How to Study Your History Texbook

Signed up for a general history course only to find that your required textbook has no helpful tools like pictures, summaries at the end of the chapter, or colorful text to make the reading easy? Have a hard time memorizing dates? Fall asleep when reading?

Don’t Panic!

You can and will be able to study your textbook so you can get that A.

History isn’t as straightforward as math, science, or English tend to be with their rules and formulas. But don’t worry. As a history major I am here to help you with all your textbook woes.

1. Ask The Basic Questions First

When studying history, remember that you are studying what people did, thought, invented, and fought over in the past. So your basic questions are who, what, when, where, and why?

Historians are just detectives trying to put everyone at the right place at the right time. So while you read, write down/highlight/ or type up the answer to these questions.

Most history professors are looking for your understanding of these questions especially if they have you take written exams. When in doubt, just answer the basic questions.

2. Look at the Maps!

They are there for a reason. Maps can give you clues as to why and how wars were fought. Like how the Huns invaded Europe, or how the Greeks defeated the Persians.

Maps also inform you about climates and where bodies of waters reside. If you remember that the basic necessities for survival of food and water- then civilizations that pop up around oceans and rivers make sense.

Maps can also show why civilizations can differ in language, tools, and customs. Asia is covered in bamboo and thus bamboo became an important part of everyday life, similar to how Europeans used stone in their everyday life.

Let your map become your best friend when studying history.

3. Look for Themes

When you go to class, you might find your professor bringing up the same topic over and over again. Find that same topic in your textbook. When I took Ancient Western Civilization, my professor focused on women and the family throughout history.  So while I studied my textbook, I made sure to make special notes about the role of women in the society of different eras and civilizations as well as the family.

Finding the theme your professor cares about is important because it helps you study smarter, so when you do your first skim through your chapter, you can easily know which paragraphs to read in detail and which ones to glance over.

      

     4. Skim Each Chapter Backwards First

          This may sound counterproductive, but in practice it makes sense. This works for three reasons.

          1) History goes in chronological order. Thus when you read backwards, the changes in culture,           warfare, and politics stand out more.

          2) You train yourself to look for the basic answers first.

          3) It’s easier to mark important things, because you are less likely skip ahead  when trying to               read each paragraph in the opposite direction.

          Also, if you are in a hurry (because sometimes you forget to do the reading), this works much             more efficiently at helping your retain information than if you had just skimmed it.

5          5. Make a Small Timeline for Each Chapter

Sure, there are timelines in your book but those were written by an author, not your professor. 

If you want a timeline that’s going to be effective for the specific class you’re taking, then you need to make one specific for you.

I suggest putting the year, followed by who, what, where, and why.

Here’s an example of a simple timeline:

1492        Columbus Lands in Caribbean Islands

Christopher Columbus’s expeditions brought the expansion of the Spanish Empire to the American Continents.

1534        Jacques Cartier looks for North West Passage

                Cartier discovered the St. Lawrence River and claims the whole North Eastern region for France.

1540        Coronado Expedition

The largest expedition set out by Spain, Coronado set out in search to conquer the wealthy cities described by Marcos, only to return as a failure.

1542        Cabrillo claims west coast for Spain

On a quest to find the mythical “Cibola”, Cabrillo traveled up the west coast and discovered the San Diego bay. His expedition helped further Spanish colonization in the Americas.  

1590        Don Juan Onate colonizes New Mexico

                Onate established the city of Santa Fe with settlers, priests, and soldiers.

Of course, when you make your timeline, feel free to make it as colorful and more detailed as you like. When studying for midterms and finals, you could even just glance over your timeline and use it as a study guide because it has all the information you need.

Once you tackle these five things, you are set for understanding your history textbook.

Good luck and happy adulting!