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NickPSH
RealPoor Master of Posts
Joined: 11 Oct 2002
Posts: 5680
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 Posted: 04/13/05 - 00:39 Post subject: Opinions on History as a Major?
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I don't want to teach.. 
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dablobb
Sir Postalot
Joined: 09 Oct 2004
Posts: 1263
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Posted: 04/13/05 - 00:41 Post subject:
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dont take the classes
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Paden
RealPoor Master of Posts
Joined: 23 Oct 2002
Posts: 9362
Location: North CAROLINA!
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Posted: 04/13/05 - 00:48 Post subject:
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I dunno work for a museum or some shit.
Be a historian or some shit like that.
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Frehya
RealPoor Guru
Joined: 11 Oct 2002
Posts: 2398
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Posted: 04/13/05 - 02:10 Post subject:
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*waits for Xammer to see this*
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Overon
RealPoor Guru
Joined: 14 Oct 2002
Posts: 3602
Location: PLANE OF PIXIES
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Posted: 04/13/05 - 02:12 Post subject: Re: Opinions on History as a Major?
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| NickPSH wrote: | | I don't want to teach.. |
guidance councilor?
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Renork
RealPoor Master of Posts
Joined: 23 Jun 2003
Posts: 6282
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Posted: 04/13/05 - 02:19 Post subject:
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i duno, you could prolly teach.
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NickPSH
RealPoor Master of Posts
Joined: 11 Oct 2002
Posts: 5680
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Posted: 04/13/05 - 02:22 Post subject:
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| Frehya wrote: | | *waits for Xammer to see this* |
..?
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Celestra
RealPoor Master of Posts
Joined: 11 Oct 2002
Posts: 6929
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Posted: 04/13/05 - 02:41 Post subject:
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You can do lots of things, but many of them don't necessarily have a really big connection to history matters.
Write - lots of historians write books or become journalists/textwriters
Write/research/PR - many historians get jobs in the communications business, be it for companies, publishers or whatever. Dealing with media, dealing with internal communications, etc etc.
Museums - I can't speak for the States but jobs in that area are extremely limited here, and we have lots of museums. Also: you have to have a very specific area of knowledge. If you really want to work in a museum, go study arthistory.
One of the great adantages of studying history is that you will have a broad knowledge about a lot of things - and in many jobs this is appreciated. At the same time this can hamper you because you are not thoroughly specialised in something.
If you asked my advice I would say if you really have a love for history, go for it, but at the same time try to acquire another skill you can use in combination with (or apart from) it. Something a little bit more practical. Like learning how to write (well). Or something in the field of archiving. Or something like PR/communications - learning how to operate a job like that in a business.
Good luck.
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wellspoken
RealPoor Master of Posts
Joined: 01 Feb 2003
Posts: 7137
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Posted: 04/13/05 - 02:44 Post subject:
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I always liked history.
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Someone
Toomuchtimeonhands
Joined: 01 Apr 2004
Posts: 929
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Posted: 04/13/05 - 02:48 Post subject:
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Only time will tell...
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ATM Banana
RealPoor Master of Posts
Joined: 02 Jan 2003
Posts: 8575
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Posted: 04/13/05 - 02:52 Post subject:
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history channel?
anywho, My old man took history as a major and became a landscaper.
put simply kbarr's taxes pay for my tuition so that I can make up for his decision to chose a major he actually liked as opposed to a major that enables you to actuallly provide to society.
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Haphasto
RealPoor Sensei
Joined: 10 Nov 2002
Posts: 1800
Location: St. Louis, MO
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Posted: 04/13/05 - 03:04 Post subject:
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where are you going/going to go to school at?
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Callaren
RealPoor Sensei
Joined: 03 Dec 2003
Posts: 1598
Location: South Jersey
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Posted: 04/13/05 - 03:25 Post subject:
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| Someone wrote: | | Only time will tell... |
Do-Do - Bing!
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Trebel
Luke Warm
Joined: 13 Oct 2002
Posts: 213
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Posted: 04/13/05 - 03:34 Post subject:
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History majors can also get into law school very easily.
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Someone
Toomuchtimeonhands
Joined: 01 Apr 2004
Posts: 929
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Posted: 04/13/05 - 03:41 Post subject:
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| Callaren wrote: | | Someone wrote: | | Only time will tell... |
Do-Do - Bing! |
Thank you Callaren. Thank you.
