History is the study of past events, particularly human affairs. It might be the study of a country, a person, a particular event or a general situation at a given time in the past. Learning history can be interesting and fun, the more students learn history the better prepared they will be to solve the biggest problems society faces now and in the future.

Many students ask questions about war and peace, wealth, poverty and racial division. The answers to these questions could be gotten from the study of history. Studying history provides a student with skills which are not confined to the study of the past. Skills of analysis are valuable in many jobs, and the ability to analyze and prioritize information in decision making. This, not only provides a skill set for a student but it also keeps career options open. A history degree is an investment in a student’s future. If studied at an esteemed university, a degree in history can be an impressive and attractive character on a CV.

History can help young people understand their own culture and how their country has evolved over the years. History gives identity and helps unify people. It gives people a sense of roots and belonging. It teaches people what their fore-fathers experienced and suffered in the past, in order to make their country what it is today. It teaches us about travesties which have occurred in the past, such as the holocaust. Also, in order to make sense of current affairs, it is important to study the past, as everything which is happening around us has been influenced by and is a direct result of that which preceded it. In this way, the study of history is explicitly relevant to us.

History helps you to see the world around you in a new way: everything has a history. Trees have a history, music has a history, political rights have a history, mathematical equations have a history, “everything has a history”, learning about history can help us gain a deeper understanding of the world around us and the historical forces that connect us and continue to influence how we interact with one another and the environment. For instance, when we turn on the tap to brush our teeth and fill our pots to cook, we expect clean drinking water to flow, but, how many people know where their water comes from, who tests it for purity or how society evolved to safeguard such controls? To forget these lessons makes us more prone to overlook the way we as a society, need to continue to support the policies that made clean water a possibility.

Regardless of the fact that it is argued that history is irrelevant, as it makes for memorizing dates and events. It is important for students to note that: history is relevant to us and it gives us a glimpse of the future. History is very important to us. Just like the three basic needs of man.

                  ORJI CHIOMA OF

                               SS1H

Federal Government College, Enugu