How to Study for a College Level History Exam

Let's face it: unless you are a history major, there may be no other subject as mind-numbingly boring and dull than college level history. Pages upon pages of dates, events, facts and important people are more than enough to put any student to sleep during class. But with a little diligence and creativity, studying for your upcoming history tests, quizzes, exams and finals can be both rewarding and even a little fun. Here are a few tips, ideas and suggestions to consider.

1. Find a History Channel® Special on a Class-Related Person, Event or Time Period

This is a great way to spark your interest in topics you may be learning about in class. Visit your local or campus library and inquire about a History Channel® video or DVD on a specific event, person or time period your class is currently studying. If you're taking American history, documentaries on the lives of George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln, and the signing of the Declaration of Independence are a great a place to start.

However, if your next exam will be covering a specific war or battle, seek to find a documentary film dealing with that specific event. Avoid watching a fictional film loosely based on the war (such as Mel Gibson's The Patriot or Steven Spielberg's Saving Private Ryan) until you have finished watching the educational documentary. Save the fictional movie as a reward.

2. Create a Large-Scale, "Living" Timeline in your House or Dorm Room

While this may require a bit more creativity, craft materials and teamwork with fellow students, it's a great way to memorize the dates of important events and incorporate a little group studying as well. After creating a large timeline with construction paper, markers, etc. (and hanging it on a wall or spreading it out on the floor), designate your friends and fellow students with the names of specific historical figures involved in the event your timeline covers.

Next, create a few signs with smaller bits of colored construction paper and label each sheet with the name of a specific event that occurs along the timeline at different points. By now, your timeline should be complete with hatch marks and specific dates. Be sure that your event sheets are different colors than the color of your timeline. The event titles should stand out.

Divide your friends and fellow students up among the timeline and place each where he or she should be, according to the historical figure that he/she represents. If you really want to make things fun and interesting, borrow some costumes and props from your university's theatre department and dress each student according to the period your timeline represents. If your timeline covers events along the American Civil War (1861-1865), dress the guys in Union solider and officer uniforms and hand them some muskets. Find some 1860's style Pioneer dresses for your ladies.

You might even try borrowing some scenery elements from your theatre department, such as trees, bushes and other forms of shrubbery. This is a great way to give some more life to your "living" timeline. Make sure you leave enough space between each event on the timeline so as to provide ample room for each student.

3. Write a Few Paragraphs about an Event and Utilize Textbook & Lecture Terminology

While this tip can be applied to countless other subjects, it is particularly useful for reinforcing, memorizing and learning specific dates and people covered in your history textbook and professor's lecture material. Start by studying the list of dates, people and terms that will appear on your next exam. Try making flashcards and note cards if necessary.

After you have spent an ample amount of time learning and memorizing this information, try to write several paragraphs about a large-scale event, such as the American Civil War, and incorporate your dates and people from memory. Do not look at your notes or flashcards as you write.

For example, you may write a few sentences like, "The American Civil War was fought from 1861 to 1865 and started when eleven Southern slave states decided they would secede from the U.S. Together, they formed what is known as Confederate States of America, or simply "The Confederacy." President Abraham Lincoln was elected on March 4, 1861 and led a campaign against slavery." Do you see how this paragraph, and several others, could go on to reinforce your textbook terminology?

So this semester, don't let your history class material get away from you. Remember that there are plenty of ways you can study and make the material fun and interesting. Try one or all of the aforementioned three suggestions and good luck on your next history exam!

**Note: this article comes from the writer's personal experience as a college senior, having taken several history courses at the college level.