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Higher Modern Studies DME

So, it's my prelims next week and I'm feeling pretty confident for Modern Studies (as soon as I learn my essays) however I really need to improve on my DME writing.

In the NAB I think I just scraped a pass with 12/13 when I'm an A student, so I'm hoping to get up to atleast 17/18.

Does anyone have any tips on gaining a good mark in the DME and if so, could you give an exmaple of how you set out the report e.g. what titles to use and so on (I find it difficult to put sub-headings in DMEs for some reason). :sigh:
When I was taught DME, we were given basically a set template of what it should look like and basically memorised that then regurgitated it during the exam and adapted it to the actual source. Seriously just look at the past paper answers and you'll see a pattern............ Which is why higher modies needs a serious revamp. Advanced higher modies on the other hand is the exact opposite. The answers give you nothing lol!
Reply 2
Original post by Foghorn Leghorn
When I was taught DME, we were given basically a set template of what it should look like and basically memorised that then regurgitated it during the exam and adapted it to the actual source. Seriously just look at the past paper answers and you'll see a pattern............ Which is why higher modies needs a serious revamp. Advanced higher modies on the other hand is the exact opposite. The answers give you nothing lol!



I was given a template as well although the headings were suited to the questions which confuses me, when others from different schools have said they use a template which is the same for every DME.

It's a shame because I'd love to take advanced higher modern studies although there's only one modern studies teacher at my school! :frown:
Original post by Nfergs
I was given a template as well although the headings were suited to the questions which confuses me, when others from different schools have said they use a template which is the same for every DME.

It's a shame because I'd love to take advanced higher modern studies although there's only one modern studies teacher at my school! :frown:


Yeah don't focus on the detail of the template, it's the general idea/pattern of it. Sorry it's been a while since i sat my modies exam, so i can't quite remember the way DME works. But I think answering the question in general is done almost exactly the same way for each paper. I.e it'll ask you a question about like, "are Mrs X's comments on poverty valid or reliable". You look for the paragraph where Mrs X commented on poverty which might be called 'Ai', then look at the source/figure which might be called 'Biii' and compare her comments or figures with the source. If they correlate then her comments are reliable, if they answer the question they are valid or if they don't correlate they aren't reliable etc.

Ask your school if they would fund you to do AH at a local college that does it. I did my AHs at college and there was one or two pupils that were still at school but did some subjects at college because their school didin't offer them.
Reply 4
:bump: Modern Studies prelim tomorrow - anymore help from anyone?

AND

Due to lack of time, is there any methods of learning the essays. I know 3 of the 4 that are going to be in the prelim, although I've only had the chance to write them out (I was planning on memorising them). For now I will just write my own version of an essay plan for each of them them in a bullet point form as I did this for English and it worked, although is there anymore tips?
Reply 5
I had my Modern Studies prelim yesterday and found it was OK. Timing is crucial in both papers, make sure to only do the easy 10 mark questions for 15 mins then move on to the report.

The headings we are told to use:

Introduction
Arguments for my recommendation (6 points, at least 2 BK)
Arguments against my recommendation (4 points, 1 BK)
Rebuttal (optional section if you have rebuttal in with the arguments against)
Conclusion (bullet points)

Some people have Financial Implications after Rebuttal but if that is also included prior to that then it doesn't need a separate section.

For memorising essays what I did was gather all the essays we had done and then I wrote them down on a separate piece of paper each with quite basic descriptions, so that it was easy to manipulate the points so I could put them into a slightly different essay.
I wrote points out on stickies and stuck them around my room (I was going to do it with statistics too but I forgot). And I wrote out the essays in note form on index cards and memorised them like that.

Practising them over and over helps keep the statistics in your head, too.

I'm possibly too late to help you now... good luck and hope it went well :smile:
Reply 6
Original post by auberjean
I had my Modern Studies prelim yesterday and found it was OK. Timing is crucial in both papers, make sure to only do the easy 10 mark questions for 15 mins then move on to the report.

The headings we are told to use:

Introduction
Arguments for my recommendation (6 points, at least 2 BK)
Arguments against my recommendation (4 points, 1 BK)
Rebuttal (optional section if you have rebuttal in with the arguments against)
Conclusion (bullet points)

Some people have Financial Implications after Rebuttal but if that is also included prior to that then it doesn't need a separate section.

For memorising essays what I did was gather all the essays we had done and then I wrote them down on a separate piece of paper each with quite basic descriptions, so that it was easy to manipulate the points so I could put them into a slightly different essay.
I wrote points out on stickies and stuck them around my room (I was going to do it with statistics too but I forgot). And I wrote out the essays in note form on index cards and memorised them like that.

Practising them over and over helps keep the statistics in your head, too.

I'm possibly too late to help you now... good luck and hope it went well :smile:


Sadly you are too late as I had my Modern Studies prelim today, well, yesterday seeing as it is after 2am now... :rolleyes: Although this is a great help! :smile:

It was an advantage in Paper 1 since before the holidays we had got given essay plans, and the essay plans were questions in the paper. However, I had planned on memorising each one although I ran out of time and some were way too long to fit in 20 mins. I also risked it by not really rivising all that much for the health and wealth topic. Therefore I ended up not finnishing an essay on STV and FPTP and had a poorly written essay about poverty and health although it was a relatively easy essay to do if I had to do it for homework! :frown:

Paper 2 was extremely easy and I did in fact just use reasons for... and reasons against... as titles and added my rebuttal in with my reasons against. :biggrin:
Reply 7
Yeah the DME is a LOT easier, I think! It certainly is less sore on your wrist :tongue:

Glad it went well!
Reply 8
Original post by auberjean
Yeah the DME is a LOT easier, I think! It certainly is less sore on your wrist :tongue:

Glad it went well!


Hmm... it only went well to an extent due to not finishing an essay :frown:
Reply 9
Original post by Nfergs
Hmm... it only went well to an extent due to not finishing an essay :frown:


Well(ish)? :tongue: It will definitely be fine. If you don't do as well as you expect there's loads and loads of time to perfect essay writing skills!

How many debates do you do per essay?
Reply 10
Original post by auberjean
Well(ish)? :tongue: It will definitely be fine. If you don't do as well as you expect there's loads and loads of time to perfect essay writing skills!

How many debates do you do per essay?


Well it depends on the topic, you're lucky if some essays may have 3 debates max or about 10 to choose from, although I've read it's best to keep the essay with 5-6 para's an essay so that's how many i try to include at least. I used to try and do every single one my teacher would write down in an essay plan, but then I had the problem of essays which were far too long although they got good grades.

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