'Arrows' for yor 'bow'
Marjorie Henry, Contributor

Greetings to you all, my readers, particularly the students of geography who are in grade 11 (fifth form). I do trust that you had a good summer holiday break. Now that the holiday is over and you have returned to school, I hope you have returned with all the vigour and vitality to begin the last leg of the road in preparation for your external examinations. These, as you well know, will be towards the end of the academic year - in fact, just about eight months away.

'Leisure is a beautiful garment, but it will not do for constant wear.'

Reflect on this thought for a while and, as you do so, I trust that your holiday was not all fun and frolic but rather that you took some time out to review and reinforce work that was done in grade 10 (fourth form) and maybe grade nine (third form) as well. The syllabus for the Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) begins at either of these two levels. The topics already done will not be repeated in this academic year. Your teachers may not find the time to revise them before you write the examinations in about the month of May. I wish you all the very best for the year. I do believe that you have set your goal to do well in the external examinations so may I encourage you to be serious about your work, remain focussed and in the end you will realise your goal. A word of caution, however, is conveyed in this thought:

'There is no sense aiming for a goal with no arrow in your bow.'

I guess you could ask yourself - What 'arrows' do I need in my 'bow' to realise my goal of good results in my examinations? Let me suggest some 'arrows' for your consideration and use not only in the subject of geography but for all the subjects you are preparing for in the external examinations.

A copy of the current geography syllabus

You must be aware of the content of the subject; in other words, what you are required to know about the subject to be fully prepared for the examination. This information you will obtain from a syllabus for the subject. You are encouraged to purchase one for yourself and, having done so, read it thoroughly and follow it closely. Always refer to it for the topic you are doing in class. You can also utilise it to research information relevant to the topic outlined in it and also prepare yourself for class by reading on the topic ahead of the lesson. This would be to your advantage as you will be better able to follow in the lesson as your teacher presents it. Copies of the syllabus can be purchased at the office of the Caribbean Examinations Council, located at the Caenwood Centre, 37 Arnold Road, Kingston 5.

At least one good textbook:

Your textbooks provide valuable information for you. It is absolutely necessary that you have even one good book. There are several books that can be recommended.

The list includes:

(i) CSEC New Integrated Geography by Sheldon G. Bleadsdell et al

(ii) Geography for CSEC by Jeanette Ottley et al

(iii) Geography for CSEC by Nelson Thornes

(iv) The Caribbean Environment for CXC Geography by Mark Wilson

You can also obtain information from websites. Some of the textbooks make reference to websites. Make sure that you collect information from the websites on the countries listed in your syllabus. You are often asked to refer to specific countries when required to give examples of different activities.

A good geography dictionary

Your syllabus indicates that you are to be able to offer definitions in all the systems indicated. These definitions must be crisp, sharp and accurate. A good geography dictionary will certainly assist you.

A geometry set

Skills tested in geography include measurements. You will find your geometry set useful in completing such skills.

A set of crayons and/or markers

The drawing of diagrams, sketches and maps are all practical skills that you must master in the subject. Once used properly, your crayons and/or markers will assist you in doing a good presentation of these.

Make sure to get your 'arrows' in your 'bow' so that you can realise your goal of good results.

Marjorie Henry is an independent contributor. Send questions and comments to kerry-ann.hepburn@gleanerjm.com