Victoria 1939 was the driest subject ever with very boring sources. Would not recommend

HSTY-1007 The Hague. 2-hr seminars/tutorials were interesting but could prove difficult to sit through. The main lectures where all seminars would gather were immensely boring and covered research practices taught to every HSC student.

By far the most enjoyable history course I've taken. I did Paris 1661 with John Gagne whose enthusiasm for the topic was infectious. The smaller class sizes facilitated lively discussions and the class wasn't plagued by awkward silence. If you complete the reading and put effort into your essays (there is no final exam!!) a distinction is perfectly achievable.

I did Shanghai 1927. I attended the first lecture and none afterwards - either they weren't on or they were not helpful with writing the final essay. Depending on your tutor, it can be relatively easy to get good marks. Most of the assignments were based upon a question you made up yourself meaning you could focus on what you found most interesting. However, I didn't like how the course only slowly gave you insight into the period and you were propelled towards assessments without much knowledge due to the narrow focus on primary sources.

My seminar was Paris 1900. It was a worthwhile experience listening to a historian talking about their area, but the marking was generally harsh and not moderated across the unit. The unit of study, its assessments and lectures (which you didn't need to go to), were all poorly organised. I don't regret taking the subject because I learnt interesting content and enjoyed the flexibility of not being given a question for the final essay.

this was my favourite class last semester. i did shanghai 1927 and it was super interesting! its cool that you get to pick one point in history to focus on depending on seminar times. don't bother going to lectures though, they didn't run for half the semester and when they did, it was help with the major essay which is not that hard to begin with.