OCR A2 Level History: Russia and its Rulers 1855-1964 - General Discussion Thread

History and archaeology discussion, revision, exam and homework help.

Announcements Posted on
TSR launches Learn Together! - Our new subscription to help improve your learning 16-05-2013
IMPORTANT: You must wait until midnight (morning exams)/4.30AM (afternoon exams) to discuss Edexcel exams and until 1pm/6pm the following day for STEP and IB exams. Please read before posting, including for rules for practical and oral exams. 28-04-2013
Sign in to Reply
  1. procrastination...'s Avatar
    • Respected Member
    • Posts: 170
    OCR A2 Level History: Russia and its Rulers 1855-1964 - General Discussion Thread
    Just wanted to create a thread for people doing this exam on 12th June. Thought we could bounce ideas and revision techniques and general stuff relating to the course.
    Last edited by procrastination...; 26-05-2012 at 11:05.
  2. jennavievexx's Avatar
    • New Member
    • Posts: 3
    Re: OCR A2 Level History: Russia and its Rulers 1855-1964 - General Discussion Thread
    I have no idea how to start revising for this any tips?
  3. Purple Giraffe's Avatar
    • Community Assistant
    • In my own little world
    Re: OCR A2 Level History: Russia and its Rulers 1855-1964 - General Discussion Thread
    Good idea.

    I given up hope of getting an A in this subject. I just constantly get Bs and it's demoralising after putting loads of work in.

    I'll be watching for any revision tips anyone has to offer!
  4. That Bearded Man's Avatar
    • Overlord in Training
    • Location: A glass case of emotion
    • Posts: 2,379
    Re: OCR A2 Level History: Russia and its Rulers 1855-1964 - General Discussion Thread
    I :adore: Russian History
  5. diamond-1's Avatar
    • New Member
    • Posts: 2
    Re: OCR A2 Level History: Russia and its Rulers 1855-1964 - General Discussion Thread
    anybody think they know whats going to cum ?
  6. procrastination...'s Avatar
    • Respected Member
    • Posts: 170
    Re: OCR A2 Level History: Russia and its Rulers 1855-1964 - General Discussion Thread
    Yeah I'm struggling with the revision, I found making huge mind maps last year and then stuck them on my bedroom wall so I could look at them and stuff. I'm dreading the exam and I definitely don't feel ready!
  7. dansol's Avatar
    • New Member
    • Posts: 19
    Re: OCR A2 Level History: Russia and its Rulers 1855-1964 - General Discussion Thread
    (Original post by procrastination...)
    Just wanted to create a thread for people doing this exam on 15th June. Thought we could bounce ideas and revision techniques and general stuff relating to the course.
    Isn't the exam on the 12th of June?
  8. procrastination...'s Avatar
    • Respected Member
    • Posts: 170
    Re: OCR A2 Level History: Russia and its Rulers 1855-1964 - General Discussion Thread
    (Original post by dansol)
    Isn't the exam on the 12th of June?
    Ooops, yes it is. I keep making that mistake, for some reason I've got it in my head that it's on the 15th. :P
  9. NikkiB12's Avatar
    • New Member
    • Posts: 18
    Re: OCR A2 Level History: Russia and its Rulers 1855-1964 - General Discussion Thread
    Second time im sitting this exam!
    Found it harder the first time but revising second time round is actually better as my teacher explained to split the question into themes.
    e.g. today we did an autocracy question and whether it continued from the tsars to communists and split it into themes like ideology, repression, censorship and propaganda and coming to an overall judgement at the end of each paragraph and then a conclusion at the end. TIP - make sure you set your argument in the intro as well.

    major tip which i only found out was not to go into detail about what reforms were e.g. social reforms economic just mention them as examples as the examiner already knows what they are.

