Hey Comrades
SO... I made these notes for my bro when he was just about to start revolutions and I didn't have any other use for them so I figured I'd just put them up here. I'm not going to lie...revolutions was the hardest subject I did in VCE by a landslide. BUT if you put in the hard yards you can definitely achieve a score beyond your expectations- I received a study score of 44 in 2016 when I was expecting high 30s max. I also screwed up my first SAC and was extremely demoralized/about to give up and quit, but I was able to bring up my next sacs and smash my exam which brought up my grade and ranking substantially.
My SAC and Exam Scores: Unit 3 AOS 1: C+
Unit 3 AOS 2: A+
Unit 4 AOS 1: A+
Unit 4 AOS 2: A+
Exam Score: A+
Some of the information may seem contradictory or basic, but I just wanted to appeal to different people's learning styles so please don't bash me in the comments haha.
1. STICK TO THE STUDY DESIGN!!!• You will not (should not) be asked about events/people/dates/policies etc. outside what is specified on the study design.
• If it helps, use your study design to set up your notes e.g. using the key words from the study design as subtitles.
• Highlight key aspects of the study design and when you feel you understand the dot point/aspect of the study design completely, tick it off. This helps you to keep track of what you know, and what you need to work on more (research more etc.)
2. MAKE ORGANISED TIMELINES FOR DATES OF KEY EVENTS!• Dates are important as they provide specific factual evidence- which is a key component of history. Whenever you can provide a date for a specific event, DO!
• I used colour-coded tables to help remember dates and relate them to specific dates and ideas. This also helped me to have a timeline in my head of where all the events fit in the particular revolution (or for you, period of Australian history). I got mum or dad to test me on dates regularly so they became automatic.
3. HOW TO MAKE USEFUL NOTES• Everyone makes notes differently- however, it is important you make notes that are both meaningful to you (make sense to you and are not over-complicated) but are also accurate and include all the necessary/important information to the event.
• Some people in my history class decided to put the information from textbooks/resources straight into their own words, HOWEVER they did regret this as it often took longer (of which time is restricted in VCE). Therefore, I would recommend (and what I did) copying the relevant information practically word-for-word from the textbooks and resources into your own notes. This will make sure that no information is “lost-in-translation” and that it is accurate.
• It is often difficult to work out what is relevant in the resources and textbooks, and what is irrelevant- therefore using your study design whilst making notes can be very useful. By using your study design dot points and information, you will be able to create a more relevant, necessary and “sifted-down” record of information you can use for SACs and the end-of-year examination.
• Another problem I encountered in VCE History is that creating notes takes a VERY long time- especially if you choose to make them all by hand. Getting behind on notes is also a BIG NO-NO in history, because if you get behind on one area’s notes, it will have a knock on effect and put you behind on your next area’s notes. However, if you do get behind (which definitely happened to me- and is often inevitable) just make sure you organize a period of time where you can make it all up and get up to date.
KEY TIPS WHEN WRITING NOTES
DISCLAIMER: Don't spend all your time on your notes. I started by doing this in the first term and found it took up almost all my time- consequently I didn’t do enough practice questions for my first SAC and got a C+.
• Read and highlight at the same time- If you find you are highlighting large portions of the information (or all of it) whilst you read, I would recommend either use different colour highlighters for different ideas OR just highlight key statistics/dates.However don't just highlight the whole textbook- too much highlighter can actually disadvantage your ability to remember information
• After you have read and highlighted the information, you could either write by hand into a exercise book or you could type on a document online. I ended up writing all my notes by hand when I was at home, and typing up tables and other extra information that was given out in class to print off and stick in my exercise books. In hindsight, I would have written all my notes on the computer and then written the most important aspects of notes by hand coming up to a SAC or exam just because of time constraints.
• In class (if you get the choice) I would recommend making notes on the computer/laptop because the teacher will often talk very quickly and writing by hand often does not accommodate for this.
• For me, using tables was also a really key part of setting out organized information.
• You could also use flowcharts (if you are more of a visual learner) which can also help you to put together an order to events.
• Cue Cards can also be a useful way for testing of information and remembering information. They can help you to link a study point/event with information.
• These are just a few ways of setting out notes and helping to organize information so it can be easily remembered. There are probably heaps of other ways you can try to organize notes and allow the info to be transferred into long term (or short term lol) memory. However, everyone has different ways of setting out notes and remembering information so find what is best for you!
4. READ WIDELY- BUT ALSO KNOW WHEN TO LIMIT YOURSELF!• It can be really useful to read outside the textbooks that are given by school in order to get a wider perspective of the period of history. I did this- and found it very useful in creating my own accurate (and non-biased) interpretation of a revolution/period of history (you will find that historians often have their own prerogatives and biases that can influence how they view history).
