History Degree - Panic!

jew unit

13,000 words and 2 exams? Hardly taxing for three weeks work.

Do you even know what you're talking about? It's the reading that's the time consuming part dumbass.

Reply 61

Albiceleste

True, and it was probably because he had left the essays to the last three weeks when he had the whole term to do it. In fact, I would place a bet on it. It's so funny being a uni snob. :smile:

Oxbridge aside no uni does more work than that. May I ask what type of school did you go to? Private by any chance?

Reply 62

KwungSun

13

River85

I know the days of the Civil Serivce being the den of Oxbridge grads with their history degrees are long gone. I also know that a wide variety of degrees are accepted (at 2:2, not even 2:1). However, you have to admit that there is a reason why history was such a popular degree in those days. It wasn't so much that they had a bias against any other degree, it's because it's a fine, non-watered down degree. A competent history grad will have good written and verbal communication skills, analytical skills, research skills, good time management skills and the ability to argue well. These are skills highly valued in the area (and needed for the tests during application).

So whilst it may be opening up you can't deny that a competent history grad still doesn't have an advantage over many others (say a physics grad that, although has strong transferable skils of their own including analytical skills, may not have the greatest written communication skills). They do by the very nature of the subject.

Yea absolutely. I'm sure a lot of the skills and some of the knowledge required on a history degree are also required for civil service work. In a sense it's probably also due to self selection in that people who enjoy and do well at history are also likely to enjoy and do well in civil service type jobs. I just wanted to avoid the impression that a history degree in and of itself puts one miles ahead of the pack at the civil service. If the OP enjoys writing and communicating and learning about current/historical affairs they would be in a good position for a civil service job after a science degree too.

My advice to the OP would be primarily to "follow your dreams" but make sure you realise the more practical implications of your choices. History is very respectable but there is very little these days that you can do with a history degree that you cannot do with a science degree. There is however a lot you can do with a science degree that you cannot do with history. So if you don't care about exactly what job you get as long as it's decent and feel three years of history would be more rewarding than 3 years of science, do history. If you prefer keeping more doors open after you graduate, do science.

Reply 63

Elipsis

Oxbridge aside no uni does more work than that. May I ask what type of school did you go to? Private by any chance?

Blaahhdy Winchester College, old boy. And you?

Reply 64

rotor

14

A lot of history grads become journalists, thats quite a good job!

Reply 65

Johan C

13

Elipsis

Pretty lame job in recruitment consultantcy, I don't particularly want to do it but when there's money like that on the table i'd have to be a mug to turn it down.

Indeed.

Reply 66

River85

17

jew unit

Most of them are pretty raw about it though, as my friend from durham (06 Oxford reject) openly admits.

A minority that get ridiculed as much as the Rahs get ridiculed. Most of us are aware that it's not Oxbridge and feel secure enough that we are at a uni with its own character and heritage and not just Oxbrdige's "bastard" son.

Johan C

But what everyone's really interested in is prestige. Even if Oxford sucks at a given subject, you still get mega kudos for going there. Similarly, Warwick and UCL's overall reps destroy Manchester and Newcastle's regardless of law rankings.

Which is why I admitted there was a small-medium gap. I honestly wouldn't say any more of a one.

So if we have the "rest of the elite" group of LSE, Imperial, UCL, Durham, Warwick, Bristol, St Andrews, York, Edinburgh and possibly KCL then what are we going to put next after that? The next group would quite clearly be the red bricks (Manchester, Newcastle and Sheffield in particular) alongside the most of the remaining 1994 group unis (Exeter, Lancaster, Bath, Loughborough etc.). People are quick to criticise my groups (mainly because they keep thinking that I'm saying Warwick's "prestige" is equal to Manchester's and Newcastle's. I'm not. Manchester and Newcastle fit in the group behind Warwick as much as Exeter and Lancaster, more so (due to being better known internationally). Remember that it's a group behind (but still third highest). They are major, leading universities!

Reply 67

Albiceleste

Blaahhdy Winchester College, old boy. And you?

