Study Tips

General study tips:

  • The exam requires you to identify artworks by listing the artist/architect (if known), title, location, medium/method (i.e. marble sculpture in the round), and period/style. Study with intention; you should be able to recall this information quickly.
  • Lecture notes should include more than just the titles of the artworks shown in class. Use bullet points as you study to efficiently summarize information about form and historical context. To do so, you will need to distinguish “fun facts” from points of significance. Cross reference your lecture notes with the textbook.
  • In your notes, underline specific terms and phrases (e.g. “urban and urbane”) emphasized in lecture, so that you can employ them appropriately on your exam. Make use of the glossary in the course textbook to help with definitions. Be able to apply each term to an image. With architecture, print out an appropriate image and assign relevant terms.
  • Find someone in class who is willing to swap notes with you. Compare and contrast what you have both written, and take note of any significant differences between your notes and theirs, or of any information that you missed during lecture.
  • Look at the artwork while you study.
  • Repetition is the key to memorization. Do not cram for art history exams. Going over information again and again will ingrain it in your head and make it much easier to recall when you are taking the exam.
    • Writing things out over and over again helps with retention.
  • Study with friends and classmates.

Study Methods

Method 1: Flashcards

Flashcards are a favorite method of study for many students. This method allows you to shuffle your deck of flashcards to quiz yourself, makes it easier to study with friends, and mimics the ID portion of exams. In other words, you are given a familiar image and must be able to give its identifying information and significance. This also works for terms. Attempt to ID as much as you can before turning the card over; recite the information aloud or write your answer down in order to increase your retention of the information. In addition to regular studying hours, try to go through the cards once right before you go to sleep. You may also use the flashcards to make your own comparisons to practice for that portion of the test.

Things to consider: Making flashcards takes a considerable amount of time and can be tedious. Some students spend more time making flashcards than studying them. If you choose to use flashcards, remember that you must study the cards in order for the method to be effective.

Method 2: Study Guide

This method is good for those who like to see an image and its accompanying information side-by-side and for students who have a photographic memory and can picture the study sheets in their heads. It is also less time-consuming than flashcards. Organize images into a Word document with two-to-three images per page, print these sheets, and fill in information by hand.

Things to consider: This method will not be good for those who need to work without answers in front of them. It also does not allow you to “shuffle” the works of art.

Method 3: Associative Recall

This is an alternative method that a few students might find helpful. It involves assigning different parts of a painting/sculpture/building with “facts” so when you see it on a test, you can look at these details, associate it with a fact, and recall the information you need to use. It is the least conventional of the three, but could work well for those who like visual study methods.

Things to consider: this method works for arguably fewer people than the previous two, and you still need to write out the information and study it for the recall to be effective.