Even though history is not the most popular subject at the moment, it still has that mysterious charm that hooks students from all over the globe and makes them choose history as their major. Are you interested in historical documentaries? Do you wonder how to write a history research proposal or any other academic project on the history topic you’re most interested in? In that case, you have the most crucial motivation to choose history as part of your academic journey: you truly enjoy it! Below, we offer some of the key reasons to pick history as your college major and future career as well.
1. You Get More Career Options
When it comes to studying history in college or university, most people believe all you can do after graduation is be a school teacher, government historian, or college professor in the field of study. But the reality is completely different.
History serves as the door to careers in loads of niches that require general knowledge, creativity, as well as ability to estimate this or that event from different perspectives. Believe it or not but history students are engaged in the careers like museum curators, lawyers, journalists, political advisors, and so on. In each of the positions, historians are in high demand.
2. You Get a Better Understanding of the Present
History enables you to see how all the events of the past have contributed to and shaped our present. If you have the following questions, you will find the right answer to each once you dive into the field of history:
- What social movements were most important in human history?
- Is it possible to prevent horrible events from happening (the Genocide of Serbs, Holocaust, and so on).
- What are the most important things that people have learned about political power from the past?
With in-depth research of human history, you will be able to see clearly how techs and living standards have changed over time while many human behaviors remained unchanged. These explorations will help you understand the past and learn about the present to see in what direction society is moving at the moment.
3. You Cultivate Important Life Skills
When you choose to become a history student, you get a chance to study past events as well as develop essential life skills. Taking into consideration the fact that history undergrads are required to collect and analyze evidence, draw logical conclusions, as well as present arguments and facts in a precise, clear, and persuasive way, they develop the following skills in the process:
- Solid communication skills.
- Problem-solving techniques.
- Ability to think critically.
- In-depth research strategies.
- The precise interpretation of visual and written historical materials.
- Understanding of the causes that stand behind this or that event.
4. You Get to Be Independent
As a rule, a history major provides students with just a few contact hours. In other words, you have a chance to perform your own historical research. At the same time, you can benefit from your professor’s support in order to cultivate potential ideas and theories. It’s no doubt that majoring in history requires effort and patience. However, you will have a unique chance to develop independence and self-sufficiency.
5. You Get Empowered for Your Role as a Citizen
In case a political crisis happens, you need to be able to think clearly and logically. It is important to weigh competing arguments, balance all the evidence, as well as analyze the topics that are emotionally charged. If you’re a history pro, you are basically prepared for your important role as a citizen and always know where the truth is.
6. You Learn to Apply Historical Insight to Success in the Business Field
As a history student, you know how to scrutinize the most complex details and use the academic systematic approach to solve the toughest problems in the world of business. In other words, you are equipped with the solid knowledge and skills needed to thrive in the modern economy segment. Regardless of the type of business issues that you are going to deal with, a graduate-level history degree will help you leverage historical insights in order to solve problems of any complexity level. As you consider, analyze, and comprehend the events of the past, you can easily predict the impact that the events of the same kind may have on a particular niche, the economy, or the world in general. You learn everything about the forces that polarized society a long time ago and predict how they may change the business climate at the moment.
7. Your Oral Communication Skills Are Enhanced
History students tend to work on a great variety of projects that are later presented to a wide audience in classrooms, media, and conferences. In other words, they are required to polish up their public speaking skills to present their materials in the most comprehensive manner. As a result, masters-level history degree graduates can boast of stunning oral communication skills. This, in turn, makes them more attractive for companies looking for employers that are capable of communicating their messages to both external and internal audiences.
How to Know If History Is the Right Choice?
If you find yourself asking questions about past events, checking the latest political news, and browsing the topics like culture and war on the web, a history major could be the best option. Since it is a broad discipline, you will 100% find the sub-field that will attract you and inspire you to build a successful career in the future.