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How do you prepare to become a historian

I'm Terriq Davidson and in 11th grade and I'm interested in being a historian. I love history mainly WW2 history. Any answers are appreciated thanks. #social #history #studies #historian

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Pradeep’s Answer

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Improve your reading and writing skills. The most important skills for a historian are their reading and writing skills. You'll need excellent reading comprehension and an ability to clearly communicate through writing in a professional tone. You can improve your reading and writing skills by reading challenging texts and writing whenever you get the chance.
Improve your reading skills by looking up words you don't know. Write them down in a journal so that you study them later.
Improve your writing skills by writing letters or emails back and forth with a family member, such as your mother or grandmother.


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Learn multiple languages. Historians all need to speak more than one language, as a general rule. This is because the documents being written at the time were often written in different languages because they came from different sources. You'll need to study from these original sources in order to learn more about history. Even as a native speaker studying the history of your own land, often you may need to read the work of diplomats, explorers, and immigrants in order to get a more complete picture. You can learn these languages cheaply from local community colleges, at the university where you get your degree, or even using online study tools (like Rosetta Stone or DuoLingo).
For studying ancient history, you'll often need to know French, German, and multiple dead languages for the area you'll study (Attic Greek, Latin, Middle Egyptian, Sumerian, etc.)
For studying medieval or European history, you'll generally need to know Latin, French and German, as well as some languages like those used by the Celts or Old Norse, depending on your area of study.
For studying North American history, you'll generally need to know Spanish and French.
Note: learning the languages prior to entering graduate study is often required.

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Judy’s Answer

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You need, at a minimum a four year (Bachelors) degree in history. Go to collegeboard.com or petersons.com to research colleges that have history as a major. Then research 'historian' in the Occupational Outlook Handbook. Your library should have a copy. It is worth looking through the book rather than reading it online.

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Tiarra’s Answer

Get ready to read! As a historian who holds 3 degrees in history, I can tell you that you will be reading and you will be writing. You've stated that your interests is primarily in World War II history, remember that history is not just about remembering dates and you may study narrower aspects of historical events but maintain an understanding of everything, even what is not covered. Since you already like history, you already understand the importance of these things, even if you do not realize it. So right now, hone in that history is not just about memorizing dates, it is understanding the entire event(s), narrative(s), issue(s) presented to you. Remember the story...it is more about retelling than it is about recalling dates.

Begin improving your writing and reading skills. Before turning in your papers, paste sections or the entire paper into Grammarly.com and you could double-check grammarly with another website like Prowriting Ad. I suggest two websites because while both offer free services, it could not hurt to catch what the other site may have missed. Be open to studying other aspects of history and understand the connections of different events, issues, etc. and how they relate. For example, young people's opposition to the Vietnam War and traditional ideals, influenced the growth of neoliberalism and conservativism into the 1980s among traditionalists who could not give up old, out-dated, and unrealistic ideas. The Vietnam War ended in 1975 but the effects of opposition toward America's involvement in the war, remained prominent in 1980s politics, among politicians like Ronald Reagan. Also, remember, you are always learning and your passion for history will ensure you succeed. Keep up the good work. Keep asking questions and making improvements.
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Arun’s Answer

Earn a Bachelor's Degree in History
Earn a Master's Degree or PhD
Find Work
Continue Researching

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