Is a History Degree REALLY Useless?

[@iammrbeat]

History, the quickest way to learn ANYTHING.

[@historianirl9728]

+Mr. Beat true

[@jasbeerbegum245]

Yes you just need listening skills for learning history

[@foxfoster1]

History degree definitely worked out for you.

[@thedislikebutton9266]

Mrbeast

[@DeepSeaManta]

The careers that pushed me towards history major Lawyer, Paralegal, Reporter, Conservation scientists, HR managers, Archivist, Geographer, Archeologists, Anthropologists

[@chris9879]

I majored in history and ended up in the food&beverage industry doing marketing communications. Now I am doing my 2nd degree in alternative medicine. I won't say that my first degree was completely useless. I found myself using the skills I picked up more than the knowledge I learned.

[@Krispio666]

Your second degree however will be completely useless.

[@florenciagarrido2366]

I want to become a historian but my parents keep telling me that I won't be able to make a life, because it doesn't pay well.

[@WaywardPash]

They're not necessarily wrong. I personally wasn't in the right head-space to listen to their suggestions (although they could've softened their delivery to increase the likelihood I heeded their advice before starting University). You can carve out a successful life with History as museum director, curator at a bank, academic professor, popular historian, archivist, art conservator, forensic anthropologist, high school teacher, lawyer, librarian, university administrator, journalist, etc. But, like I had to learn the hard way, you have to plan ahead with specific career goals in mind (with some measure of luck thrown in). You have to prepare for unexpected circumstances and the possibility that your values and life objectives may change. After I completed my Masters in History, some of my peers and I decided academia wasn't the right choice for us after all. We all had to figure out new career paths - and fast. Knowing your career goals ahead of time, while preparing for contingencies, will help you decide which courses and jobs / internships to consider right now. Being open to learning new skill sets (stats, coding, marketing, etc.) and historical methodologies (GIS applications) can also increase your exposure to different, trending industries as you pursue a History degree. At the end of the day, it's your life, your choice, but you want to make the best investment of your time as you can. For myself, I didn't want to get a PhD in History only to work in a completely unrelated field that didn't require one (and probably would've benefited from a different degree entirely - like business specializations in HR / marketing, data science, IT systems, UX Design, etc.).

[@worlockejuan]

florencia garrido I teach U.S. History in El Paso, Tx. Starting teachers make 50k a year to start and work 187 eight hour days a year. Off practically half the year. It's a great gig.

[@nickalmazan471]

You can also use it to pursue a career in government. Take the foreign service exam and the civil service exam. Im a hitory major now i teach overseas and make great money. I had classmates go on to have careers in law enforcement, law and international business.

[@nevergiveupnevergivein7655]

Only someone short-sighted and believes that a degree earned necessitates a career paved in that exact field. It’s about what you enjoy. If it were only about money, IT would be one of the only degrees pursued.

[@once861]

Do what makes you happy

[@86thrasher]

I see a lot of people in the comments saying “history is something you can learn on your own time!” Okay, sure people can definitely learn history on their own time but how many people are actually studying history correctly? From what I seem to notice is that for people who do study history on their own time is that they hop on KZbin and just watch stuff on military and war. If all you study on history is the military and war aspect of it then you’re studying history wrong! There’s much more to the study of history such as politics, ideology, theology, art, architecture, and science which pursuing a history degree can help diversify your perception of history. Not to mention you can’t learn research skills that can help you get a job doing museum work or archiving when learning history on your own!

[@Baughb99]

I just found your channel and I cannot thank you enough for this video. I am a history major going into my senior year, so I've been starting to freak out about what I'm actually going to do with my degree. This video really calmed my nerves and I will definitely be binging all of your channel's content.