• If there was an area of a revolution/period of history I was unsure about, I tended to venture out into other readings and textbooks to help me better understand it. For example, my textbook did not have much information on the “French Terror” and therefore I specifically looked in other books to maximize my knowledge on the area, get more statistics etc.
• However your teachers CHOSE the school textbook for a REASON and therefore it is always important to have this resource at the center of your knowledge/learning (therefore read these first before you endeavor outwards into other readings).
• Also know when to limit yourself! You are not expected to read every available resource and textbook on the subject so when you think you understand something to the best of your ability, stop reading outwards and focus on your notes!
5. HOW THE **** DO I REMEMBER ALL MY NOTES???• Revs had a RIDICULOUS amount of information to remember, so remembering everything in perfect detail was simply impossible.
• Writing notes by hand and having an organized, “sifted down”, colourful set of notes (see previous) will make remembering notes slightly easier, however you cannot just expect to remember everything by writing notes and then reading over them once in a while.
• In order to memorize notes and specific information I tended to read over my notes regularly and write them up on my laptop again and again, read them out loud again and again, in order to memorize it. This probably won’t work for most people- rote repetition requires high mental effort and is very time consuming.
• I also used to get mum, dad. friends, random baristas (not my proudest moment) to test me regularly on my notes- this would quite literally involve me handing over my exercise book and them reading out a key dot point/event e.g. the “French Terror” and me reciting by voice the information under that dot point. Mum/Dad would use a red pen to tick off things in my exercise book I remembered, and then help to prompt me on things I forgot under that dot-point (and suggest I needed to go over this more). Note the importance of testing regularly- if you just leave testing to the last minute it will not be transferred to long term memory and it is likely you will forget key aspects!!! As I am an auditory learner in the most part- this was the most useful part to me.
• Talking to a tutor, teacher or fellow revs classmates- talking to others about key events also was absolutely essential in my ability to properly understand and remember information.
• In SwotVac (lead up to the exam) I stuck up posters around my room and above my bed (particularly for dates) so that the last thing I would see when I went to sleep, and the first thing I would see when I woke up were these facts and evidence- this helped to solidify these dates in my mind.
6. WRITING IN HISTORY• This is the most significant part of VCE History as this is essentially the part where you will be tested on. You can have a great set of notes, however if you don’t get the writing part set down- you might struggle to do well in the subject. Therefore I would recommend you spend the bulk of your studying and work on writing practice answers and practice SACs, so when you have to do the real thing you have a good knack on how to set out answers.
• I would recommend looking at the Exam Reports to get a good idea of what the Examiners are looking for and some sample answers to questions to see the general way people lay out their answers.
• I would also recommend doing timed practices up to SACs and Exams because of the tight time conditions they put you under.
• My final tip for this would be to do as much writing as possible and get your answers checked by teachers, tutors or against an answer guide.
Passage AnalysesPassage Analyses are often the hardest writing part to nail down but if you have a general form and system going it will become second nature.
General Form that I followed for Section (a) and (b): Source quote-> reveals/suggests/exposes/implies/asserts etc. and relate/link back to question. Include dates/stats and events if you want to really show the examiner that you know what you're talking about. Don't use historians quotes.
Example: Can't find question for this but you get the general idea of what i was trying to achieve (it was probably along the lines of "what do the sources suggest caused France's financial bankruptcy/crisis in 1788/9)
Hibbert’s declaration that “the costs of the country’s war…rendered the collection of further and more burdensome taxes.” (S1) suggests that the enormous debts acquired from France’s involvement in the Seven Years War (1756-1763) and the American War of Independence (1778-1783) contributed significantly to France’s financial crises. Jacques Necker’s collection of loans, borrowing and reliance of heavy taxes to compensate for France’s spending of 1066 million livres in the American War of Independence, exacerbated the dire state of the economy and made bankruptcy (16 August 1788) unavoidable. Additionally Hibbert’s reference to the “evils of the tax system” (s1) alludes to the fact that the inefficient and unequal nature of France’s fiscal system was crucial in provoking financial problems. Through the tax system’s inequality, where the Third Estate suffered the burden of the taxes whilst the nobles were primarily immune and the clergy payed a small don gratuity to the monarchy, and the tendency of the tax collection to be corrupt, it is evident that financial issues were aggravated by the fiscal system. Lastly, the economic problems triggered by the catastrophic hailstorms and consequential bad harvest (13 July 1788) only added to France’s poor economy. The harvest failures meant that the price of wheat and flour rose exponentially leading to an inability to pay taxes, starvation and unemployment.
