quote:
Originally posted by Deadlife:

e.g. in history:
- My purpose is to understand why Hitler wanted to commit genocide
- My purpose is to understand which population groups he managed to influence more
- My purpose is to understand how Hitler finally came to power
- My purpose is to understand the foreign reactions to the nazi regime
- My purpose is to undersand the effects of the WW2 events today
- My purpose is to understand what benefits and negative aspects fascism has
or if you want something more practical:
- My purpose is to practically use this knowledge in my future work in social sciences

They are not purposes they are questions.

why Hitler wanted to commit genocide
which population groups he managed to influence more
how Hitler finally came to power
(what, why, etc)the foreign reactions to the nazi regime
(what, why, etc) effects of the WW2 events today

Mind probing questions perhaps but not a purpose for reading.

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or if you want something more practical:
- My purpose is to practically use this knowledge in my future work in social sciences

How?

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Or maybe should it be something like
- My purpose is to get an A+ in the history examination?

Best passing grade is more resonable buy saying A+ you have taken the all or nothing attitude. If you cannot see yourself getting near that grade you've set yourself up for failure. If you best passing grade is an A+ great but watch out for that all or nothing thinking.

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I sincerely have no clue on what you mean with a precise purpose for an examination.

What are you going to do with the information after the exam?

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- My purpose is to fully understand the whole context...

What does "fully understand" mean? (abstract wording) How do you know when you have reached "fully understand"?

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...is what seems more appropriate to an examination in which YOU DON'T KNOW BEFOREHAND what you will be examined about.

Yeah exams are like that and irk your instructor they can be unforgiving with the grade the give you.

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Questions in the last history exam were:
What are Charles Darwin's theories' responsibilities in the mid 20th century holocaust?
Could a better organization of the american economical plans in the 20s prevent the instauration of the nazi regime?
Have Stresemanns and Briands foreign policies efficiently contributed to the contemporary situation of Europe?
What are Germany's responsibilities in today's European Union and in general international relations?

Questions that are totally unexpected, yet have been hidden, less important-looking contents of the book.

Here you learn to train the mind body connection to look for the unexpected for exams like these. How does one guarantee themselves that they will think and write the answer the way the instructor will accept the answer? By knowing the instructor. Reading the books s/he reads and has on their recommended reading list. Making sure they get notes from their lectures.

What you get from a book ultmimately is what you personally consider important. If you want to understand what the instructor considers important review their previous years exams.

Alex

[This message has been edited by Alex K. Viefhaus (edited May 11, 2005).]