[@chrislee3601]

What did you end up doing? I'm 2 years behind you but in a similar boat

[@laurenjones2511]

I really really want to do this. This is really something that I genuinely love but the fear that my career options are going to be small is really concerning. Eight years of hard work is a lot just to exit the other side jobless. Uggghhhhh

[@danielwalsh7277]

I loved history so I decided to major in it. Graduated with a BA in American History and was very happy with my choice. I looked for more business related research jobs but didn't really find anything. I had no previous work experience that was valuable and I did not intern anywhere because I was playing college baseball while going to school. I recommend interning anywhere you can to get your foot in the door. The experience will only help you. Fast forward a few years and I am one semester away from graduating with a nursing degree and on my way to becoming an RN. I love history and could definitely see myself being a history professor down the line. My point is, you need to try and define what it is you want to do first. Taking classes because you are interested in a topic is great because the interest is there but you have to keep the big picture in mind along with it. Do you want to get into teaching (HS)? business? research? MA or PhD level? This isn't something you have answer right now but just some things to think about. Hope this helps, good luck with your journey.

[@Grungedude93]

Well I gotta say, I majored in history and graduated 3 years ago. I’m working retail and still in a large amount of student debt.

[@abidzarawwalin759]

Hope it will be better soon

[@Gk54493]

Get certified to become a teacher

[@hariboe4327]

hi, how are you doing now?

[@UnlimitedProduction1]

I would love to major in history or even better art history...however it was beaten into me so much how useless they are that I'm terrified of changing my major

[@Rose-dx4li]

UnlimitedProduction1 Yeah same. There's nothing else that I love as much as this major.

[@DarthMessias]

No college degree is really useless. It is all about how you sell it to prospective employers. If you don't sell your skill-package well, then you they won't hire you no matter what degree you have. So learn to sell if you want to pursue a career in liberal arts.

[@nickalmazan471]

www.usajobs.gov/GetJob/ViewDetails/561587600 History major job working for the government making 85-135k a year. Dont let the plebs bring you down.

[@TheWinterShadow]

One of the best commentaries on history on KZbin.

[@pbostler]

Thank you for sharing . I'm considering archive work as I enjoy history, reading and writing.

[@saqarahj9078]

Thanks for this video. Allow me to make a very long comment in defense of a History degree. Would you like fries with that? In the US this is the usual bashing concerning history majors and I really think this is very unfair to those who chose this field and those who are still planning to. It's as if the bashers are sure that history graduates always end up like this. I know a number of graduates from other fields who are also unemployed or end up with low-paying jobs. This happens of course to all graduates who do not know what they want for their career path. But if you know what you want and do excellently with the skills expected from you, you can surely think of ways of presenting yourself as a valuable employee whatever is your degree. Just like other courses in the Humanities, History takes creativity of the mind and the will to make sense out of it. Indeed, it does make sense, and mostly, only those that are in the Humanities can relate to this. People inclined to these fields are the most appreciative at the same time avid sympathizers of the achievements and struggles of the whole human race. Thus, they are among the most suitable individuals to get involve in "projects" the suggest "solutions" to the problems of the ever-changing society. They can partner well with STEM people who are concerned in making this world better and a comfortable place to live and assist them in understanding the important surrounding context (historical, social, political, cultural, religious ...) that are needed to be more effective. Policies and policy-making become more holistic with the presence of Humanities people. They have the ability to transcend and look at things in many perspectives. Those who say you can't do much with a history degree are probably the most narrow-minded people and immature (forgive me for saying this), only seeing the world in black and white. But the world is more than just that. It is in fact very complicated. Needless to say, this world needs the presence of both soft (arts, humanities and social sciences) and hard sciences (pure and applied) to be balance. Otherwise, this world is cold and boring. So, for those who wanted to have single/very focused skill, you may continue pursuing STEM courses. And for those who love to achieve broader skills that HUMSS can offer don't let the negative impression and narrowness of people hamper your desire of pursuing/studying history alongside other humanities courses. Additional note: A history degree may not be an easy way to success if you are planning a career that is outside of the teaching profession, if you don't want to become a practicing historian, or if you're looking for a job that will give you an instant high salary. However, it is a very helpful option if you plan to proceed for advanced studies associated with it or plan to venture into work institutions concerning the following: - Heritage preservation, Museology, Public History, Cultural Mapping - Archaeology - Journalism, other types of writing jobs, transcription; media, the film industry - Global studies, International Relations - Theology and Religious Studies (having a history degree before pursuing this area will surely be handy and more interesting) - Conflict Studies/Peace and Development; Human Rights, Gender Studies - Law (combining History and Philosophy as a preparatory would be an advantage) - Foreign languages (combining history with this field opens other interesting opportunities especially for those who wanted to explore/travel the world) - Interdisciplinary research with science and technology fields: Digital History - ex. Applying Geographic Information System (very useful also in Environmental history). There's also Cliometrics for Economic history.

