What you thought you knew about History (Scholarship Essay) by Samuel

What you thought you knew about History (Scholarship Essay) by Samuel - August 2017 Scholarship Essay

If I was a college professor, what class would I teach and why? If I became a college professor and taught a class, I would teach a Modern History or American History course. I know this seems like a rather common answer but, I actually have an Important reason to do so. It is Crucial that the collegiate youth learn about (and be knowledgeable on the subject) the Country's past and present history and how the two relate to each other. They say history repeats itself so if we can learn about past events then we can prevent similar events from happening in the future. ex: Learning about the great depression and how the country got into/out of that situation can help us stay out of a future economic depression.
But what about modern history, why is learning about modern history "crucial" to learn? Well, I am glad you Asked. Learning about modern history is just as important as learning about past history, and for many reasons. One simply being that you should just keep up with daily important national news so that you can participate in educated discussions about American politics, as well as being an educated citizen that could be involved in U.S. Government. Also being educated is just useful in general, you are less likely to be dismissed in a conversation if you are educated on the subject, therefore you can get you're point across easier and with impact. Another reason you (or the youth) should learn modern history is because you can take everyday events and relate them to past events. For example: if you look at the current situation in the middle east, you could make the inference that the Russia's current support of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad is awfully similar to Russia's support of ex Cuban Leader Fidel Castro during the cold war. That being said you could assume that there could be another cold war in the future. So history can actually be a lot more useful than one might think, that's why I think it's so "Crucial" to learn it.
To Conclude, the reason I would teach American History/Modern History is because overall it would make the students smarter individuals in the real world that could participate in government, it could potentially cause more Americans to be able to understand and be active in government. Also maybe it could cause America to avoid potentially damaging situations in the future. In general there is a lot of good things to come from learning history and using it proactively. So that is why if I had to teach a class as a college professor it would be History.