History And A Language?

ohthebaby

Hi, I'm currently in sixth year and so far on my CAO French and History in TCD are down as my number one.

I was just wondering have many of you taken history along with French, or any foreign language? Just as regards to the year abroad, do you have to study history though your chosen language?

Thanks! Oh and any insights you have to history in Trinity would be appreciated too! Thank you.

tomissex

I know a lot of people who study a language with History(one of the most common combos) With regards to the year abroad, you don't have to do a year. The minimum you are required to do is 2 months which you can spread out over the 4 years. If you do decide to do the year abroad, you would have to study History through French.

The history website will give you most of the info you need about the course.
http://www.tcd.ie/history/undergraduate/index.php

Karlusss

It's very helpful to have fluent French for some courses further into History as well, so it's a complementary fit.

t0mm

I dislike it when people decided to dilute the noble study of history with a modern tounge, besides it's more hours than Single Honours history, and far more useful.










I think it's obvious that the uselessness of my course has started to dawn on me.

Denerick

I do single honours history as well, would highly reccomend it. Though of course a keen interest in the past and an ability to naturally enjoy reading rather dull books (Well not dull exactly, but you get the idea) is a foremost for the course.

I too have learned the uselessness of my course. Going to have to do a masters to have any sort of qualification methinks.

Also doing French will open up a very interesting course for you with John Horne in third or fourth year. I would have snapped it up if I had any French.

claire h

Somewhere in the land of boards there is much ranting about the French dept, IIRC, but I second that usefulness of a language when doing history - means you're not limited to English-language sources (and therefore topics) for a dissertation in final year as well.

History has many transferrable skills! (Excerpt from history students' career session earlier this year: "So students have gone on to do this conversion course, and this one, and this one...")

Karlusss

Most of the anti-French department rants seem to centre around either the fact that it's a huge jump from drip-feed Leaving Cert to do-lots-of-work-yourself College, but that's not massively different to any course.

Some of the other rants seem to have related to bad admin, if I recall, but that is a Trinity-wide thing too.

ohthebaby

Thanks for the replies!

Yes I have read some of the anti-French stuff and it was a bit off-putting!

Just wondering how you all found first year in history? The areas of study don't exactly fill me with excitement! Second year sounds interesting though. The books you are required to read, about how many of them are there in a year?

Sorry if the questions are silly, its just we don't exactly get much help in school and thanks for your help! :-)

claire h

ohthebaby wrote: »

Just wondering how you all found first year in history? The areas of study don't exactly fill me with excitement! Second year sounds interesting though. The books you are required to read, about how many of them are there in a year?

Oh, god, first year. Actually, early modern (1500-1700) was quite decent, but medieval history... it's generally taught well, but it's medieval history and you either love it or hate it, I think.

I found second year a lovely year, there's a fair bit of choice so you're likely to end up doing something you adore.

There are no real requirements for 'books you must read', though obviously the more you read the better equipped you are for exams. What tends to happen is:

a) you have tutorials, which usually involve looking at primary source material and discussing it, and you may be recommended to read specific secondary material for each class as well

b) you have essays, so you read books or sections of books relating to that topic

c) you have a huge, intimidating reading list for the course as a whole; it is physically impossible to read everything on it. You read stuff relating to the topics you want to cover for an exam and maybe some general stuff. Sometimes in lectures there might be references to stuff either on the reading list or not that might be useful.

So there's a fair bit of reading to do but also a fair bit of choice, I think.

ohthebaby

Claire h thank you so much! I've read all the info on the website but its just good to hear it from somebody who went through it!

Just as a matter of interest what subject did you take history with or was it pure history? And did you do it for your fourth year?

Thanks again!

claire h

No worries, it's fun rambling on about it.

ohthebaby wrote: »

Just as a matter of interest what subject did you take history with or was it pure history? And did you do it for your fourth year?

I did History with English (am still doing it - picked History for fourth year). I'd expected to major in English but I liked the structure of history better (more choice, less waffly theory nonsense) and got over my fear of doing a history dissertation (sort of).

Karlusss

I loved medieval history despite feeling the same way going in as you do OP, so don't write it off yet. There's much more of a narrative flow to studying or writing about medieval history than modern stuff where it can involve a lot of tables of statistics, acronyms, ideological debates and other things other than "what happened".

You might hate it, and a lot of people do, but a lot of people like it too, so keep an open mind.

Denerick

I actually enjoy medieval history, and particularly liked the medieval British history course in first year. Who wouldn't enjoy learning the truth on Wiliam Wallace, Robert the Bruce and Edward the Longshanks? Fascinating stuff.

By third year though it becomes very clear that the sources for medieval history are very limited, which is why it takes such a beautifully clear cut narrative style.

After initial cynicism, I found the historiographical debats in modern history, specifically modern Irish history fascinating. Finding out what happens is to me a secondary persuit, finding out 'how' people find out what happens is very interesting and more rewarding. History at this level teaches you to think and read critically, which I don't think many know how to do until they really start to tackle their reading lists.

Though to be honest I was a bit of a ghost in first and second year, barely went in to class and know no-one there now (And I'm in third year!) I've a big group of friends from home but not many since I went to college, so I'd stress the need to make friends in first year! I did very little reading since this year, but its all beginning to fall in place.