History Undergrads: How do you cope?!

I did History & Philosophy last year and loved it, it's now my second year and I'm just doing history and I find it so hard. How do you stay motivated? I have one coursework module that has no lectures or seminars, just 4 meetings a year with a tutor and I'm so unbelievable behind. I've done hardly any reading for it and just feel really disillusioned, when they expect you to go into the different interpretations so deeply I just feel like what's the point. My grades are so much worse this year. Do any of you ever feel fed up with it?

Reply 1

2ndClass

3

This so dumb, why don't you do your readings then :rolleyes:

. What did you expect? you want to be coddled throughout your degree?

Reply 2

ageshallnot

21

Original post by 2ndClass

This so dumb, why don't you do your readings then :rolleyes:

. What did you expect? you want to be coddled throughout your degree?

Totally agree. If you call yourself '2ndClass', perhaps the OP should rename herself '3rdClass'? :tongue:

Reply 3

HokeyWolf

2

Original post by SophiaKeuning

I did History & Philosophy last year and loved it, it's now my second year and I'm just doing history and I find it so hard. How do you stay motivated? I have one coursework module that has no lectures or seminars, just 4 meetings a year with a tutor and I'm so unbelievable behind. I've done hardly any reading for it and just feel really disillusioned, when they expect you to go into the different interpretations so deeply I just feel like what's the point. My grades are so much worse this year. Do any of you ever feel fed up with it?

I am a graduate in History from the University of Sheffield and I had a similar problem staying focused on work, especially with modules that I personally had no interest in.
Firstly my personal advice is speak to your tutor on a regular basis and ALWAYS attend his/her office hours. Many history students including myself found the lack of contact hours frustrating and disillusioning, but attending office hours and doing the relevant reading is a good start when attempting to feel more at home on the course. Try and organize this reading. Your reading list will give you some core reading and a whole bunch of extra reading am I right? Read the core reading- it will be arranged as such to give you, through 4-5 readings, a wide overview of the historiography. Find an opinion you are comfortable with and do the extra reading into that school of thought, while balancing that with the limited understanding you have of the others.

Secondly, I advise, especially in third year that you very very carefully choose your tutors and modules. For me, my tutor was my inspiration throughout my third year. He turned me from a lazy, un-interested and pharmaceutically dependent second year into a first class third year student. Their passion for their subject is always an inspiration for me. The module is crucial, especially when doing your dissertation. There will be a module you are fascinated in and do not be affraid to do something you have never done before. I did European fascism in second year as my main, but ended up studying Apartheid and Zimbabwe for my third year finals and dissertation.

And lastly, DO NOT GIVE UP! It might be hard and a pretty much solo mission, but History is the most rewarding of degrees when it all comes together in the end. I had the same thoughts as you pretty much the whole way through until I found a tutor and module that I could fully excel in, and im sure the same will go for you. Please do not hesitate to give me a PM if you would like any support, I would be happy

Reply 4

HokeyWolf

2

Original post by SophiaKeuning

I did History & Philosophy last year and loved it, it's now my second year and I'm just doing history and I find it so hard. How do you stay motivated? I have one coursework module that has no lectures or seminars, just 4 meetings a year with a tutor and I'm so unbelievable behind. I've done hardly any reading for it and just feel really disillusioned, when they expect you to go into the different interpretations so deeply I just feel like what's the point. My grades are so much worse this year. Do any of you ever feel fed up with it?

Did my feedback help?

Reply 5

SophiaKeuning

OP

3

Original post by HokeyWolf

Did my feedback help?

Thankyou for your reply, so reassuring! Congrats on getting a first, that's brilliant. It's good to know that others feel the same way and also that they can recover from this. :tongue:

I will definitely try and make the most of my meetings with the tutor for the independent topic. I hope it'll make me feel happier with the module. I am really bad at taking the initiative when it comes to getting help, but so far I've had a few mandatory meetings and I guess I'm just not too keen on him. Like you say, some lecturers are so energetic, passionate and genuinely care. I did some medieval history last year and really got into it because of my seminar tutor. Whereas this one (for the cw module) is new so gets confused, he's really not inspirational and has the attitude of 'I'm not gonna say anything, you tell me' when I ask him a vague question about the historiography and just smirks at my lack of knowledge. Every time I leave the meeting I end up hating the topic a little more. :tongue:

I will try and get myself organised with reading, though for this topic there are no reading lists so I do hope that what I'm reading is relevant. But thankyou, getting organised should help me feel more into it! I will try not to give up!! I guess im just having second year blues, everything was exiting last year and I loved all my tutors. This year, not so much. Also, how strange, I've been thinking that I'd love to do apartheid for my dissertation, hopefully if I do I'll enjoy it as much as you did! So what're you up to know that you've graduated?

