Due to a school trip to Egypt in 2 weeks, I've realized I have exactly 3 weeks to prepare for my History Aptitude Test in November.
And I haven't started.
Obviously, I'm freaking out like crazy, not just from looking at my enormous guilt pile of history books I ought to have tackled weeks ago, but because I am absolutely clueless about how to prepare for the HAT. I've glanced at sample papers but they're just causing more panic, and we do so little in my history class at school that I'm having to self-teach myself most of the current topic (Nazi Germany).
Does anyone have any tips or suggestions on how to prepare/take the HAT? It would really help calm me down to hear from someone who's gone through/is going through the same process...
Sorry about the spazzing, I just looked at the calendar today and the realization of the fact I'd wasted the past few months doing ABSOLUTELY NOTHING to help my already shaky chances at Oxford came and whacked me right back on the head. D:
Umm I don't really see how you could prepare for the HAT. It's about skills not knowledge, so all you can really do is practice essay writing, and I'm sure 3 weeks of essay writing won't exactly make much of a difference. I wouldn't stress too much personally. Could be wrong though - I'm basing this on what I did for the PPE test, so I guess it could be a bit different
Are you meant to start preparing for the HAT test more than a month in advance?
The Oxford History website does say that you aren't meant to do a stupid amount of preparation; read the sample papers, plan a few answers then see how wildly off the mark you might be by checking against the mark scheme. (Reading the sample answers made me feel very insignificant though.... )
Basically the HAT is one of those things that you can't revise the info for but more the style of answer, though one question I think asks you to apply a historical trend or theme to an area of history you've studied.
Anyway, which college are you applying to? Good luck with everything, don't get too stressed (gah that's rich coming from me ), hope what I've said helps....!
Basically the HAT is one of those things that you can't revise the info for but more the style of answer, though one question I think asks you to apply a historical trend or theme to an area of history you've studied.
That would be the one area of the test that I would advise revising for. Just take the module that you were most interested in for AS or A2 and go over your notes for it. There's no point spending hours upon hours revising, as that's really not what the test is intended to reward.
I wouldn't worry. As has been said, the HAT is about your skills rather than a lot of specific knowledge. The only bit you need to refer to your own studies in is Q1C (?) where you apply a period of history that you know about to a concept that you're given.
I did it last year, and I spent the night before reading over the advice and mark schemes on the Ox History dept website, and spent 1 hour flicking through each of my AS units. So it can all be done in a few hours, and if you turned up without prep, you could still do fine as far as i'm concerned. It's quite a nice paper as they go!
Also, don't forget that you don't need to do brilliantly on the HAT to stay in contention - any answer that isn't awful should still get you called for interview.
Are you meant to start preparing for the HAT test more than a month in advance?
The Oxford History website does say that you aren't meant to do a stupid amount of preparation; read the sample papers, plan a few answers then see how wildly off the mark you might be by checking against the mark scheme. (Reading the sample answers made me feel very insignificant though.... )
Basically the HAT is one of those things that you can't revise the info for but more the style of answer, though one question I think asks you to apply a historical trend or theme to an area of history you've studied.
Anyway, which college are you applying to? Good luck with everything, don't get too stressed (gah that's rich coming from me ), hope what I've said helps....!
I'm applying for Jesus, really loved the place when I visited. And I flew in for the open day all the way from Hong Kong, so I'll feel really bad for my parents about all the plane costs if I don't get in!
By historical trend/theme would that require a bit of historiography knowledge? Like structuralist/intentionalist schools of thought on Nazi Germany etc.
I guess I'm just panicking, but realizing I've read about 100 pages of the first book in my list in the last 3 MONTHS has given me a huuuuugeee reality check. In the form of crazy panic. Sorry for spazzing, and thanks for the advice
I'm applying for Jesus, really loved the place when I visited. And I flew in for the open day all the way from Hong Kong, so I'll feel really bad for my parents about all the plane costs if I don't get in!
