<p>I like this thread. Maybe it should be done for other majors too.</p>
<p>I started out as a chem major, then biology, and then history, specializing in medieval history. Could there be anything less "job-worthy" than that? But I loved libraries and books, and I loved history. I'm now a librarian at a LAC, where part of my job is head of the rare books collection and college archives. I've combined that with my interest in Web design to develop and create several digital projects. I now work from Gutenburg to Web 2.0.</p>
<p>I majored in history at Rutgers and then got a masters from UNC in American history (Southern and African American.) I worked for the Federal government for 30 years mostly on non-discrimination issues in the Department of Justice's Civil Rights Division and the Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights. I retired to take a similar position at a major Big Ten school.</p>
<p>History teaches you great analytical, writing, organizational, and research skills. (Whoa I see I just repeated #18.) You learn to ask the hard questions of your data; to evaluate the worth of any particular piece of information given its source.</p>
<p>I admire young people who have a passion for history. Partly because I didn't appreciate history myself till I was older...now I love it. The average hs or college kid views history as a bore, and irrelevant. "Why do we have to learn (ie memorize) this stuff?" But it takes a special young person to understand its value, to "get" history was real, not just pages to be memorized.</p>
<p>Your nephew's brilliant. Particularly for him, it hardly matters what he majors in. Grad school of some sort is probably in his future. He'd probably excel even without a college degree.</p>
<p>Pharmacist here, love my job. BA in history, picked it up while doing my pharmacy school prerequisites for pharmacy school & PharmD. Son has Bachelor of Music performace, in first year of masters program music performance. A co-worker has child who graduated HS same yr as my son. Co-worker felt my son went to "worthless" school (University of Redlands) with worthless degree. Son is happy, has a degree, passed requirements to be a substtute teacher. Other child just finished AA, mom thinks. I don't believe in pushing student for job over passion in college.</p>
<p>Hi, I just stumbled upon this thread and I must say it brings water to my eyes to see that there are people who see college as a place to "learn" since I share the same philosophy. Not only that, but to see that they are successful afterwards. In saying that, it seems that only the brightest students from elite schools have this luxury. In my case, I am far from the brightest and I am afraid that I cannot make it alive with my Sociology and Philosophy degrees -- there is a good chance that I may have go the vocational route. I'm very happy for your success, all of you, and I just wish I can be one of those people you speak fondly of.</p>
<p>Library science is another option. My boss at a nonprofit I volunteer for is a history major heading the archival department, currently working toward his Master's in Library Science.</p>
<p>One of my daughters loves History and would love to double major in that and English..but she's good at math and knows accounting is a sure job in our shaky economy. I told her she could get a masters in that later, but some teachers have advised her that is more difficult. She knows she doesn't want to teach, which limits things, but loves to read about history, edit papers and write. She knows she wants to work in an area that is quieter, not a loud, bustling atmosphere, so it gives her a start.
I'm glad to read about some of these testimonials, I'll show them to her.</p>
<p>I was a history major, have had satisfying careers in publishing, museum adminstration, and non-profit management. </p>
<p>There are SO MANY jobs and career paths that are not the obvious doctor/lawyer/accountant/teacher....If we are very lucky we discover -- or create -- a career that brings various threads of our talents, experience, training and interests together.</p>
<p>Just as I told my sister you would be, you all are fabulous! I wanted to share an e-mail I got from her this morning - </p>
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I just read the thread. Aren’t those comments wonderful and insightful? I have learned so much! Who are these people? We all need to get together for lunch! Ha! Thank you so much for posting the question. I recently read a Chinese proverb: “To know the road ahead, ask those coming back.” If you have some time, please let the folks on CC know that I very much appreciate them sharing their “road experiences.” It helps so much to hear them as I also keep in mind that my son must travel the road in his own way. It is what we have always tried to encourage him to do. Still, their insights help me to worry less about life on the road.
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<p>I was not a history major nor a parent of a history major but I am a child of a history major!</p>
<p>My father was a history major (Fordham 1946) and his father and grandfather and uncles were all lawyers. He bucked the trend and went on to earn a Masters in Math (Columbia) and a PhD in Math (UPenn). I'm a liberal arts graduate (BA) with an MS in Information Science still not sure what I like best....and thinking about returning to school.....(but truthfully feeling a bit old to do this!) </p>
<p>My daughters have had (not all but most) incredible history and gov teachers in high school. I'm a genealogy amateur and have to say that history was taught in quite the boring way when I was a kid.......now I love history and reading old newspapers because I can read the real story (thanks to the digital age and great historical newspaper preservation projections like the Brooklyn Eagle). </p>
<p>If you ever have the opportunity to teach history to young girls ... teach beyond Betsy Ross -- make sure to include Harriet Tubman, Susan B. Anthony, Sojourner Truth, Mother Jones......</p>
<p>As a young girl...I wanted to love history but......it all seemed to be a collection of memorizing facts about battlefields and Army generals.</p>
<p>Good luck to you!</p>
<p>My son and your nephew could be twins!!!
34 ACT and similar SAT (can't remember exact scores on that.)
Also was valedictorian.
Excells in every subject and has a passion for history and politics.
Current sophomore too.
College major:History major and philosophy minor.
Plan: Law school and if not that, grad school of one kind or another.</p>
<p>His current plan is to graduate next fall (ugh- I'd like him to stay longer) and go to law school the following fall. He'll have to work or intern after graduation.</p>
<p>Hope it works out well for both of them!!</p>
<p>I forgot I'm also the child of a history major. He became a foreign service officer.</p>
<p>History is a great concentration. So is English. So is Economics. </p>
<p>If you are bright and energetic, and at a good school that is respected it doesn't matter what you study as an undergraduate.</p>
<p>You can go to law school, business school or med school as a history major. (Med schools will want you to also have a few bio/chemistry prerequisites.)</p>
<p>Sometimes kids don't want to get a job anyway, so in that case it doesn't matter what they study.</p>
<p>Older D majored in history and magazines. She worked in publishing for a bit and is now working in the communications department for a large medical facility. S was an international politics major (similar to history IMO) and works for a law firm as a legal assistant that focuses on immigration issues. He plans to attend law school next fall.</p>
<p>A friend of mine was a history major--he is now CEO of a large international company.</p>
<p>Like mathmom, I forgot to mention in my earlier post that my father (Yale, Class of '40) was also a history major. After the war, he went to law school, and has been practicing law for 60 years now.</p>
<p>So, if my son ends up majoring in history as well as art history, that'll be three generations of history majors in a row. (My mother was an economics major at Sarah Lawrence and also went to law school, although she never practiced law and ended up teaching public school. My ex was an art history major and became a teacher.)</p>
<p>Donna</p>
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"Because it harbors beauty"
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<p>Ahh! I told my sister you all were good! Thank you for the link tsdad!</p>
<p>I firmly believe that one should do what one loves love to do; the economics have a way of working out. </p>
<p>My B.A. in History has informed a career in government service and law.</p>