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Jennifer Howard

History Major, Graduated 2008

I'm a classic case of how the first year system at Lancaster benefits its students. I originally applied to Lancaster to do a different degree scheme and chose History as my spare minor option. But while I struggled to enjoy my other subjects, I found the History courses not only interesting but good fun, enhanced greatly by the enthusiasm and generous support of the staff in the department. So I changed my full degree scheme to History and spent Easter in my first year working out which 8 units I was going to take out of the 15 or so that I wanted to do.

I was always struck with the range of courses and topics available to study and was very pleased that regardless of what you had already studied or enjoyed, you could take any of them and still have a fantastic learning experience. Being a modern historian, I was quite scared about the prospect of doing a medieval unit. I’d not done much from that period before and expected to struggle. However, the tutors I had for this option assumed nothing about my existing knowledge and actually, I found the course really interesting.

Learning with the History Department at Lancaster, for me at least, was much more than learning about dates, events and historical debate. I learnt how to be critical of information, how to collect and use sources, how to work with other people and, particularly, how to be proud of what I know and of the work I do. I am sure the confidence and enthusiasm my time at Lancaster has instilled in me will stay with me for many years yet as I work towards furthering my studies and pursuing a career in Museums. I don’t think I’ll ever be able to give up my love for history and am incredibly thankful to the Department and to its staff who helped me so kindly and generously.

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