Becoming a Historian...

Academia is the way forward if you want to be an historian. You'd need to have the time to research and write.

Reply 2

OP

Becoming a teacher would not be my preferred choice.

I was thinking along the lines of field work.

When you say academia, do you mean English and similar subjects?

Reply 3

oldthrashbarg

Will

I was thinking along the lines of field work.

So you want to travel in time?

Reply 4

No I meant in History

Reply 5

Tek

oldthrashbarg

So you want to travel in time?

Hahaha.

Reply 6

OP

oldthrashbarg

So you want to travel in time?

haha, good one.

I mean historical sites and stuff.

Although time travel would be cool (it's technically possible, but practically impossible).

Reply 7

cobra

14

Most historians are attached to universitys weather as researchers or profs or whatever, histroy could lead to alsorts of jobs where you need a non specific degree, like a politition

Reply 8

OP

So History is one of those non-vocational degrees that will work in your favour for most jobs?

Reply 9

Specialheffa

2

Will

haha, good one.

I mean historical sites and stuff.

Although time travel would be cool (it's technically possible, but practically impossible).

How is it technically possible? Please explain. I once got told a hugley BORING (simplified lol) theory, space is like a playdo machine and the push the playdo to make shapes are summet like that! lol :biggrin:

Reply 10

happysunshine

8

Can't anyone call themselves a Historian if they study History? And it's not exactly a full time job unless you want to go into teaching or archaeology.

Reply 11

happysunshine

Can't anyone call themselves a Historian if they study History? And it's not exactly a full time job unless you want to go into teaching or archaeology.

I think that yes you can call yourself an Historian if you study history but as a career it means researching and writing about it- usually for publication.

Reply 12

http://www.uk-learning.net/showthread.php?t=24860

Will

So History is one of those non-vocational degrees that will work in your favour for most jobs?

Good history degrees are well respected by employers because of the nature of the work which is contained within them- particularly the high level of analytical skills that students develop throughout the degree. The skills are transferable into all sorts of professions.

Reply 13

aliel

1

Reply 14

MattG

1

Will

Seeing as I am into history in a big way, not that into making piles of cash, and want to do something that isn't too mainstream; I'm thinking about becoming a historian.

Now, obviously I'll need a degree in some form of History, and I may have to specialise in other areas too.

I would like to know what being a historian would entail, what other kinds of jobs a degree in History might open etc.

I might have more questions later - I'm doing research for Stalingrad at the moment... :rolleyes:

surely if your into "becoming" a historian you will finish your degree and continue post grad onto a PHD? from there you have the choice of working in a university or specialising even further

Reply 15

OP

Specialheffa

How is it technically possible? Please explain. I once got told a hugley BORING (simplified lol) theory, space is like a playdo machine and the push the playdo to make shapes are summet like that! lol :biggrin:

Well, I'm no physicist (I hate the subject), but I actually read a book on the possibility of time travel.

It's based on quantum mechanics and stuff - things that we know very little about.
I think that you were told about a different way of time-travel, with space-time being curved and all that.

The theory that I read was based on the assumption that there are wormholes in quantum foam, which is a 'thing' that exists at a subatomic level.
These wormholes, if they could be expanded so that you could fit a human through them, then you could technically travel back in time.
There are other things to think about as well: Making sure that the wormhole doesn't collapse while someone is inside (probably instant death for the person) is one of these things...

Anyway, I don't really know much about it myself, so...

Reply 16

oldthrashbarg

Specialheffa

How is it technically possible?

It isn't. The thing about time-travelling to change the course of history is that it doesn’t mean anything. You can’t change history because history is, by dull definition, what has already happened. That is to say, whether the people who may or may not travel back in time eventually do so, is already decided, since the effects of what they might do to change history are already being felt now, and will influence whether they actually do it (or have done it). The best proof of the fact that you can’t change history is probably that, statistically, someone would eventually go back and change what you have just read so that it made sense, which it clearly doesn’t (or didn’t).

Reply 17

hildabeast

I think this is probably something quite peculiar to Oxbridge but my history student friends are known as historians, just as law students are known as lawyers, maths students as mathematicians, etc. I myself am a philosopher and theologian. To be honest though I think it's just a tradition thing. We're really not as important as these titles make us sound!

Reply 18

Specialheffa

2

oldthrashbarg

It isn't. The thing about time-travelling to change the course of history is that it doesn’t mean anything. You can’t change history because history is, by dull definition, what has already happened. That is to say, whether the people who may or may not travel back in time eventually do so, is already decided, since the effects of what they might do to change history are already being felt now, and will influence whether they actually do it (or have done it). The best proof of the fact that you can’t change history is probably that, statistically, someone would eventually go back and change what you have just read so that it made sense, which it clearly doesn’t (or didn’t).

Wow! I think i need a strong drink to even comprehend that! lol

Reply 19

OP