History has always fascinated me. 

From early elementary school to high school, I spent many hours in and out of the classroom learning about history. A majority of that time was focused on U.S. history, with only a sprinkle of world history.

It really wasn’t until I got to college that I had the opportunity to expand outside of the U.S. From medieval Europe to the colonial Americas, my knowledge has grown immensely thanks to the many classes offered at Fresno State. 

Unfortunately, many college students have not had this same success. 

I’ve seen video after video of man-on-the-street interviews where college students answer general knowledge history questions. The results would make any history teacher cry.

Whether it was U.S. or world history, the majority of these videos show students either way off in their answers or too unsure to even guess. 

While it could be taken as just a funny video, I think it’s a big problem. 

For starters, people aren’t retaining information that has been taught for years in the school system. It’s shocking to hear that George Washington is somehow not a household name and that people have no idea about his impact on our country.

I’m not saying you should be able to give a report on his entire life story, but at least know that he led the Continental Army in the Revolutionary War and later became the first president of the United States — spoiler alert (somehow). 

Without the past, we would have no present and certainly no future.

Previous events and innovations shape the world we live in today. Common inventions would not be so common if not for the work of people hundreds, even thousands of years ago.

There’s a reason why people think of the Roman Empire so much. For starters, it’s extremely fascinating. More importantly, many pillars of society originate from the Romans. 

History is about giving previously silenced voices an opportunity to be heard.

For centuries, history has been written by the group in power, leaving millions of voices unheard. Thanks to new technology and a less Eurocentric view of the world, historians have discovered and continue to discover previously silenced stories. 

Portugal and Spain painted those native to the Americas as “barbaric” and “uncivilized” because they were different from Europeans. It goes without saying that using this rhetoric is harmful and simply not true. Instead of learning about societies in the “New World,” they simply used them for profit while exterminating all of the native culture.

Learning history is also about appreciating an older culture. 

Think of the Great Pyramid of Giza, which was built roughly 4,500 years ago.

This massive structure is still standing today because of the meticulous effort of the ancient Egyptians thousands of years ago. It is the oldest and only survivor of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. 

The construction of this pyramid is so mind-blowing that people cannot even believe that a group of people could actually build it with the tools, or lack thereof, they had. Instead, some people are convinced it had to be aliens.

Finally, learning about history is fun, as long as you make it fun. 

Getting to share with your friends and family about the logistics behind the spice trade or facts about the ancient Olympics is what makes history so fun. It gives you an opportunity to teach, but also shows off your ball knowledge. 

Who wouldn’t want to get that obscure history trivia question right anyway?

So I am truly sorry if a previous history teacher has turned you away from the subject. Too often, I have heard that history is boring because of a bad experience with a teacher.

If that’s the case, don’t give up. Find a period of time or a certain historical figure and start there. 

Read a book, take a class, watch a documentary or even find a YouTube video about a topic you may find interesting. You never know what you might enjoy.

It was because of an assigned reading from a class that I became interested in the construction of medieval Gothic cathedrals. 

Did I think I would enjoy reading about it as much as I did? 

Definitely not. But it turned out to be a fascinating read, and the ensuing essay wasn’t difficult because I actually wanted to share my knowledge. 

History is extremely important, so find something interesting and learn about it. 

Maybe you could learn something from the ancient Greeks. At the very least, you can use your new knowledge to be better at “Jeopardy!”