My first year as a History student
The first term of 1st Year allowed me to study World History through looking at Political Communities, Knowledge and Beliefs, and Societies and Economies. These modules were such a great start to the course. I got to study and compare a wide range of periods, examining major changes in the ideas and lives of people at the time.
I really enjoyed learning about the change in the understanding of race as part of the Societies and Economies module. In particular, the way groups were seen as ‘savages’. I got to understand how definitions of race changed from 1500 to 1900, and the different treatment of these groups throughout history. This is something that is extremely important to study, and is relevant to today. History is constantly being made, and ideas are always changing and growing.
During the second term, I got to pick an option module to study. I chose Warriors and Peace-Weavers, which covered the Vikings. This module was extremely engaging, as I not only studied the Vikings in England, but also how they migrated from Scandinavia. We also learned how women played crucial roles in the period, which is something that history seems to forget.
I also got to pick an option module to study as part of a group project. I chose the Deposition of Richard II, as I had not studied this period before. Working as a group meant we could all help each other and collaborate to create an essay we were proud of. This also gave me the opportunity to meet new people on the course who I am still close with now!
What I’ve studied in 2nd Year
So far in my second year, I’ve studied two option modules. These were the Tudor Regime: Power, Propaganda and Faith, and Kingship, Rule and Myth-Making. These have been some of my favourite modules so far. I learned about not only the beginning of the English monarchy, but also again how women played important roles behind the scenes, which is so important to remember.
Also, my Tudor module gave me insight into the people of England and that there were, in fact, Black Tudors. Specifically, we looked at a trumpeter in the court of Henry VII and Henry VIII who was of African descent. It was very eye-opening to me, as I had never been taught about this before.
Modules on offer
The course offers a wide range of modules to choose from. You can study virtually any period of history you want. They don’t require any pre-existing knowledge, and also allow for an in-depth study of the period. The options you can choose from cover all periods of history, from medieval times to the modern day.
In the first year, I got two option modules, one as a group project and one as a period topic. A few of the options available were Cultural Encounters in Asia 1500-1700, Republican Shanghai 1911-1949, The Great Patriotic War of the Soviet Union 1941-45, and The Supernatural in Early Modern Europe 1450-1750.
In 2nd Year, I got the chance to choose three option modules. One as a special subject and two as Comparative History modules. Some of the options included the Making of England, covering the period 850-1066, The Long Black Freedom Struggle in the US since 1865, Africa and the World since the 1950s or Catherine the Great, 1763-1796.
These modules give you the chance to not only study different periods but also different areas of the world like Russia, Africa, the US and France. To explore what other modules are available to study, head over to the undergraduate page.
My future History studies
My favourite period to study is the Early Modern period, so I’m looking forward to delving even deeper. I’m especially interested in the role of gender during this period, so I’m excited to learn more, as women are often written out of history. I hope to re-write them back into it and explore their influence in how the world was ruled.
I’m also hoping to learn about periods that are more out of my comfort zone. The course lets you discover new parts of history, and I’m looking to learn more about Asian and Black history, as I feel these are extremely relevant to the events of today.
There are so many new, interesting and diverse periods of History to study here at York. I can’t wait to see where the rest of my degree takes me!
Leave a Reply