In the same regard as countless humanities majors, history is equally victim to the typical comments on its “uselessness.” Although job markets can seem unstable on the surface, a deep dive into history’s versatility and applications can show how transferable the skills are across programs.
History involves skills such as identifying bias, developing media literacy, recognizing patterns, and the motivation to examine one’s own history, all of which are often overlooked. I, along with many others, initially failed to see history’s importance and simply mistook the subject as another one I could ‘brain-vomit’ on tests for – memorizing last minute and forgetting immediately after the tests.
I overcame this ignorance through a required class disguised as philosophy that examined various historical perspectives and structures of past civilizations, including Mesopotamia, China, India, and Greece. Through a final research paper that required highlighting parallels between civilizations and today’s political climates and power structures, I realized that history is never-ending and that the past recycles itself into the present. Until this moment, I had never seen direct mirrored reflections between the past and present, and had only heard it as a myth in school.
Luckily, as undergraduate students, we have the opportunity to take a variety of open electives, allowing us to become well-rounded individuals, knowledgeable across many fields, and able to pursue hobbies and interests we might not otherwise pursue in our majors.
From my experiences, these are the skills that make taking at least one history class in your undergraduate career well worth it.
Development of Research and Writing Skills
As a preliminary idea, literacy and writing skills vary widely from student to student; the opportunity to improve these skills and to maintain them at a similar level among all students opens numerous pathways and qualities that will help students throughout their educational and professional careers. Whether this comes in the form of a science lab, an English paper, or research-based psychology papers, all require a foundation of writing skills and familiarity with scholarly articles.
Throughout a history class, the majority of information and details (including dates or events) are not known to the average person; it requires the use of credible sources to provide insight and the reader’s trust in our knowledge. The ability to take these sources, and not only ‘copy and paste’ information to explain it in a narrative sense, but rather create discussion between scholars, produces a higher quality paper. Discussion among academic scholars allows for agreement and disagreement, as well as complications and thought-provoking questions. In this way, history courses allow students to hone these skills and apply them further in their own programs, whether on their own or in programs that require a little or a lot of writing.
Additionally, knowledge of the use and methods for using online scholarly article databases is essential across all fields. Understanding the difference between peer-reviewed and other academic sources, forms of citation, annotated bibliographies, literature reviews, and ways to annotate scholarly articles are all ways to build experience for future graduate studies or careers.
Encourages Research into One’s Own History
History courses at TMU, like those at many other universities and colleges, focus on a wide range of historical eras, regions, and events. Through this, students have the opportunity to choose courses related to their heritage and family histories. Two forms of courses exist in the majority of history departments: those based on historical events and information, or those focusing on the methods of historical analysis, specifically on historiography in archives.
Within the realm of historically informative courses, taking those based on your own family’s history or applying regional histories alongside your own allows students to explore the stories of their relatives and ancestors, fostering a deeper sense of identity. Cultural identity and connection deems itself important in such a multicultural city, as Toronto is, as everyone’s story deserves to be told.
Meanwhile, in archival-based history courses, students often have to examine primary sources on specific topics or an event of their choice. Students, particularly those interested in their family history, pick artifacts related to their relatives, ancestors, and ethnic backgrounds, prompting conversation about the first-hand experiences of those who owned or made the primary archives, their own connection to and perception of their culture, and, finally, in discussion with their family members.
Application to Real-Life Events
In rather unfortunate circumstances, it is inevitable for history to repeat itself. Whether through the repetition of oppression, wars, or political hardships, history also shows another persistent attribute: resilience and a commitment to change.
In a difficult political climate, understanding the history of these matters is important for understanding the specific decisions, arguments and troubles that arise. Not only as a means of pattern recognition but also for understanding past laws and other forms of oppression, this provides the basis for creating evidence-based arguments in current political discussions.
Regarding this, by taking current political issues and stances that are important to your beliefs and values into account, choosing history courses on this topic makes it both a source of interest and an ongoing addition to one’s political stance. And further, political stances only grow stronger through acknowledgement of past mistakes, which, when repeated, should be addressed, and those complicit in such should be held accountable.
Therefore, history, as a subject and a possible open elective for many students, carries academic significance in improving writing, adapting research methods, delving into personal family history, and keeping artifacts alive.
History, as a subject in itself, serves as a form of protest; education and knowledge are things that can never be taken away, despite waves of censorship that circulate timelessly.