I need help for WEstern Civ 1...

[prentisskendall]

What is the best way to study!?

I just need some advice!

[studyhard]

Get the REA Guide for Western Civ 1. Read it. Take all three practice exams and then read the answers. Take all three practice exams again.

Do all the IC questions 3-4 times, reading the explanation of the answer every time.

Use your old highschool World History textbooks to fill in any gaps.

Sparknotes.com also has some good study links with quizzes. They would be worth studying too.

History Study Guides - SparkNotes

I got so confused on Western Civ 1 that I bought the Sparknotes Spark Chart that shows a timeline of what was happening when. It's $4.95 for a downloadable PDF chart.

SparkCharts

Hope this helps!

[eyanas]

i just took and passed the western civilization I test. it was definitely not easy, but when you get in there, you remember a lot more than you might think. i used the IC questions and this site Free University Project - CLEP Western civilization I Study Guide

It is free and has everything broken down into sections with several lectures to read in each section as well as a database of videos to watch. i watched a couple of the videos...they're pretty dry and a bit difficult to pay attention to at times, but they are full of information. i read the lectures and they were super helpful. i also recommend either finding or creating a timeline to refer back to. once you have the basic order that things happened in, the details become a lot easier to remember.

there were several maps on the test with questions about what the highlighted areas had in common. have a basic understanding of the geography when important events happen. there were also several questions about important literature written. this is something that is easy to skip over or forget when studying, so pay attention to important written works.

good luck!

-elyssa

[liarock]

I'm starting to gather study material for this myself.

For history-ish tests, I like to watch videos and documentaries, think discovery channel and history network, First.
This way I have visuals and a nice little foundation before reading. All the info seems to stick better around the images in my head, and most of the time it provides a better little time line in my noggin, makes things more relative.
Search specifically: Roman Empire, Egyptian History, Mesopotamia, Charlemagne...
How soon do you plan on taking the test?

[Scholar Interrupted]

REA books are always among the best way to prep for a CLEP, and their Western Civ I book is the best of the best. I don't think there were more than one or two questions on the whole test that I didn't recall seeing covered in the REA book.

REA prepared me so well, in fact (scored a 77), that I looked up the author and sent him a thank you e-mail.

IC certainly won't hurt as a supplement (and a change of pace from just reading and taking notes), but I wouldn't have wanted to rely on just that for WC I.

Best of luck!

[Julie S.]

The previous posters have all given you some good resources.

Both of my sons passed this CLEP. They had already covered the time period in their homeschooling studies but used the REA to review and solidify the material for the test. My older one just read through the book and I think he took 1 practice test (can't remember exactly - it was a couple of years ago). But that's just the kind of guy he is - he reads something and he's got it for life. My younger one found it helpful to make timelines of major events and people. He took all of the tests twice I believe. He spent about 2 weeks with the REA and took the test last June. This is definitely a must-have resource. My older son also passed the West. Civ. II CLEP, but only read a small portion of the REA book because he found it so poorly written. He loved the author of I, and was disappointed that the author of II was so inferior.

Good luck!
Julie

[naturallinens]

Do you know which edition is best for the Western Civ I REA guide? What year is your edition?

Thanks!
Leah

[KingdomUnshaken12:28]

Do you know which edition is best for the Western Civ I REA guide? What year is your edition?

Thanks!
Leah

Hi Leah - welcome to the forum!
This thread is over four years old, so you may get more responses if you start a new thread. Good luck on your test!

[naturallinens]

Hi,

Thanks so much! I didn't check the dates--oops. I'll try starting a new thread.

Leah