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GruntingCod
RealPoor Master of Posts
Joined: 11 Oct 2002
Posts: 6399
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Posted: 04/13/05 - 03:47 Post subject:
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| wellspoken wrote: | | I always liked history. |
Ditto, in which a history major would be something interestingly possible in my future.
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Aluaeia
RealPoor Master of Posts
Joined: 06 Jun 2003
Posts: 5670
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Posted: 04/13/05 - 05:28 Post subject:
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I thought about a history major for a bit, but I talked to a few people and basically discovered that the only practical use for a history degree is ... teaching history, unless you have leet connections to get into archaeology or museum work.
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goatface
Sir Postalot
Joined: 12 Oct 2002
Posts: 1354
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Posted: 04/13/05 - 10:27 Post subject:
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one of my old friend has history degree and didn't want to teach either
he has spent last 10 years or so being a manager a differnet places,
from food to music stores.
his wife, also a friend of mine before they were married, majored in business -hotel/resturant managment nad i don't think ever had a job as a manager
alway found that odd.
anyway
his best use for his degree was telling 20 min stories of some russin event know one had ever heard about while drinking around a campfire
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Maldek
RealPoor Guru
Joined: 16 Oct 2002
Posts: 2089
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Posted: 04/13/05 - 10:49 Post subject:
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| Trebel wrote: | | History majors can also get into law school very easily. |
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Occulis
RealPoor Jedi
Joined: 11 Oct 2002
Posts: 13293
Location: Moral Relativity Central
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Posted: 04/13/05 - 11:16 Post subject:
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It's important in an algebra and calculus kind of way.
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Ikkan
RealPoor Guru
Joined: 06 Sep 2003
Posts: 3086
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Posted: 04/13/05 - 11:25 Post subject:
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History is a good minor if you're looking for a poli sci/pre-law major!
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Luturb
RealPoor Guru
Joined: 11 Oct 2002
Posts: 4042
Location: Livermore, California
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Posted: 04/13/05 - 11:35 Post subject:
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If you get a masters, you can get a teaching job. There's approximately 32 jobs in all of the US for history majors who don't teach.
If you're going to follow it up with an MBA or Law School it's probably fine, otherwise you better figure out how to make a Student Loan payment on a McDonald's salary.
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NickPSH
RealPoor Master of Posts
Joined: 11 Oct 2002
Posts: 5680
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Posted: 04/13/05 - 11:39 Post subject:
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| Haphasto wrote: | | where are you going/going to go to school at? |
I'm going to BAC for cheaper summer classes then transferring them to SIUE.
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Vekril
RealPoor Guru
Joined: 15 Oct 2002
Posts: 2525
Location: Jersey
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Posted: 04/13/05 - 11:41 Post subject:
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Depending on the school you are going to a history major is fine, but you should definitely take a lot of business classes or do a minor in something business related - it gives you a lot more options.
If you are at a highly ranked school you can major in anything and get job interviews, but if you are not going to a great school you need to have a major that gives you more directly marketable skills beyond "research and writing."
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Frehya
RealPoor Guru
Joined: 11 Oct 2002
Posts: 2398
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Posted: 04/13/05 - 12:41 Post subject:
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| goatface wrote: |
anyway
his best use for his degree was telling 20 min stories of some russin event know one had ever heard about while drinking around a campfire |
LOL too true.
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kbarr
RealPoor Jedi
Joined: 05 Oct 2004
Posts: 11239
Location: New York, now go fuck off...
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Posted: 04/13/05 - 13:53 Post subject:
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| NickPSH wrote: | | Haphasto wrote: | | where are you going/going to go to school at? |
I'm going to BAC for cheaper summer classes then transferring them to SIUE. |
Be an electrician and move to Atlanta, New York or Florida. You will make BIG money and always have a skill that doesn't beat up your body up. After some time you can run crews and pop from one job to the next, checking up on them and worrying where you will have lunch.
Outside a lot, your own boss, excellent money, jobs are always different.
I know a few, its an excellent profession and you don't need 12 years in collage to make close to the same money as most average MDs and Lawyers.
f**k history.
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lotek
RealPoor Sensei
Joined: 12 Oct 2002
Posts: 1598
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Posted: 04/13/05 - 14:19 Post subject:
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hope you like ramen
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teeroyoyort
Luke Warm
Joined: 16 Jan 2003
Posts: 312
Location: Pembroke Pines, FL
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Posted: 04/13/05 - 15:44 Post subject:
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if its just an interest of history, just goto the libary and read lots of books.
