The study of history often gets a bad reputation in our academic lives. Usually characterized by stuffy teachers and professors, dead people, and dates that do not matter, it can be easy to see why so many do not have a fondness for the subject. However, there are numerous benefits to learning about where you came from and how you got to where you are today.

Family History

Have you ever had a conversation with family members, maybe around the holidays, ab out the origins of your family traditions? Or why you have your last or family name? If so, learning a little about your family history can be a fascinating way to illuminate the experiences your grandmother or great-grandmother felt. Perhaps they were migrants from a war-torn Germany in the 1930s and 1940s. Many colleges offer courses on Nazi Germany and the surrounding historical eras. While you may not get details on your grandmother's exact village, town, family, or situation, having a broad overview of the situation in Europe may evince a level of compassion and understanding not present before. Same thing if you are a descendant of the Cherokee tribe of Native Americans. Maybe your ancestry traces back to the Trail of Tears or further. A Native American history class or one on the Jacksonian era of American history may be able to provide clarity.

A Deeper Understanding of Current Affairs

If you turn on the TV to watch the news or scroll through your phone's feed and email, news from around the world inundates you. From wars, politics, famines, religious persecution, and natural disasters to innovations in technology or the coronation of a new British monarch, you can more easily fit the pieces together by learning something about history.

What is the significance of Queen Elizabeth II's death and her son, Charles III's ascension to the throne? For starters, anyone born since the 1950s, so probably your parents and perhaps even your grandparents, have only ever known one British monarch. While this factoid may not seem relevant for everyday conversation, knowing this sheds light on the severity of Charles' claim to the throne and coronation. While this is a relatively innocuous example, many like it exist, even just within the last year. By understanding the world's history, we can better appreciate the events that happen around us, no matter how large or small. Perhaps we can even become active players in those events.

Those Who Do Not Know Their History Are Bound to Repeat It

It is often said that history repeats itself. As a historian, that is not entirely true. It is unlikely a situation will one hundred percent repeat itself; however, that does not mean history cannot rhyme with itself. Take the recent example of the worldwide COVID-19 pandemic. For centuries, every one hundred years or so, a global pandemic arises, killing thousands or more and throwing the world into chaos. It happened in 1918 with the Spanish Influenza (at that time, some people even prepared for a pandemic). It happened in the 1300s with the Black Death. It happened again in 2020 with COVID. It was foolish for people to think we were past the possibility of a plague. We must remain prepared for the inevitable and know that things can go wrong quickly. We can better prepare ourselves for the next century's epidemic by studying illnesses and infectious diseases. Again, even if history cannot repeat itself, it does rhyme.

Analytical Thinking

History and other liberal arts studies are unique among many professions. Many technical degrees teach people what to think about a particular issue. As a historian, you will learn not what to think but how to think. There is a process to follow, often to the letter, with the sciences and other "hard skills" degrees, like engineering. Liberal arts majors, particularly historians, must consider the macro and the micro, the concrete and the abstract, and everything in between. As a historian, generally speaking, it is the only way to go about your work to the "-story," regardless of if it is "his-" or "hers-".

These are just some of the ways historians' skill sets come into play beyond the classroom. History is more than just dates and names. If your teachers focus on this, give history another try. There is no telling what exciting tidbits emerge from your studies. As a historian, the best advice I can give is to think about where you are now and where you want to go next. Once you identify those subjects, think about where you came from to get to where you are now. Seeing the failures and successes of your past experiences helps you better understand how to accomplish your goals in the future.