[@redboy09100]

This is so true!!!!! Its impossible to be a productive society where EVERYBODY has to be a mathematical genius to be a productive member of society. Who will keep the records?????

[@miller_d_faithworks]

Thank you for this comment....I'm a teenager who didn't know what to do with her life....but now...I just realized that I'm not into much of the scientifical stuff and I always loved history...u are right....people are always so narrow minded when it comes to history...I will emsure that I put what I want first and leave the narrowminded business to the people who hate history....I literally almost made the worst mistake in my life, to pursue a course in Science....which I knew would have caused a lot of headache since I don't like it much.... Thanks for your comment...It truly helped my situation a lot.. Your a God send.

[@nickalmazan471]

dont forget careers in government. History majors score high on the civil service and foreign service exams.

[@nevergiveupnevergivein7655]

A History degree is only a poor degree plan for the student who 1) doesn’t really enjoy it and 2) doesn’t excel at critical thinking.

[@pranavpillai7778]

@@nevergiveupnevergivein7655 no degree is useless if you have a reasonable plan. Liberal arts degrees are fine if you do one of the following: 1.technical/business/ math courses 2. Professional graduate degrees 3. Target specific occupation 4. I’ve league school

[@Nick_Toup]

I have a question Can I become a history teacher or historian if I study International Relations? I love History so much but in my city there are no history degrees to study, only Bachelor of IR and I think this might be related to History. Thanks in advance

[@nab.7250]

Science, technology, engineering and mathematics are overrated. But majors like history, english, astronomy are underrated.

[@javiersaenz1040]

Astronomy is science

[@joeyGalileoHotto]

Then how come people can get jobs as a computer engineer that pay six figures a year by going to coding boot camps for 6 months? Majoring in History and English are basically luxuries for the children of the upper class who can waltz into a job handed to them by their parents.

[@fried_onions_better_than_pizza]

@@javiersaenz1040 history is also science...

[@nevergiveupnevergivein7655]

Javier Saenz but it is a lesser sought after degree. It is a degree seen as having no tangible career path.

[@nevergiveupnevergivein7655]

Joseph G. Hotto you are talking about the difference between technical training for a specified certification and a degree under the classical academic achievement designations. Your orange does not equate to the other’s apple.

[@sirxavior1583]

I'm a Comp Sci Major and one of the things they teach is called "Code Resuability". If its a good piece of code store it and use it again if you encounter the same problem . Sounds similar to what History teaches doesn't it? The problem is Arts degree indirectly help the person and you won't see the benefits at face value, people want instant results.

[@historianirl9728]

Its weird because the skills an arts degree gives are what everyone's looking for :(

[@sirxavior1583]

Historian IRL. Yes and No. Engineers and Science majors require the skills an Arts major needs but then they build on top of that. An Arts major will stop there. Some of the smartest people I know hold both a BA and BSc. One person I knew who held both, would use history to look for similar problems from the past and then use modern Engineering methods to get it to work.

[@sirxavior1583]

+Xipo86. That's actually a bonus for you. Development and Business goes hand in hand. For example when Bit Coin initially came out it was bound to fail, not because the idea was flawed but because it didn't have a legit financial baker. Having some understanding of Business helps. You'll do well. Almost anything pairs well with comp sci.

[@chloehills6546]

I am studying History at an Adventist Institution, completely ironic, backward and weakly founded. Thanks for the motivation!

[@oshinoedan5666]

I've always been most interested in sociology and philosophy. But that's because the propaganda pushed as history in public schools is deplorable at best.

