History must be learned by studying and thinking about it. To be reasonably successful, students must, at least, complete the assigned reading. However, students make decisions about when to study, how to study, and how much to study. Those decisions determine the outcome on examinations, and, as adults, students must accept the consequences of those decisions.

When students enroll in a class, they must accept the responsibilities imposed on them in order to fulfill the course requirements. So be aware of them.

Attendance: I strongly encourage attendance at every lecture. You should take an adult approach to this matter, realizing that attendance provides you with the means of understanding the material presented in the lectures, which will be on the exams. Attendance gives you the opportunity to ask questions and clarify information discussed in the lectures and the text you may have some trouble grasping.

Remember that the required reading assignments are supplemented by the lectures and information on the Internet. Some instructors supplement textbooks with lengthy outside reading. These materials are intended to bring your comprehension up to the level required for a satisfactory grade. Experience has demonstrated that a poor attendance is a component of poor performance.

Reading Assignments: If there is any one reason why my final grade rosters have shown a substantial proportion of less than satisfactory grades, I would point a lack of serious study of the assigned reading. The text covers the information well enough that it is possible to obtain a passing grade. To succeed, therefore, you must do the reading and retain enough of what you learn to pass the exams. The most effective approach is to read the assignments before the class session so you will be well prepared for the discussion and you will be familiar with the names and terms. Consider spending a few hours each weekend copying relevant notes from the text into your notebook.

Lectures: Lectures will supplement the assigned reading. I tend to emphasize topics and ideas that seem to me to offer useful examples for analyzing important trends. The topics are listed on the Main History Page. The topic outlines are designed to follow the text and the lectures.

When you miss a lecture make arrangements with a reliable classmate to copy what you missed. But while you may have a good excuse for missing a class, there is no good excuse for not completing the assigned reading.

Exams: If you are well prepared by regular study, you'll shouldn't have anything to fear about passing the course. It'll be no use complaining, . . . " I know everything perfectly but I just can't put it on paper" or " If only you'd let me do a take-home exam, I could really show you . . ." and so on. In-class written exams are a standard method of evaluation that you must become accustomed to, so the sooner you become a skilled test taker the better. In-class, written exams are an accepted method of examining students' grasp of the essentials in introductory courses.

Quizzes and Exams. A Quiz is usually a brief list of questions, usually of the fill-in the blank designed to test your study and comprehension of the assigned reading. You should be able to do well with this type of test after you have digested the assigned reading for the class sessions. The Exam is intended to elicit your thoughtful response to historical questions dealt with in the lectures and readings. Relying on the textbook alone may not produce a superior performance since additional material is frequently introduced in the lectures. Pay close attention to the lectures in order to understand the information needed for a clear explanation and analysis of a topic. Lectures are intended to examine important themes that may be dealt with too briefly.

A fully developed essay should cover what happened, when, why and the significance of the topic. Don’t just repeat what you read in the text or hear in the lectures. That may be acceptable in high school, but it does not suffice for an acceptable college level essay.

As for the quality of the writing, the quality of the writing does matter. Well written college essays, do not jumble facts or confuse the reader.

One major mistake a student can make on an essay is to offer the exact text of the assigned text as an answer to a question. Don’t try to claim that you have a photographic memory. This is a mistake for a couple reasons: few people actually have a photographic memory and, as mentioned above, instructors are not looking for a repetition of the text or the lectures. Any essays of this sort may be regarded as cheating and will be assigned a zero.

Makeup Exams: I avoid giving make-up exams except under special circumstances; and there will be no makeup for a quiz. Those who cannot for attend an exam must notify me in advance I do not offer extra credit assignments. There is no excuse for a student not knowing when a test is scheduled.

Studying isn't only coming to class and listening to lectures or opening the textbook on the night before the exam. Many students work and go to school simultaneously, but it is necessary to devote sufficient time to preparing for class and for exams. It is your decision as to when you will study and how much time you will devote to preparation. It is up to you to determine how much time you need to set aside in order to get the grade you want.

Make a realistic appraisal of your abilities and expectations and decide on a study plan that fits your skills and academic ambitions. With this class or with any other serious college level class, you must have realistic expectations based on the amount of time you are willing or able to devote to study. If you the pressures of a job and your other studies interferes the demands of any course, then it might be a good idea to reduce the work load by withdrawing from one course. That is, of course, your decision. If you do decide to withdraw from any course, remember that it is your responsibility to fill out the required forms. If you fail to do so, you will receive an NC which will be listed as an F.  I realize that students want to be able to complete courses relatively quickly so that they will be able to graduate within a reasonable time, but serious college courses place substantial demands on time. It may be in your best interests to cut down on your course load in order to have enough time to devote to your classes. Instructors are not going to dumb down classes in order to make them easier.

Serious barriers to good performance are inattention in class and avoidance of the required reading, which should always be done in advance. If you find that the books assigned for the course are tough going, that should not occasion surprise or dismay. Reading unfamiliar scholarly books can be difficult for students with demands on their time. You should expect this in all your classes, and you should plan your time and develop your study, test taking, and time management skills if you really want to succeed.

Your grade will be based on your written work in quizzes and exams. An excellent performance indicates excellence in all your written work; an average performance indicates a reasonable, though not in any way exceptional, understanding and familiarity with the texts and lectures.

Class Expectations: In the past I have found that some students attending class have been Entirely disinterested. Some have chosen to concern themselves with private conversations or catching up on your assignment for another class. If you prefer to spend time with friends, don’t come to class; if you need to do homework, do it elsewhere. Remember, the school has an official policy against bringing  food or drinks into classrooms.
 

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