History Revision - huge topics - how to do most effectively?

As anyone studying history will know, the topics within it have so much information to learn. I literally dread revising it because I don't know how... It's my favourite subject too. Does anyone have any productive, effective ways to revise history? Please share in detail!!
Thank you

Reply 1

username1723547

21

I don't study history any more, but when I did I tried using the method of loci for the bulk of the topic, and then what I hadn't learned from that I tried to work by rote.

Reply 2

katie4610

OP

2

Original post by Mactotaur

I don't study history any more, but when I did I tried using the method of loci for the bulk of the topic, and then what I hadn't learned from that I tried to work by rote.

Thankyou, I will search up loci now.

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Reply 3

Audrey18

21

Original post by Mactotaur

I don't study history any more, but when I did I tried using the method of loci for the bulk of the topic, and then what I hadn't learned from that I tried to work by rote.

could you please explain what loci is and also which topics you studied at History A levels? thanks.

Reply 4

username1723547

21

Original post by Audrey18

could you please explain what loci is and also which topics you studied at History A levels? thanks.

I did German/Italian unification, and British politics.

Method of loci - basically, you take a place you know well like your house, and associate information with 'landmarks'.

I'll give you an example from my Law revision currently.

I need to remember three cases, all of which are pretty morbid. So I've got a mental image of a skeleton hanging from a mini-chandelier in my living room. The skeleton holds a hammer and its eyes are green. Easy to picture, right?

The skeleton hanging represents the case of Gittens and chronic depression. The green eyes represents the case of Miller and jealousy. The hammer represent Ahluwahlia and Battered Women's Syndrome. I associate all that with the image.

When I need to remember it, I mentally walk through my house and look up at it.

Reply 5

Anne Dagenhart

13

Original post by Mactotaur

I did German/Italian unification, and British politics.

Method of loci - basically, you take a place you know well like your house, and associate information with 'landmarks'.

I'll give you an example from my Law revision currently.

I need to remember three cases, all of which are pretty morbid. So I've got a mental image of a skeleton hanging from a mini-chandelier in my living room. The skeleton holds a hammer and its eyes are green. Easy to picture, right?

The skeleton hanging represents the case of Gittens and chronic depression. The green eyes represents the case of Miller and jealousy. The hammer represent Ahluwahlia and Battered Women's Syndrome. I associate all that with the image.

When I need to remember it, I mentally walk through my house and look up at it.

Blame me! What an awesome way to remember things! Thank you for sharing it.

Reply 6

Anne Dagenhart

13

Original post by katie4610

As anyone studying history will know, the topics within it have so much information to learn. I literally dread revising it because I don't know how... It's my favourite subject too. Does anyone have any productive, effective ways to revise history? Please share in detail!!
Thank you

Have you considered teaching History? I know it sounds slightly crazy, but if you bear with me I'll explain it in detail. Now if your goal is teaching and just not revising for an exam, you'll automatically adopt a whole different mindset which is going to help you a lot in the future. The underlying principle for this is that the knowledge won't just be flowing into you, but it will be flowing out of you, forcing you to arrange all of the bits and pieces into a neat and logical order. Now, bear in mind that this is not repetition, it is anything but, it is explaining the most sophisticated concepts and ideas to a sympathetic and interested friend who has literally no idea who Geogre Washington or Winston Churchill is.

By the way Katie, I have an amazing idea which could benefit us both. I think if we were to film ourselves and share it with our friends and each other, we would be able to tremendously assist each other. What do you think?

I'm also thinking of starting a society of History students filming themselves lecturing the subject, but maybe that's for another time.

Reply 7

Tinka99

13

I make notes which are shortened with the most relevant key points I need to learn and then constantly read them and it works pretty well. I am a GCSE student who is predicted an A in GCSE History and have been getting A/A* all along the course. History is my favorite subject and I am really passionate about History so that kinda contributes to the grades as well, but if you revise and put the effort in nothing can stop you from achieving A/A*.

Reply 8

thehistorybore

18

Original post by katie4610

As anyone studying history will know, the topics within it have so much information to learn. I literally dread revising it because I don't know how... It's my favourite subject too. Does anyone have any productive, effective ways to revise history? Please share in detail!!
Thank you

Reading is by far the most effective revision! If you find a good book on the topic you're studying (I can do my best to make recommendations if you tell me what you're studying), reading it before your exam (way in advance; don't cram it) will improve your understanding enormously.

When it comes to note taking, I used to revise by writing cheat sheets; cramming the most amount of information into the fewest words. Repeat the exercise until you've got everything you need on two or three pieces of paper!

History Revision - huge topics - how to do most effectively?

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