Exam Prep

Practise structuring and writing essays on the topics you have chosen to prepare.

Use past papers to aid your preparation. Remember the exam consists of 8 questions and
you have 2 hours to answer 2 questions. Students are strongly advised to prepare no less
than 4 topics.

Please follow the Tips for Writing an Academic Essay

First and foremost
Take this course SERIOUSLY!!! This is a FOUNDATION course which means, it lays and
establishes the grounding, the principles and the standards for a Bachelors degree. It is not
a CXC O level course, it is not a Cape A level course, it is a University course, you are
therefore REQUIRED to take a leap, a jump and meet the University standard for essay writing.
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Students MUST recognize that lecture notes are meant to guide and focus your
research. Read your lecture notes and the lecture lessons to get a sense of the issues.
Then read the REQUIRED readings from the course reading list to acquire evidence that
would support and expand these issues.
Regurgitating lecture notes is UNACCEPTABLE at University level. You MUST
READ!!
Do not substitute the required readings with articles you find online or elsewhere. Do not
use school books or websites for CXC, Cape or US High schools etc. Stick to the
REQUIRED and RECOMMENDED readings on your reading list.

Remember that you are required to write Academic essays only!

You MUST refer by name to the main authors of the topic you are discussing.

When answering a question you must focus only on the material which is relevant to
the answer. It is imperative that you sift the evidence and only include material that is
relevant for the question you are asked. Do not include information that does not directly
support your answer. eg. For a question that states marronage was the most effective
form of resistance to slavery, do not define maroons or marronage etc. You should
know what marronage is and the examiner certainly knows! The question is not about
what marronage is, it is about what it did, what it accomplished to make it more
effective than the other 2 forms of resis. Your focus therefore must be directed only at
the effectiveness of day-to-day resis; revolts and marronage. Therefore, do not define
any of them, just examine the effectiveness of each and compare them to each other in
order to determine which was the most effective. Similarly, do not focus on why the
encomienda system was implemented or what it was meant to do. Focus only on how
and why it caused Amerindians to die. Irrelevant information wastes your time and
causes you to lose marks!! In other words: do not write a good answer to the wrong
question. Only answer the question you are asked, not something else on a similar
topic.
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Discuss questions REQUIRE you to develop a logical argument, examine and carefully
analyse ALL the evidence for and against the statement in order to demonstrate the validity of
your argument. This type of question calls for a complete and detailed answer.
Students must note that developing an essay rests on your ability to prove your thesis by
examining the evidence that supports your view, as well as by providing definitive evidence
that shows why the opposing view is inadequate, flawed or otherwise.
Step I
- Write a focused, detailed introduction.
Your opening sentence should rephrase the question in your own words. Develop a solid
argument by clearly stating whether you agree or disagree with the statement and explain
why you formed this opinion. Then clearly outline all the steps you will take to prove
your argument.
Detailed Introduction includes:
eg For the question on Amerindians:
- 1st restate: This question suggests that the only cause of the seriously great reduction of
the Taino and Kalinago people was fatalism.
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2nd Develop argument: Decide if the statement is true, partially true or completely false.
Justify and explain why you reached your conclusion. eg. It can be argued that the
statement is completely false because Kalinago people were not significantly reduced by
Spaniards, most Amerindians did not submissively accept their fate as seen in the various
ways they resisted and no single factor can explain the drastic decline of the Taino
people.

3rd Explain how you will prove your argument by fully and thoroughly examining all
the contributory factors in order to determine which played the most significant role in
the decline. This includes an examination of: diseases; the black legend; Amerindian
fatalism; inter-Amerindian rivalry; Amerindian timidity, cowardice and extremely
inadequate weapons; infra-structural transformation; miscegenation; ecological
imbalance etc. etc.

Step II
The Body of the Essay
- In each paragraph that follows you must fully examine one factor listed in the lecture
and lecture lesson. eg. Examine the encomienda system by specifying the different types
of labour they were forced to endure; the working conditions; access to food; how it
facilitated the spread of diseases etc. ; how it impacted decline eg. Pearl diving was
treacherous, how? It caused the bends, explain this condition; examine decompression
sickness eg loss of balance and hearing; excruciating joint pains etc. how all this
impacted Amerindians.
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Continue this type of thorough examination with all the other factors outlined in the
lecture and lecture lesson.
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