ABSTRACT
As a history student you will find your timetable made upof lectures and classes, no matter what modules or coursesyou take. The classes are usually labelled ‘seminar’, although they may also be called tutorial or workshop or ‘small group work’. New staff and new students soon learn that a range of pleasures (or tortures – depending on your experience) take place under the umbrella heading ‘seminar’. Even the group size of this small-group activity varies from university to university and from course to course – anything between 8 and 25 students being described in the same way. Although the group’s size has an impact on the way the seminar works, there is no need there – or at any time – to become distracted by definitions or labels. It’s much more important to understand what purposes your department, course or tutor intends for the sessions. Then you will be in a position to make the most of them.
