EXAMINATIONS The three scheduled exams will include fifty objective questions (multiple choice, fill-in-the-blank), twenty identification questions, and six interpretive (essay) questions. Multiple choice and fill-in-the blank questions will be worth two points, identification questions will be worth five points and interpretive questions worth fifty points. Students may write on any combination of questions whose total is 100. Obviously, each individual develops a particular style for preparing for exams. Thus, the following are merely suggestions. Taking lecture notes Be an active, not a passive listener. Do not try to make a stenographic reproduction of the lecture. Do write down such things as major points of interpretation, details that are strongly stressed, material not in the text. Reading Palmer Be an active, not a passive reader: the text itself will not tell you what is important. Underline or highlight the more important terms, dates and generalizations. Summarize, in the margins or on a separate piece of paper, the thesis or theme of each major section (numbered) and, if necessary, each minor section (headings in italics). Preparing for exams Before the exam, begin connecting major points among the lectures, among the reading assignments, and between lectures and reading assignments (the Table of Contents and Index of Palmer is useful for this). Do not get lost Prior to the exam, begin to make connections between the connections. Do not try to anticipate specific questions, but block out major areas that the instructor, text, or both seemed to stress. List significant points. Deal with any difficulties that appear at this point by referring back to the text and lecture notes. Writing examinations Answers to interpretive (essay) questions should be more than a regurgitation of notes and reading material. Each of the following should characterize them. Tight, precise organization that develops a specific hypothesis Sufficient detail to suggest a thorough grasp and assimilation of the course material Specific tips Identification questions length: no more than one-third bluebook page include date or approximation, e.g., late 18th century or circa 1900 identify: who or what include historical significance don't worry about writing complete sentences Interpretive questions length: usually at least three bluebook pages organization: include introduction, a main body (a series of generalizations followed by facts to support them) and a conclusion. Grading scale 90 - 100 =   A 80 - 89 =   B 70 - 79 =   C 60 - 69 =   D 00 - 59 =   F

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