By historical trend/theme would that require a bit of historiography knowledge? Like structuralist/intentionalist schools of thought on Nazi Germany etc.
I guess I'm just panicking, but realizing I've read about 100 pages of the first book in my list in the last 3 MONTHS has given me a huuuuugeee reality check. In the form of crazy panic. Sorry for spazzing, and thanks for the advice
Ni hao! (Or Lai hou? Wo bu shuo guangdonghua... ) Don't feel guilty about the plane fares - to be brave enough to try, especially from across an ocean, is an achievement in itself.
I think that the question 1 (c) is usually in this sort of format: "discuss theme (e.g. the importance of an individual in development of something) with regards to an area of history you are familiar with". I think, more than knowledge, they're looking for a bit of creativity, the ability to think on your feet and apply ideas to different periods of history. I sense that they want you to be spontaneous more than anything else.
....And you have a book list? You're making me feel insignificant and very very lazy here!
I'm just doing all previous papers, discussing historical issues with history teachers, perfecting my essay writing technique, revising stuff I did for A level (for the third question) and reading all the stuff on the website.
Ni hao! (Or Lai hou? Wo bu shuo guangdonghua... ) Don't feel guilty about the plane fares - to be brave enough to try, especially from across an ocean, is an achievement in itself.
I think that the question 1 (c) is usually in this sort of format: "discuss theme (e.g. the importance of an individual in development of something) with regards to an area of history you are familiar with". I think, more than knowledge, they're looking for a bit of creativity, the ability to think on your feet and apply ideas to different periods of history. I sense that they want you to be spontaneous more than anything else.
....And you have a book list? You're making me feel insignificant and very very lazy here!
Don't panic! Keep calm!
Wo...also....bu shuo guangdohua...I'm actually Korean . My HK friends mock my Cantonese at every opportunity haha.
I don't consider it a book list, but more of a guilt pile of books I should've read ages ago when I actually had time, rather than procrastinate all day long on TSR, livejournal and the like. I feel just as lazy for not having tackled them earlier =P
Hmm spontaneous...I don't know if that's gonna be a good or bad thing for me...
Wo...also....bu shuo guangdohua...I'm actually Korean . My HK friends mock my Cantonese at every opportunity haha.
I don't consider it a book list, but more of a guilt pile of books I should've read ages ago when I actually had time, rather than procrastinate all day long on TSR, livejournal and the like. I feel just as lazy for not having tackled them earlier =P
Hmm spontaneous...I don't know if that's gonna be a good or bad thing for me...
Ah, TSR.... a haven for procrastinaters (or is it procrastinators?!) everywhere!
I know what you mean. I have beside me a copy of "Parallel Lives", a biography of Hitler and Stalin but, somehow, this darn site keeps drawing me in.....
Ah, TSR.... a haven for procrastinaters (or is it procrastinators?!) everywhere!
I know what you mean. I have beside me a copy of "Parallel Lives", a biography of Hitler and Stalin but, somehow, this darn site keeps drawing me in.....
That's a brilliant book, read it.
You might also be interested in a book called 'The Dictators' by Richard Overy. I'm reading it at the moment in unison with 'What If? 2'.
I don't know about anyone else but I'm spending half term re-reading everything mentioned in my PS (he says).
Ah, TSR.... a haven for procrastinaters (or is it procrastinators?!) everywhere!
I know what you mean. I have beside me a copy of "Parallel Lives", a biography of Hitler and Stalin but, somehow, this darn site keeps drawing me in.....
Ditto that - I passed the HAT and got in, I leave in two days, and I'm still procrastinating on TSR instead of attacking the last 140 pages of "The Struggle for Mastery"...
I'm going to revise my course and do past papers. Beside that I might read a little more than usual over the next month. It's a test of intelligence not knowledge (he tells himself over and over again). I imagine that most applicants are at a pretty equal level of knowledge anyway.
