** he is doing.

You need to know about 3/4 topics in every section to cover all angles. I personalyl recommend,

Section A :

Land League
Parnell Home Rule
Cultural Nationalism

Section B :

CnG
FF 32-49
InterParties

Section C:

Bismark + Wilhelm
France

Section D :

Hitler
Cold War
Europeon Unity


Make notes on each subject.
Take his essays and break them down into point form.
Eventually you will understand what happened and things will come in order, that way it'll be a progressive essay.

The teacher does not know what he is doing. Dont drop to pass, its a waste of time for the amount of work required.

Kold

God i hate irish history, i mean, i dont do irish, im english and havent been here long. Then im made to write about topics which are of no relevence to me and half the names i cant even pronounce never mind spell.

i mean how the hell do u spell cumann na gael anyway? ill be amazed if thats right...

StickyMcGinty

Originally posted by Kold
God i hate irish history, i mean, i dont do irish, im english and havent been here long. Then im made to write about topics which are of no relevence to me and half the names i cant even pronounce never mind spell.

i mean how the hell do u spell cumann na gael anyway? ill be amazed if thats right...

well why did you choose the subject then??


if your learning history, the key word is BULLET POINTS!!

worked a charm for me

kevinmcc

Thanks for the help Para II el and PHB.
The teacher can't even spell. You ask him to spell a name when he's giving notes and he says it really low and quick so no-one in the class can pick it up. We all usually write down something totally wrong.

I personally think bullet-point format is best and that's what my geography teacher does in the notes. But this wanker of a history teacher makes us learn off his essays. Sometimes he might ask for it orally and everyone has to give it the way he gave it to us in the essay. We don't get the option of writing out our own essays.

PHB

Seriously, just ignore him. Its your leaving cert not his. Do what you want, and if you are doing the essays right theres nothing he can do about it.
If he starts giving out to you, go talk to the principle!

Kold

Im keeping history as a 7th subject because i dont do irish.........................