[@zixzizia1066]

@The505Guys why

[@zixzizia1066]

@The505Guys interesting. As a high school senior I’m kind of in a strange place right now. I want to major in something that will benefit me financially after I graduate, but I also want to pick something I’m gonna enjoy doing, you know? The stuff I’m interested in seems to be considered “useless” or “a waste of time”, so I may end up doing something solely for that financial backbone. Which is miserable. But maybe it’s worth it? I don’t know. I want to eventually work in the medical field and I understand that your undergraduate major doesn’t really matter. But.... considering (god forbid) not getting in I don’t want to end up with a “fun” or “enjoyable” yet non employable degree to fall back on. 😲

very true about the historical literacy part, but a history major is one of least lucrative careers out there, you’ll end up teaching if your lucky, or end up working with subpar minimum wage at a museum. history is very important, in one of my classes we discussed as you hinted books like “brave new world” or “1984”. Very important ideas and its a very rich field in general, but don’t expect to be making 6 figures super early on in your career as a history major. even with networking, history imo is very hard to sell to an employer, i think a masters coupled with it could help, but good luck paying for a masters as a fresh graduated without a job. my professor was a very hard working man, but from paying for his health care, his family and whatever else he payed for, he seemed like a very stressed man. 2 daughters and a wife i think, and he always seemed too busy to enjoy life. He was one of my favorite teachers and his class was fun, but even he was aware of history being a very bad career. i don’t think he regrets it because he lives an honest hardworking life, but its not lucrative. its not for me. Take up a stem major, and if your going nonstem, take up something that can actually be sold to an employer. and most of all, enjoy the lifestyle that study for.

[@ColbyStaats-kp2dy]

Mr. Beat has been all over my fyp

[@Goldenhawk0]

New channel. Nice! Love the video!

[@historianirl9728]

Thanks bud, something to have fun with :)

[@shivamchaturvedi3141]

This video really make me cry

[@randyestacio8445]

Is being in history major requires a lot of memorization?

[@anyakaitlyn6960]

I would say yes, but you can build upon that and when it’s an era or subject that you really care about memorization won’t be an issue! 😊

[@bweeeeniee1131]

I'm currently studying history and analytical thinking is more important rather than memorization.

[@anyakaitlyn6960]

@@bweeeeniee1131 same here & agreed but they all can be built upon. You have 4 years minimum lol. I wouldn’t let either of these things deter me from going after it. They’re skills that you develop, not a prerequisite to learn.

[@life42theuniverse]

2:00 funny you should mention dimensions I came to your channel today hoping to find some history on the math of circles...

[@arianaquackenbush6985]

Great video. thank you!

[@SisSherryGoodlin]

I rendered a dozen years in a pizza joint after graduating; and I am fun in bars (taverns, to be specific).

[@darkice3267]

I want to be an archaeologist. A history degree would help right ?

[@joeyGalileoHotto]

You'd be better off getting a job in Finance with that Archaeology degree

[@spartanrisk]

I've always heard that whatever job you are trying to get with a History major you basically already need the connections to get the job. IDK if this is true because i don't have that experience but it might be.

[@sailorsoul1995]

If after a year you still haven't made a decision, I would suggest going for archaeology or classics. As muxh as history and archaeology are related and complimentary to each other, if your dream career is digging ancient artefacts you need to know specific techniques on how to go about it, not to mention regulations and practises.

[@Brian-ij8ti]

Join the military as an officer with a degree in History. Good choice.

[@jonathanh5762]

How does it really help? Always thought the military prefers STEM degrees.

[@CH47U]

​@@jonathanh5762 only the Air Force prefers STEM degrees. History degree is very common in the Army and Marine Corps.

[@bradlyc5142]

Eh...my friend has a masters in history and philosophy. He is a substitute teacher. I don't think it's super useful unless you use it to branch off into law school like your friend or go all in and get a PhD in History.

[@abdur1300]

I don't think it's super useful but by taking history it's make you wiser, you see the world from worldly perspective and you also comprehend what happened in the past and learn much from the past..

[@courtney9445]

It all depends on the person

[@bradlyc5142]

I disagree with the wise statement. if one was wise, one would honestly not get a history degree, unless you think it is wise to put a lot of effort into something that has very lil utility

[@abdur1300]

I'm an english literature student,, do you think I should take history major or just continue with american studies as a graduate student?

[@historianirl9728]

This depends where you want to go with it. If you just want to do an MA, I think that American studies will get you more well-rounded. If you want to do a PhD, you usually can do an MA to PhD program in history, not sure about American Studies. I myself actually went the long way and did an MA in both history and American studies THEN did a PhD in history.

[@zoegrace9960]

Historian IRL did it go well? I really want to do PhD in history or litterature but i am not sure If I should do that......