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xammer99
Luke Warm
Joined: 14 Mar 2003
Posts: 336
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Posted: 04/13/05 - 16:33 Post subject:
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Speaking as someone getting their masters in history... If I had it to do over, I wouldn't do it again. I love history, I'm good at it, but the history field now is not what you learn in high school or even really as an undergrad. Serious academic history is now all about victims history. All the great stuff has been done, redone, and done some more. Then the decent stuff got done. Now all thats left is people finding their own little nitpicks of history and studying that. And fro me, thats boring as f**k. I don't give a toss how the political economy of blacks in georgia during reconstruction effected their home life. Or another popular trend of how the Pax Americana has f****d up the world one little microcosm at a time. Which completely ignores the fact that we accomplished almost every goal from WW2 and have prevented WW3 for 60 years.
Okay, so I'm ranting here. But thats just cause I'm disgusted with the History academia. Everything has become cultural & social history that focuses on the victims only, and I have no interest in that. Hell for my 2 research seminars they are both on Popular Culture...talk about a f*****g waste.
As for jobs? Well its nto THAT bad.
1. Government. That is what I want to do. State, CIA, Interior, etc... hire quite a few historians, however to get these jobs you have to have a graduate degree. This is why I'm doing it.
2. Writing. Another interest of mine.
3. Business. pick up some business & economic classes and you can do some interesting things. I've got an interview coming up with a brokerage firm as a result of this little side interest. While Academia doesn't agree with my economic determinism, the business world does. =)
4. Teaching High school. Relatively easier to get into the teaching side of. Lots more of'em and more turn over. Plus you don't need the PhD and you are exempt from the harder side of Academia with "Publish or Perish."
5. Teaching College. Good luck. Cause you are gonna damn f****n well need it. There are _FAR_ more PHD historians produced every year than there are teaching positions in college. Everyone, and I mean EVERYONE, going after this will have great qualifications. So you REALLY have to be on the ball here. Publish as much as you can during your MA & PhD and publish a lot. Get your name out there and well known. Also do not pick a silly Thesis, do somethin weighty and that will appeal to the current trends in academia (victim history). As much as colleges are supposed to be about the free exchange of ideas, they most definately are not, and if you run against the grain then you aren't going to get one of these not to mention have no hope of tenure. Also, if you DO get it, and until you get tenure, expect to kiss lots of ass and move a LOT. Like ever 2-3 years for the next 10-15 years.
Also, get use to Publish or Perish. If you aren't producing books, your ass is out and out fast.
6. Musems. Again works well, but you need your graduate degree.
7. Librarian. To work in a college library you need a MLS and if you wanna be a specialty reference librarian you are gonna need a MA in your field as well. Most major universities require their reference librarians (not the people who man the desk checking out books) to publish as well.
8. Archivist. Like a musem, but more for the folks like the National Archives, the Holocaust Memorial, etc... Pick a specialty and go after it hard.
9. Tourism & parks. This is another niche one thats hard to get into. But if you REALLY specialize (make the contacts first) and have the contacts you can get a very nice cush job in a park or in the tourism field. Buddy of mine makes $200/day w/ all expenses paid conducting Tours in Harlem over the summer and teaching kids about the Harlem Rennaisance.
10. Military. The military actually does employ quite a few historians, but to do this you need to first be in the military and/or make soem great contacts.
11. Law. If you get your BA in history, its not at all hard to get into Law School and is a pretty well traveled road. However, there are a _LOT_ of lawyers out there and even more coming. So be prepared to join the glut. Also there is that being a wart on the ass of society thing to contend with, unless you are a prosecutor, in which case you are cool.
There are some others than I'm forgetting, but if you are serious about being a history major then you are going to have to get a graduate degree in it. Otherwise its an utterly useless MA. And if you do go aftre the graduate degree then only do it _IF_ you get an assistanceship of some sort that pays the bills. Not worth it if someone else isn't paying for it.
Me, I've been a research assistant for a year now and going to pick up a teaching assistancship in the fall for my last semester. But lookin back, I really wish I'd have picked economics as my major and done a minor in history. Hell or even a double major.
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NickPSH
RealPoor Master of Posts
Joined: 11 Oct 2002
Posts: 5680
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Posted: 04/13/05 - 16:36 Post subject:
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Greatly appreciated Xammer. This is the sort of insight I was looking for 
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