“What Even is History?” or Why You Should Study History
As we come to exam season in the UK, there are going to be thousands of young people out there who will get their GCSE’s, BTEC’s or A Levels, and be wondering “what now?” If this sounds like you, then don’t worry too much: you’re definitely not alone. If you like history at all, but aren’t sure how it will help you later on, then read on to find out.
Today it surprises me just how many people aren’t sure what academic history really is. History to some people is a hobby, just a thing you look at in a museum. Maybe learning some dates and facts to bring up at the dinner table to sound smart. To some other people it is pretty pointless to learn about. But academically, history is far more than that.
I’m not going to bang on about the same old ‘Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it’ quote that every history student puts in their university application to show how passionate they are about it. The point of this article is to give a better idea of what you would actually be doing if you study history at a higher education, and what you would get out of it.
What may be a key issue for those that enjoy history is whether studying it at uni would kill the fun of it. This isn’t likely. If you enjoy history, you will be given opportunities to expand your knowledge both on topics you are already interested in and topics you have never touched before. You will gain new understandings, and think about things in fresh ways. If you like history, odds are you will like it even more at university.
With that out of the way, what do you actually do in history? Well surprisingly you might not be learning dates that much. What you will be doing, basically, is looking in very great detail at events, the people within them, and the circumstances around them. The key question that will come up is not ‘when’, but rather ‘why.’ More like English literature, you will learn to challenge what is presented to you. And the results of this analysis will often relate to other events or concepts, even today.
Take one of my last pieces for example. In looking at how English football fans view and react to Germany, I explored the two countries relationship after the Second World War, during the Cold War, and more recently. A connection was made between the reaction to a crying German girl and the Holocaust. I examined general topics such as the Berlin Wall, and more specific topics such as English war-based football chants, or the British self-image after the war.
And that really is what makes history so fascinating. You can examine almost anything. You can analyse and draw new conclusions that have an impact on how we perceive the world today. It is ‘never-finished’, there will always be more to say, more arguments to make, new evidence, links, parallels, debates, and ideas. Topics that you would expect to be pretty much wrapped up you will come to find are nowhere near finished, and never will be.
History bleeds into other areas, but these other areas also bleed into history. Of course, history can be quite political. Debates on Eurocentrism and under-representation of minorities, Feminist history discovering the true role of women both in the past and in history as a field dominated by men, and the turn towards the cultural persists in challenging the social class points of view that history takes.
These crossovers and avenues of thought may seem daunting to some, but they do offer unique perspectives and can only broaden your point of view. They will also help to create a better balance in how you think about the world today. Plus, they’re really not that hard to grasp with a little time. Which brings us to the real crux of the issue: what will you get out of it?
Unfortunately, there are relatively few jobs that deal with history primarily. Teaching, museums and archives, or archaeology are the main kinds of history jobs. But the skill set that you will gain from a history degree will open up many more doors than just history.
You will learn critical thinking. You will learn to work to a deadline. You will learn how to effectively research all kinds of information. You will learn how to analyse this information and draw conclusions from it. You will learn how to work to a deadline. You will develop organisational skills. You will learn different angles to approach tasks from. You will be able to form links between different pieces of information that others won’t be able to.
In short, a lot of skills that are very valuable to many employers. Check out how many big names studied history and what they’re doing now. They have incredible careers in media, journalism, film, music, politics, the civil service, security, law, trade unions, business and finance, and more. That’s not just luck. The skills gained in studying history undoubtedly helped them get there.
If you’re interested, I just wrapped up my second degree in history (meaning I get to put BA and MA at the end of my name, if I really want to — go me!) and can say with confidence I enjoyed every second of both of them. My options for a career are wide open and I intend to jump in head first.
So whether you’re just finishing college, or are an adult learner looking to boost your career with a degree, or maybe even thinking about switching degrees in your first year of uni, don’t discount history. Whether you’re studying it for a career in something else, or want to carry on studying history for work, it will be the perfect degree to help you along.
Matthew Brundrett studied History with Psychology at Keele University, and has recently completed an MA in Modern History at the University of Sheffield. He is currently continuing his MA research related to the First World War with a view to obtaining a PhD. Matthew can be contacted via matt.brundrett@sky.com or on Twitter @Matt_Brundrett
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