Are you joking? You're slamming me for going to Leeds when I went to a school with a less than 30% pass rate at GCSE. I do appologise my parents didn't have 30k a year lying around to buy me some nice grades :smile:

. If you'd gone to my school the fact is you'd be at a met right now or working in Tescos. You're not clever, mummy and daddy just threw you in a children farm because they didn't want you.

Reply 68

rotor

A lot of history grads become journalists, thats quite a good job!

Yeah, I recently graduated from Cambridge History with a high 2.1 (a rather naughty one, I might add, with marks ranging from 75 in subjects I loved to 62 in ones I hated) and really weally WEALLY want to become a journo for Heat Magazine, writing about Angelina's Secret cellulite and Alex Curran's Lumpy Arse to make fat vulgar women feel better. Do you think I'm aiming a bit low? Its my dream.

Reply 69

Johan C

13

Albiceleste

Yeah, I recently graduated from Cambridge History with a high 2.1 (a rather naughty one, I might add, with marks ranging from 75 in subjects I loved to 62 in ones I hated) and really weally WEALLY want to become a journo for Heat Magazine, writing about Angelina's Secret cellulite and Alex Curran's Lumpy Arse to make fat vulgar women feel better. Do you think I'm aiming a bit low? Its my dream.

Thanks for sharing how good you are, we're all very interested.

Reply 70

Johan C

Thanks for sharing how good you are, we're all very interested.

Given that it cost his parents over 200k it isn't very good at all to be honest.

Reply 71

rotor

14

Gordon Brown has a history degree..

Reply 72

River85

17

Albiceleste

Yeah, I recently graduated from Cambridge History with a high 2.1 (a rather naughty one, I might add, with marks ranging from 75 in subjects I loved to 62 in ones I hated) and really weally WEALLY want to become a journo for Heat Magazine, writing about Angelina's Secret cellulite and Alex Curran's Lumpy Arse to make fat vulgar women feel better. Do you think I'm aiming a bit low? Its my dream.

Forunately journailism in a well established (and still fairly well respected) profession. It's not as shallow as Heat magazine would suggest. Those people aren't even journalists.

Then bearing in mind what the OP said much of journlism is quite modestly paid, especially starting salaries. We can't all just walk into highly paid jobs as BBC war correspondents or onto the Financial Times.

Reply 73

Johan C

Thanks for sharing how good you are, we're all very interested.

Well, I'm upset. I'll show you, when I am editor of OK! Magazine, writing about Jordan's Secret Cock and Kerry's 8th Child Composed Entirely Of Cocaine Molecules. I'LL SHOW YOU ALL HOW GOOD I AM THEN! YOU WAIT!

Reply 74

Albiceleste

Well, I'm upset. I'll show you, when I am editor of OK! Magazine, writing about Jordan's Secret Cock and Kerry's 8th Child Composed Entirely Of Cocaine Molecules. I'LL SHOW YOU ALL HOW GOOD I AM THEN! YOU WAIT!

The truth is you aren't good. You're distinctly average for somebody of your back ground. Just because you're more educated than the general public doesn't mean you're anything special in your crowd of spoon fed friends, most people put in the same school you went to would easily perform as well as you have.

Reply 75

Elipsis

The truth is you aren't good. You're distinctly average for somebody of your back ground. Just because you're more educated than the general public doesn't mean you're anything special in your crowd of spoon fed friends, most people put in the same school you went to would easily perform as well as you have.

But I went to a state comprehensive in a filthy part of Merseyside known as Thornton. And before that, I was working down mine shaft for 26 hours a day and eating a lump of coal for tea.

Reply 76

Gimothy

11

Elipsis

The truth is you aren't good. You're distinctly average for somebody of your back ground. Just because you're more educated than the general public doesn't mean you're anything special in your crowd of spoon fed friends, most people put in the same school you went to would easily perform as well as you have.

Why not get rid of that chip on your shoulder and learn to detect sarcasm.

Reply 77