Do World War 1 Notes Have to Be Detailed? (1 Viewer)

Pete1555

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Hey all!

I'm currently very confused as many people state that World War 1 notes don't have to be as detailed and concise as it is a Source-based component in the HSC test. However my teachers and fellow classmates state that I should have very detailed notes as it is the core topic on modern history etc... My notes are similar to the thread which is a sticky in this sub forum titled World War 1 Notes, is this enough?

NOTE: Some have 70+ pages of typed notes. I only have about 20-25 at the moment, and will probably reach 30 hand-written notes (writing is small) by the end of the topic.

Thanks!
 
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D94

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70 pages of notes is pointless for one topic, I would even question 20-25 pages of notes for one topic. You may as well be reading a textbook if you have 70 pages of notes for the WW1 topic - other topics are longer and go into more detail.

However, just because it's source based, it doesn't mean you can just go into the exam unprepared. You will need to have background knowledge on the topic, some of the knowledge is specific, e.g. the question may be: "Use Sources A and B and your own knowledge to answer Question 5.", or a question on the usefulness of the source. If you don't know the topic well enough, you can't make an informed judgement.

You can have a lot of notes now, but I think it would be best to cut that down by the Trials. You don't want to rely too much on your notes, you should try and commit the major points to memory - the HSC exam isn't open book, so you can't be there looking at your notes and writing essays or answering questions.

(I had 17 pages of notes for 3 topics, and I just read and did source based questions for WW1 - although, it's about consistent study, so whilst I didn't have many written notes, I had remembered most of the content by the Trials and HSC)
 

enoilgam

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The level of detail in your notes really depends on you, although as D94 said, 70 pages does sound excessive and it probably defeats the purpose of writing notes to begin with. Personally, I dont think you need to have highly detailed notes for WW1 - you just need to remember the key points so that you have enough information to address questions which require you to use your own knowledge.
 

LoveHateSchool

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I found doing long and detailed World War 1 notes to be a waste of time for the HSC as it is mainly a skills based module.

Brevity in WW1 notes compared to the other 3 modules is definitely advised.
 

History 101

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I definitely agree with what everyone is saying, in order to be prepared for your exam I'd practice with some sources that you find on the Internet or past papers. Detailed notes are a waste of time
 

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