[@DarthMessias]

Drop out and do computer engineering. There is no future in history.

[@mannymew1651]

My god you people are so shortsightened. This world is changing rapidly, we have entered the age of autonomy which is just going to get worse over the years. You really think a pHD or MA in history is going to insulate you from this. The only avenue would to become a teacher at high school. You will be throwing your lives away.

[@bawsebicc5634]

@@DarthMessias theres no future if theres no history.fyi.

[@nicksdaguman886]

Hi sir I graduated bachelor of arts major in History.But i dont know how to use it in applying jobs.Who is not related to my course.How Can I apply my degree history in the various kinds of job. Like call center agent,a bank teller,and in sales. Hope you will notice me. Thank you.

[@nafizaesheta2752]

iam taking ESL my English is not so good but i want to Study in history people say in history i have to be Very good Writing and reading what should i do?

[@IamAWESOME3980]

You don't need to be in college to write good essays you know.

[@kristoffliftoff9316]

“I challenge that” challenge these loan officers giving me a call!

[@Avi8571]

All these things work in developed countries like US, This does not work in countries like India. There are not much jobs for History graduates here.

[@ayanpandeydpsn-std9005]

This comment is old but India has many great historians like Ramachandra Guha , R C Majumdar who have published various works. If you are Historian in India , you can also publish works and earn money or work in documentaries.

[@turtletrading4207]

Yes.

[@PSL09]

lol i wanna get a history degree with a masters in education so we'll see where i end up in 10 years

[@amb5348]

You posted this a year ago but that’s the exact same as me aha

[@bweeeeniee1131]

Hey I'm leaving a comment too because I'm majoring in history and thinking of getting law or continue studying it to be a professor.

[@PSL09]

@@bweeeeniee1131 lmao the law thing is now kinda a thing for me too

[@davidwilson410]

Looking at MA in History @ APUS

[@sagilisagili6645]

Hlo I am a history student..k.history importand illa nu yaaru sonna..science eduthu time waste aakkaa virumpala avlo thn..

[@akshaya30]

Same here bro......

[@zeroeffects88]

Well, it’s better than an English degree... lol

[@inbreadfred4293]

Believe me, a history degree is useless. Speaking from personal experience.

[@abdur1300]

it's not very effective,, but it makes you comprehend and study from the past

[@MultiRingtail]

Xipo86 false, economics is actually more useful than engineering if you get internships

[@MultiRingtail]

Strider here is the thing, with engineering, you are only limited to one skill but with economics, you can use it in interviews by saying you learned to budget, and how to make sure that a business does not go bankrupt. However, this is only the case if you get internships. It is the internships that will determine if you will get a job

[@chrislee3601]

What did you end up doing after realizing a history degree was not good for u

[@happygoluckyscamp]

Save for comsi, most STEM I know are not working in their field. All the money is being pumped into comsi and business. My friend works admissions (so this is purely anecdotal), the amount of students who put wanting to be the next Musk or Zuckerberg on their application is depressing. Then again, I'm in Europe so it's not a MAJOR investment.

[@user-lu6yg3vk9z]

The Answer is No.

[@devthomaskutty]

Useless unless you wanna be teacher but that's too common.

[@404TRUCKERTV]

Lol! smh

[@765lbsquat]

Why do you need to go to college to read history books? Lol

[@redpotter4074]

Just like every other reason you go to college? I could hypothetically be an expert self-taught programmer but why would someone hire me if there are other candidates for the job who can hand over a diploma in comp sci as proof of their education?

[@nickalmazan471]

reading is only part of it. History in college you have to write a lot, verify and authenticate documents and public records, formulate arguments and debate against your classmates. This is why so many pre-law students choose history. Its also good for law enforcement if you want to do investigative work or if you are going into international security. Its also one of the best majors for careers in any kind of government as History majors score very high on the civil service and foreign service exam.

[@Rex10K]

Why can't you just go to library or the internet to learn about History instead of wasting thousands of dollars for 4 or more years with student debt. You accomplish the same thing but in a shorter and cheaper time frame, but you still won't have any real employable skills.

[@123four...]

You can, but you can't become a historian or a teacher with internet knowledge. Most of the people I know who got history degrees were already really well versed and knowledgeable about their subject before they got their degree, they just wanted to go the extra step and get actual qualifications.

