“Why do I have to take this stupid class?”             

That was probably your reaction when you were being advised for your classes. “What do I care about some stupid old dead guys and laws?”             

The simple answer to this is: because the state of Texas (or your individual college/university) decided that you had to have it to graduate with a degree. In other words, if you want to get out of here with a degree, you have to get past Washington, Lincoln, and lots of court cases.             

See, you thought I was going to go on and on about why you should love history or political science as much as I do.     

Attend the class.             

Sounds simple, but many college students neglect that little detail. They think: “Hey, I got a textbook and nobody to tell me that I have to go to class. I’ll show up for the exam and be fine.”   

          

There is a huge gaping flaw in that logic. This person assumes that the teacher will have a textbook. From personal experience, many professors, particularly history and political science professors, do not use a textbook. The tests come directly from their lectures. Therefore, if you could not get your lazy butt out of bed and attend the lecture, the chances of you waltzing into the test and walking out with a passing grade are about the same as me going into a microbiology test and coming out with an A. In other words, slim to none. 

Read the syllabus 

This piece of paper has everything you need to know about how the class will be ran, such as the professor’s name and office hours. Yes, the professor expects you to read it, so that there will be no stupid questions like “Why is my grade so low? I passed all the tests” when the syllabus says “I take attendance, and it will be 40% of your grade.” 

Take Notes 

Again, this is something that sounds obvious. However, there is a right way and a wrong way to take notes. 

Here are some tips: 

1) If a name is tossed out, write it down. In all likelihood, the professor will tell you information about that person that they expect you to know. If you miss what the professor says, at least you will have it down so you can Google it. Same thing goes for battles, court cases, conflicts, theories, and places. 

2. Do NOT freak out about dates. I can practically guarantee that no professor will ask a question such as “When did the Battle of Antietam occur?” Do you need to know it was in the Civil War? Yes. Do you need to know who won and why? Yes. Dates are merely a framework for history. What is important is that you know sequence, what comes first, second, third, and especially why it is important. 

3) Do NOT freak out about details. It may be nice to know that John Adams and Thomas Jefferson disliked each other, and ironically died on the same day. It might be interesting to know the name of George Washington’s horse or what Abraham Lincoln had for dinner the night he died, but these are not facts that will come up on your exam. 

4. Any time the professor says “The causes of the Civil War were…” “Effects of Marbury vs. Madison were…” “Advantages the colonists had in the Revolution were…” write it down. Anything you can make a list for has the possibility of being an essay or short answer question. As a professor, I LOVE making these into questions. Makes my job easier.

5. If all else fails, bring a tape recorder. First check with your professor to make sure he/she will let you. You can take notes at the same time, then listen to the tape later to fill in any gaps you might have.   

"Oh no! I’m doomed! I have an exam and 40 pages of notes! What am I going to do?!?" 

Find out what kind of exam it will be. 

Multiple choice? Short answer? Essay? Interpretive Dance? This will determine how you study. 

Discover what works best for you. 

My next blog will explore the details of studying for and performing on exams in the liberal arts in general, so this advice is pretty broad of now. I prefer flashcards for helping me memorize things. Some people like to get more creative, like making a song out of the names of the presidents. Other people are more likely to remember things if they read it out loud. Find what works for you. 

Other important tips   

If you have a question, first go to your professor, and then to your tutor. Your professor will be able to answer much better than I will and, as an added bonus, they will know you care enough about your grade to ask for help. This might factor in if you have a borderline grade, such as a 69 or 79. 

Read your textbook. If the exams are 80% lecture and 20% text and you don’t read the book, you will be sitting at an 80 (at the highest)before you start the test. Use the same methods with the textbook as you do with notes. Look for people, places, events, book titles, court cases, etc. and why they are important. 

Appreciate the wonder. History can be fascinating, really. For every person, there is a story. They are not idols or people we just made up. They lived, they breathed, they made out with their wives/husbands/lovers, they had likes and dislikes and bad hair days. 

It was never a foregone conclusion that America would survive as a nation, or that the Allies would win WWII, or that slavery would end or that minorities would become citizens. The people involved were fighting for their lives and for the future. They lived and struggled, not in the past, but in their present. Try to feel their fear, excitement, agony, despair, and joy. Makes it easier to remember who they were when you put yourself in their shoes. 

I'm trying to put myself in FDR's shoes right now. 

History is the story of humanity. That's not boring; there is absolutely no way that can be boring. It's the story of you. Let your interest be sparked and refuse to give in to that voice that says: “Eeeewwww it’s history, I’m not supposed to enjoy this.” The more you do, the easier the class will be to survive. And maybe even excel in.