HIS 6942 (October 23-October 30)

 

Dr. Murphree informed students that this week was dedicated to conducting elevator speeches for a University of Central Florida professor and one of his chosen advisory board members. Time management is a crucial skill to obtain during college as students should be taking advantage of this opportunity. Some students have already conducted interviews with professors at the history department. When discussing potential professors, I attempted to push them towards professors who share similar research interests. If you wished to study medieval history, I would advise them to conduct an elevator pitch with Duncan Hardy who specializes in research within that period along with offering medieval courses. The elevator speeches are supposed to embody who the student is and why they want to aspire becoming a historian.

My father always imparted on me the advice of talking to your professors and getting to know them. I considered this only within the course, but within my undergraduate years, I realized this also meant forging some level of relationship with them. I would not be where I am today without having established myself in the department at UCF. Dr. Murphree would have selected another student or not even given the opportunity unless he trusted someone to aid his coursework. Students should use these opportunities that Dr. Murphree provided to draw closer towards the professors. They could shift how the student conducts their undergraduate degree and may influence their decision to embark on graduate studies.

Students seemed eager to try new subject areas as I have received emails expressing desire to conduct diverse means of study. One student inquired on an Honors in the Major thesis which I will have to research more into  before I get back to this student. Some students still have that limit of their graduation being too close which hinders some of the opportunity others will have. Having this class early on in an undergraduate’s career will shape how they conduct themselves and prepare them for the historical field.

Progress on the COVID-19 collection is still slow for my taste yet this week could also be used for students to knock them out. I expect an influx of emails with students’ interviews for me to check over. The collection still will be completed before the deadline as students concluded their interviews and are on the transcription phase. With technology, a student seemed to point it out to speed up the process which makes me hopeful.

Working on digital history, I noticed similarities within my studies that is shown in the class. Students are far more digitally savvy than I was during college even when I graduated last year. They find ways that I did not think of and look for different things. My thesis for this post is that COVID has shaped what future historians will have to understand as the longer implications of the pandemic are still yet to be seen. I share the belief that we may not be ready for what comes next within the field of history with the technological advances continuing to shape our society. Classes such as professionalizing the history major will better prepare students for what occurs in the future.