General Form for Section CContention
Topic Sentence->Further explanation with dates/stats/events etc.->Source with explanation (proves/rebukes or relevance to point) ->Historians view with explanation (explain how it proves/rebukes point and agrees/disagrees with source)
Example: How did the Russo-Japanese War (1904-05) contribute to a revolutionary situation in Russia in 1905.
Russia’s bitter defeat to Japan in the Russo-Japanese (1904-1905) war played a significant role in the advancement of the 1905 revolution in Russia in that it provoked anti-tsarist sentiment and caused the government and Tsar Nicholas II to lose support, thereby exacerbating social unrest; in addition it generated the emergence of liberal and radical movements which accordingly led to revolts and rebellion; and lastly it precipitated the Potemkin Mutiny (14th June, 1905) demonstrating that the tsar had lost some control over its armed forces. Firstly, Russia’s defeat in the war aggravated the already tense situation occurring in Russia, primarily as a result of the unanswered grievances of workers and peasants and the emergence of opposition to the tsarist regime, and reduced the popularity of the tsar. The Russians saw the defeats in several battles and believed that Russia’s losses were due to the incompetence of Russia’s government. Historian Michael Lynch’s assertion that, “Russia’s dismal performance (in the war) was a potent factor in the buildup of tension which led to open challenge to tsardom” (S3) indicates that Russia’s defeat in the war reduced the Russian population’s faith in the tsar and created large opposition to the government, therefore creating a revolutionary situation in 1905. The Communist Party of the Soviet Union agrees with Lynch’s assessment, taking a strong stance that, “the defeats of the tsarist armies opened the eyes of the masses to the rottenness of tsardom” Similarly, the losses suffered by Russia in the war encouraged the development of liberal and radical movements that positioned themselves in opposition with the tsar and were gradually gaining ground in ensuing social, political and economic upheaval. One of the most notorious examples of liberal movements rising up with anti-tsarist sentiment was the Zemstva. The Zemstva were small rural councils who incited a serious of National Banquets and held the St Petersburg Conference (6-9th November, 1904) calling for a constitution. The losses at the war radicalized these groups and excited social unrest that led to the General Strike and Bloody Sunday (9th January 1905) Lynch suggests that Russia’s loss to Japan in the war “excited the social unrest that it had been specifically designed to dampen”, which proves that the Russo-Japanese war exacerbated the hostile internal situation in Russia. Lastly, the continual losses suffered by Russia in the war, along with poor conditions suffered by sailors on the Potemkin battleship, caused the Potemkin sailors to mutiny against their officers. The Battle of Tsushima (s2), which saw the Russian battleships defeated in less than 24 hours, caused the Navy suffer low morale which further incited the Potemkin sailors to murder their officers and desert their squadron. The Potemkin Mutiny was particularly significant in that it was the first instant of mass revolt in the military which demonstrated that the tsar was losing control of its forces. Historian, Robert Service supports this by suggesting that “the monarchy’s fate hung by a thread.”
Extended ResponsesGeneral Form that I followed:
Main Contention that covers 3-4 points you have pertained to question.
Signpost (e.g. firstly, secondly, additionally etc.)-> Topic Sentence-> Evidence (dates, facts, stats)-> Linking Statement to original question.
Do this for each point you make.
*Don't include historians views in extended responses.
EssayThe General form that I followed for paragraphs was"
Signpost->Topic Sentence-->First Point with stats, dates etc.-> Historian's quote->Explain quote in reference to point and how it proves/rebukes point.
*Do this for how many points you have in your paragraphs.
7. GENERAL TIPS FOR STUDYING!• Eliminate all distractions! YouTube, Phones, Games, News, Facebook apps, Distracting people etc. get them away from your work area. Do not even attempt to multi-task e.g. watch The Office whilst studying!
• Always study at the right time and in the right place! Everyone has specific times in the day when they are most efficient- for me I studied the best between 8am-12pm so I tended to organize my revs study between these periods. I know other people who found that working late in the afternoon and into early evening (e.g. 1pm-8pm) was most effective for them. You will find what times suit the best for you and I recommend you stick to it.
• Work in an environment where you know you will not be distracted or interrupted. I worked downstairs in the dining room because there is research to suggest that working in your bedroom can deter your ability to learn. It is important to separate the areas you relax and sleep in (e.g. a bedroom) and an area you work/study in (e.g. a library or study room). However, you may still prefer to work in your room.
• Do not study when you are extremely fatigued or having a mental breakdown- you will be ineffective.
• Take a break- I always had Friday night off to let loose and then would work consistently on Saturday, Sunday and throughout the week. If it works better for you, take smaller consistent breaks e.g. every hour have a 10 minute break.
Hope this helped someone and good luck.
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