[@DarthMessias]

It is funny that people says that History gives you analysis skills, perspective, communication skills, critical thinking skills. However, almost any college degree gives you these basic skills. And people with just basic skills are not interesting for employers who easily can hire other people with more than these skills.

[@keitho7365]

I think it depends on the person. I have a history degree and had no problem getting a job and being promoted. I make decent money, and next promotion would be six figures. I did pickup other skills and certs along the way, and never paid for school.

[@DarthMessias]

@@keitho7365 It is your other skills that made a difference. The history degree probably didn't do much.

[@keitho7365]

@@DarthMessias Idk, I was an honors student since high school, i think schooling, experience and vocational training all helps.

[@mannymew1651]

It is ridiculous. If you are interested in history read a few books on the side but dont waste valuable time and resources on a 3 year degree that is not going to get you anywhere. The whole point of getting a higher education is to get a decent job. There is a limited need for historians in this world. So the rest of the graduates are going to end up in dead end jobs unless they went to ivy league universities

[@fried_onions_better_than_pizza]

someone needs to WRITE these books

[@nickalmazan471]

www.usajobs.gov/GetJob/ViewDetails/561587600 Here is a job for history majors and other social studies majors making 85-135 k a year. There's a lot more that goes into the study of history than just reading books. Its the best major for pre-law students and for people wanting to work for the government.

[@shenelldixon1407]

u know its a useless degree so stop

[@MultiRingtail]

Shenell Dixon unless you get internships

[@atomicrae4526]

It's not useless for me. I plan on using it to satisfy the Bachelor's degree requirement to teach English around Southeastern Asia. If I decide to ever come back to the States, I'll use it to get a teaching job here. (But I'm not sure I'll come back anytime soon after I leave.) It's definitely not useless since it's going to allow me to travel to and work in the countries I want see.

[@DarthMessias]

Heh, still useless.

[@nrsemn9135]

Found the guy who failed history in high school

[@pranavpillai7778]

Shenell Dixon It’s not useless if you have a realistic plan. I have a liberal arts degree and am on the way to be an attorney.

[@anell-clarisphillip5716]

History useless but look what trumps ignorance on history causes...ha

[@RaginDragn24]

History is useless to me and the fact its required to pass a grade in highschool makes it feel even more useless. Id rather learn it on my own time.

[@cptndunsel2670]

"I'd rather learn it on my own time." Translation: I would rather not learn it at all.

[@cefb8923]

If you cant see the value of learning History.. you're just a fucking idiot. There is literally no other way to put it.

[@Jopo1226]

History is useless imo it's my worst subject. I get through life just fine. Yesterday's trophy's doesn't win tomorrows games. I don't like to look back I like to look forward look what happened to lot's wife when she looked back.... anyway yes people did lots of amazing things in the past good for them! You work on something yourself that's great now and in the future.

[@kid_wanderer]

History is useless? LMAO seek a doctor you need help.

[@Uranium-ko1hu]

I must ask, how does one move forward without learning from the mistakes of the past?

[@thispersonrighthere9024]

"yesterday's trophy doesn't win tomorrow's games." i'm stealing this!

[@Jopo1226]

@@Uranium-ko1hu you learn FROM your own mistakes not everyone else's. All history is how someone screwed up or succeeded from doing a certain thing. Life has in the gaming world as we call it RNG. You can do something one time and get one result and do the exact same thing again at a different time and get a different result. The only key difference is the time it was executed. That's how life works I don't understand why it's so hard to understand for some. Just like if I played 123456 in the lottery and it didn't win, but I played it again the next day I did win. You can't go through life thinking it didn't work for them so I should try something else. It's all random chance.

[@Uranium-ko1hu]

@@Jopo1226 You learn from both history and your own experiences. I’m sure that your grandma, grandpa, mother or father has taught you advice and many vital life lessons and pointers. They are using knowledge they learned in the PAST to help you grow into a successful and healthy human being. Adding onto this, the CIA literally has a job position called, an Analyst. These analysts analyze history to help predict future actions and behaviors of different countries and people. What you are saying is completely hubris. And remember, those who forget history are doomed to repeat it…