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What should I base my history project on?

I'm looking to do a history project as an extra piece of work for over the summer, but I don't know which topic would appeal most to universities. Is it better to do something which is on all the university courses I am applying to, or something personal to do with family history but which may not be relevant to all the history courses?
It's obvious which one it's better to do, but tbh unless you are going to Oxbridge nobody is going to care. There are no caps any more you know, and history is super cheap to teach.

I would do the one you'll actually enjoy or else something you'll enjoy a little less but is a little more relevant. I wouldn't do something you won't enjoy at all: life's too short.

Family names sounds excellent if you are into say Victorian history. You would track the movements of your family and see if they correlate with major population movements of the time for people of their class and region.
Original post by scrotgrot
It's obvious which one it's better to do, but tbh unless you are going to Oxbridge nobody is going to care. There are no caps any more you know, and history is super cheap to teach.

I would do the one you'll actually enjoy or else something you'll enjoy a little less but is a little more relevant. I wouldn't do something you won't enjoy at all: life's too short.

Family names sounds excellent if you are into say Victorian history. You would track the movements of your family and see if they correlate with major population movements of the time for people of their class and region.


It was either between doing a project on medieval history, which is on all the courses and is something I haven't had the chance to study in school yet, and the other one was to do with the contrast between WW2 life in England and Malaysia (being half Malay and half English.) thank you for the advice :smile:
RESEARCH.

That is what appeals to Universities. So, a simple project to do with local history, your own family history etc is a perfect way to do this. There are loads of online resources (ancestry etc) and you can often user these at big public libraries for free. Also, archive research work is another good thing to get experience of - all big towns/cities will have a local records office/archives so look at the online catalogue, find some stuff that interests you, and go and look at it. Staff will help you if you aren't sure about how it all works (ie. 'ordering documents', where to sit etc). Take some id, pencils and a big notebook - primary research can be incredibly rewarding, and addictive!
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Ynd
Original post by BeccaBurrell
Is it better to do something which is on all the university courses I am applying to


I don't see why that would help. Your knowledge of a certain time and place in history will impress far less than your skill and diligence in investigating said time and place.
Or you could spend your time reading this : http://www.amazon.co.uk/Studying-History-Palgrave-Study-Skills/dp/1403987343

Which will give you an insight into what 'doing History' at Uni is all about - and will really give you some meaningful things to talk about in your PS.

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