Do cambridge have something similar?
I'm going to revise my course and do past papers. Beside that I might read a little more than usual over the next month. It's a test of intelligence not knowledge (he tells himself over and over again). I imagine that most applicants are at a pretty equal level of knowledge anyway.
Do cambridge have something similar?
I heard Cambridge have something called 'preparatory tests', conducted while you're there for the interview itself, but this is really college specific. Some colleges require you to submit an essay, do a prepatory test and study some unseen sources for discussion for your interview, while others will do with just the essay. I don't know specifics, but I was helping my friend shortlist her college choices by going through the full list the other day.
And I keep telling myself that too but when looking at the past papers leaves my mind blank I find myself inevitably thinking back to all those wasted weeks of procrastination when I should've been reading...D: Good luck to you as well though, fellow History bod
Ah, TSR.... a haven for procrastinaters (or is it procrastinators?!) everywhere!
I know what you mean. I have beside me a copy of "Parallel Lives", a biography of Hitler and Stalin but, somehow, this darn site keeps drawing me in.....
Aha PL...go you if you manage to finish it in the end. I've seen my friend lugging around the huge thing everywhere and the sheer size of it scares me, though it does look like an interesting read. I'll probably tackle it after all this application chaos is over.
But then again, I mentioned "A People's Tragedy" in my PS, which seems almost as big (900+ pages). Oh dear...good luck to both of us..? heh.
Oh and necessarily benolovent, thanks for the book rec. I'll probably have to search it up after December though, if I add any more books to my guilt pile I'll probably end up drowning in them all!
You might also be interested in a book called 'The Dictators' by Richard Overy. I'm reading it at the moment in unison with 'What If? 2'.
I don't know about anyone else but I'm spending half term re-reading everything mentioned in my PS (he says).
Thanks for the suggestions. I have started reading PL (am about 1/4 of the way through) and am finding it very interesting, but it does require stamina!!
Hmm, I didn't mention any specific books in my PS (because, let's face it, some of the interviewers could well have *written* the book) but I will need to refresh my memory regarding the specific subject areas and external rssearch which I mentioned...
Thanks for the suggestions. I have started reading PL (am about 1/4 of the way through) and am finding it very interesting, but it does require stamina!!
Hmm, I didn't mention any specific books in my PS(because, let's face it, some of the interviewers could well have *written* the book) but I will need to refresh my memory regarding the specific subject areas and external rssearch which I mentioned...
Where are you applying to NB?
I ridiculously mentioned about 8 (although some of them are novels like Fatherland and Animal Farm which I said I can relate with to understand the distinction between political theory and the historical outcomes sparked by it/counterfactuals/analogies blah blah blah). I think I've included a list of books in my profile, I recommend them too. I am applying, although through hope more than expectation, to St. John's, Oxford.
Last edited by necessarily benevolent : 04-10-2008 at 16:00.
And I keep telling myself that too but when looking at the past papers leaves my mind blank I find myself inevitably thinking back to all those wasted weeks of procrastination when I should've been reading...D: Good luck to you as well though, fellow History bod
Thanks. I know the feeling, most of the work ive done today has involved facebook.
I was reading the 04 paper the other day and they had a nasty historiography question on it:
Why do you think the dominant ways in which historians explain change tend to alter over time? Write an answer of about one side in length, giving reasons for your views.
(20 marks)
Although this sort of question has been discontinued I would like to know peoples thought's. If I'm in danger of throwing the the thread off the rails then PM me, we dont want to be shouted at do we?
My thought is that I would have noooo idea where to start with a question like that!!!
Doesn't bode well does it...
It'd give you an extract to read and draw your own conclusions from in order to answer that question. Don't worry, the whole point of the HAT is that you don't need any additional knowledge to take it.
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), hope what I've said helps....! 
) Don't feel guilty about the plane fares - to be brave enough to try, especially from across an ocean, is an achievement in itself. 