    As long as you are synthesising the whole way through as well as analysing and evaluating all should be good!!
  10. peelin's Avatar
    • New Member
    • Posts: 8
    Re: OCR A2 Level History: Russia and its Rulers 1855-1964 - General Discussion Thread
    Anyone have a long list of statistics and/or quotes? Definitely the most tedious bit to learn. I've been compiling population stats, industrial output, state murders etc. but still feeling a bit thin. Also, historians can never seem to agree which makes it even more irritating to get a comprehensive list.
  11. Ccoe16's Avatar
    • New Member
    • Posts: 2
    Re: OCR A2 Level History: Russia and its Rulers 1855-1964 - General Discussion Thread
    The only ones I tend to use are when describing Stalin, he was sometimes known as the 'Engineer of human souls' due to his lack of care for human lives.
    Does anyone have an idea what's going to come up in June?!
    Getting worried now!
  12. Ccoe16's Avatar
    • New Member
    • Posts: 2
    Re: OCR A2 Level History: Russia and its Rulers 1855-1964 - General Discussion Thread
    Also tips for revising, i've been making mind maps with past exam questions in with the themes i'd use and how i'd contrast the leaders with each other!
    Stops me writing chronologically and more thematically!
  13. peelin's Avatar
    • New Member
    • Posts: 8
    Re: OCR A2 Level History: Russia and its Rulers 1855-1964 - General Discussion Thread
    There's always a nature of government question, other than that it's not really something you can predict.
  14. procrastination...'s Avatar
    • Respected Member
    • Posts: 170
    Re: OCR A2 Level History: Russia and its Rulers 1855-1964 - General Discussion Thread
    I've been making gigantic mindmaps (stuck 4 A3 sheets of paper together!!) and stuck them on my wall. The plan is to do one for every section of the ocr textbook so I've got a lot of content sorted. I find revising the content the worst part, I find it boring for starters which makes it even harder to revise. I plan on making a big document of facts/figures/quotes for the different section so I've got all of the information in one place.
    Might try to do essay plans for the past questions, a lot of people in my class have done things like that and it might come in useful for the exam as something similar might come up so I could manipulate my plans to fit the question in the exam.
    Still feel like I haven't found my favourite way to revise for History though, I just hope that it works.
    Hope this helps you guys, let me know what techniques you use!
  15. Zic0094's Avatar
    • New Member
    • Posts: 3
    Re: OCR A2 Level History: Russia and its Rulers 1855-1964 - General Discussion Thread
    Hi Im just revising over past questions and I was wondering if a question asks about the working class of Russia, such as 'how far did the working class of Russia suffer more from the communists than the tsars' would u just talk about the urban working class? I've noticed some past questions specify urban working class but others dont and I wasn't sure whether u would talk about the peasants as well in this question? Or just the urban proletariat hope everyone is getting on ok with revision
  16. Immi :)'s Avatar
    • Junior Member
    • Posts: 56
    Re: OCR A2 Level History: Russia and its Rulers 1855-1964 - General Discussion Thread
    (Original post by Zic0094)
    Hi Im just revising over past questions and I was wondering if a question asks about the working class of Russia, such as 'how far did the working class of Russia suffer more from the communists than the tsars' would u just talk about the urban working class? I've noticed some past questions specify urban working class but others dont and I wasn't sure whether u would talk about the peasants as well in this question? Or just the urban proletariat hope everyone is getting on ok with revision
    The working classes does really mean just urban workers, only talk about peasants if specified or says stuff like "people of russia"....i think at least!
  17. Luccy.'s Avatar
    • Respected Member
    • Location: London
    • Posts: 243
    Re: OCR A2 Level History: Russia and its Rulers 1855-1964 - General Discussion Thread
    (Original post by Immi :))
    The working classes does really mean just urban workers, only talk about peasants if specified or says stuff like "people of russia"....i think at least!
    Yeah the only time you could mention the peasants is around the Civil War and the NEP/First five year plan when masses of peasants moved to the cities to become the proletariat. They really were just peasants in the factories though no training etc and that's when it's acceptable.

    Also revision for this is boring and I can't wait until it's over. gah.
  18. Immi :)'s Avatar
    • Junior Member
    • Posts: 56
    Re: OCR A2 Level History: Russia and its Rulers 1855-1964 - General Discussion Thread
    Can anyone give me any advice on how best to answer a question on social and economic conditions/ reforms? I'm probably making it hard for myself but really struggling!

    Thanks
  19. Flopsidoodle's Avatar
    • Junior Member
    • Posts: 25
    Economics- successes and groups lives improved paragraph?
    economics- failures and groups repressed.

    Then repeat with social!

    Look for continuity and change with both economics and social, eg paranoia to be a super power and better than the west?


    Not sure :/




    This was posted from The Student Room's iPhone/iPad App
  20. barneybewick's Avatar
    • Junior Member
    • Posts: 63
    Re: OCR A2 Level History: Russia and its Rulers 1855-1964 - General Discussion Thread
    can anybody help me on how to structure a question on war and the development of government? fairly sure i shouldn't be going through each war chronologically but am struggling to find a way to do it well!

    Thanks
Sign in to Reply
Share this discussion:  
Article updates
Moderators

We have a brilliant team of more than 60 volunteers looking after discussions on The Student Room, helping to make it a fun, safe and useful place to hang out.

Reputation gems:
The Reputation gems seen here indicate how well reputed the user is, red gem indicate negative reputation and green indicates a good rep.
Post rating score:
These scores show if a post has been positively or negatively rated by our members.