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Ricarda Krenn

History Major, Graduated 2005

When I first came to Lancaster University in 2002, History wasn't even on the list of courses I was planning to study. The study of all things past had always been a passion of mine but I was trying to be pragmatic and study something 'sensible'. The unique first year structure allowed me to choose three different subjects and I went for History together with Politics and a course in the Management School. By the end of my first year I had changed my major to History and Politics. Later, I opted for the Single Honours Major. It's fair to say that the flexibility of the degree structure at Lancaster is unrivalled. I don't think I would have been able to change back and forth that way at any other university.

The department itself is great, with friendly office staff and a wonderful support structure. The academic staff is approachable and their expertise ranges from the early Middle Ages to the present, so whatever interests you, you will probably find it on offer.

In your first year, you choose one course which introduces you into a relatively large area of study, such as the Middle Ages or the Enlightenment, which should give you an idea what general period interests you like most and help you to become familiar with it. Your other course is more about how history is written. You use this course to familiarise yourself with the research and writing methods that are the tools of the historian. I did 'Us and Them', which has provided me with understanding that has been useful to me in my studies since. In my Second Year, I chose The Art of War in Early Modern Europe, which turned out to not only cater for most interests but also to be a lot of fun. Amongst other things, Prof. Merriman would put on war movies some evenings and taught us how to salute properly. I had also been looking forward to Dr. Jotischky’s History of the Crusades from my first year and I wasn't disappointed. The course was very challenging, the lectures were entertaining and insightful. I highly recommend it. The same goes for the introduction to Islamic History, which provides a great and timely overview ranging from the pre-Islamic period to the present day. The dissertation will form a major part of your third year, but I can't think of anything to say about it that you haven't heard elsewhere. Much more remarkable is the Special Subject, which gives you an opportunity to study a fairly narrow subject in great detail. I did the The English Village and developed quite a taste for local history through it.

I enjoyed my time at Lancaster so much that I am staying on to do an MA in Historical Research.

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