How To Understand History Classes Better? 

History might sound boring to some. For others it is just a required subject that you just need to pass. This is the same reason why some are finding it hard to ace this class. In this article, we will discuss how you would be able to understand your history class better.

Change Your Perception 

Some students feel that history is dull and dragging. What they fail to realize is that history can be fun and exciting. 

Imagine getting to know the story behind certain events that took place long before even our parents or grandparents were born. There is a saying that knowing your past helps you move on with your future. This is true. 

To have a better future, you need to understand what went wrong before so that you won’t commit the same mistake again. Change your mindset and it would definitely help you all throughout.

Organize Your Thought

History is based on a series of events that happened in a chronological order. 

In order to understand it better, you need to organize your notes systematically. Divide it through four areas, by topic, by years, decades and centuries. 

History is all about facts and sometimes it becomes overwhelming to memorize all of it. That is why it is better if you can organize it in such a way that you would be able to establish certain connections between them. 

See the big picture then work your way down.See how each detail supports one another. This way, you would be able to grasp the idea and memorize the details needed.

Choose Only The Important Information

As we have mentioned before, history is full of facts. To better understand it, you only need to take away the important dates, names and events. Trying to memorize every minute details might confuse you in the end as there are events that seem similar to one another. The best thing to do is note down all the relative information pertaining to the topic then only memorize those. There are various techniques to memorize. Flashing flashcards is a tried and tested technique for memorizing information. It may sound old school but it does work.

Go See a Movie

They say people tend to understand things better through visualization. So what better can represent history than movies. We’re talking about history movies here just so we are on the same page. 

There are various films and documentaries that depict certain historical events. Though you have to be careful that some movies are not that historically accurate. Our only goal here is for you to see the big picture and have a sense of what actually happened at that time. 

When using movies as your reference, just make sure that you pick the ones with an accurate historical fact.

Brush Up On Your Reading Skills, You Will Need It

Most historical information is written in text. There is no replacement in reading. But it does not necessarily mean that you have to memorize every single word you read. Not everything is equally important. 

Here is a tip, try reading the introduction and conclusion of the chapter before you embark on reading the whole body. This way, you can already paint a picture on what actually happened in that chapter. Once you have the idea, it would be easier for you to select the details that are relevant to that specific event.

Take Down Notes

It is a good practice that you take down notes during class. Oftentimes, your professor would discuss certain information that is not written in your textbook so it is better if you can capture this through note taking. 

Some students commit the mistake of writing every single word the professor discusses. The problem with this is that though you have taken down notes, you actually did not understand a thing he said. 

Try to write down things that are only significant. To help you with your note taking, it would be wise to write down notes in advance. Considering that you have already taken the liberty of reading the topic prior, you should be able to familiarize yourself and write down some key information.

The bottom line is, you don’t need to write everything down while your professor speaks. At the end of the session, if there are things unclear to you, ask your professor. They would be more than welcome to clarify it for you.

History is what defines humanity today. Without it, the world would be different as we know it. It is beneficial for you to understand and learn your history as this could help you prepare and develop skills you can use for future opportunities.