(edited 10 years ago)

Reply 6

HokeyWolf

2

Original post by SophiaKeuning

Thankyou for your reply, so reassuring! Congrats on getting a first, that's brilliant. It's good to know that others feel the same way and also that they can recover from this. :tongue:

I will definitely try and make the most of my meetings with the tutor for the independent topic. I hope it'll make me feel happier with the module. I am really bad at taking the initiative when it comes to getting help, but so far I've had a few mandatory meetings and I guess I'm just not too keen on him. Like you say, some lecturers are so energetic, passionate and genuinely care. I did some medieval history last year and really got into it because of my seminar tutor. Whereas this one (for the cw module) is new so gets confused, he's really not inspirational and has the attitude of 'I'm not gonna say anything, you tell me' when I ask him a vague question about the historiography and just smirks at my lack of knowledge. Every time I leave the meeting I end up hating the topic a little more. :tongue:

I will try and get myself organised with reading, though for this topic there are no reading lists so I do hope that what I'm reading is relevant. But thankyou, getting organised should help me feel more into it! I will try not to give up!! I guess im just having second year blues, everything was exiting last year and I loved all my tutors. This year, not so much. Also, how strange, I've been thinking that I'd love to do apartheid for my dissertation, hopefully if I do I'll enjoy it as much as you did! So what're you up to know that you've graduated?

Believe me, 99% of my history colleagues felt the same, appears to be a common feeling on history courses that paying 3/9 grand a year isn't worth the 4 hours of contact time I had in second year.

Your tutor sounds like a bit of a %^^$. A lot of them, especially in first and second year see their teaching as secondary to their personal study and publication as well as their final and masters year programs. I certainly noticed a difference between my tutors in third year. What you could do if you are really worried about your performance or the quality of the tutoring available to you, is speak to either your personal tutor or your student union rep. They will be happy to help you with personal issues as well as issues with the university. Perhaps speak to a few class mates and see if they feel the same. All I would say is you said in your introduction in this thread that you rarely did the reading? While you don't have a reading list, that probably either means it is a relatively wide topic with freedom of interpretation. May I ask what is the module subject? I might be able to help with some reading if you like.

If your interested in Apartheid and think you would like to study it for your dissertation and special subject then speak to the tutor running the course and perhaps get a rapport going with them; personal relationships with tutors are a great way to get really involved in the subject. I was lucky enough to be taught be Ian Phimister, a world authority on Southern African history and a participant in many of the events and groups we covered. I can send you a few pieces to read, see if you can get a feel for what the historiography is like.

Since graduation I have been living in Berlin in Germany working as an marketer and copy writer before moving back to my hometown of Brighton to take up a position here at The Student Room. History opens so many doors that you wouldn't think. It certainly does not tie you into being a teacher as so many people think. I think it is the most widely applicable degree out there so please don't give up! Its well worth the slog! Feel free to PM me with anything you need.

Reply 7

returnmigrant

21

I always find it laughable when students tell me they 'aren't enjoying the course' or whinge about the so-called lack of contact time - and then they tell me THEY AREN'T DOING THE READING.

What the £uck are you doing at Uni then? WHY ARE YOU THERE?

Start this week. DO the required reading. In depth. Go to the tutorial/class, enthused and interested.
And stop behaving like a four year old.

Reply 8

Charliemouse

6

Original post by returnmigrant

I always find it laughable when students tell me they 'aren't enjoying the course' or whinge about the so-called lack of contact time - and then they tell me THEY AREN'T DOING THE READING.

What the £uck are you doing at Uni then? WHY ARE YOU THERE?

Start this week. DO the required reading. In depth. Go to the tutorial/class, enthused and interested.
And stop behaving like a four year old.

I know plenty of History students who study with me that never do any reading and all they ever do is moan about all the reading they are supposed to do.

Its a ****ing History degree, what did they really think it entailed, watching Horrible Histories and visiting castles and museums?

History Undergrads: How do you cope?!

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