Each month the Brandeis history department will highlight the contributions of an outstanding undergraduate history major by naming her/him the Brandeis History Major of the Month. This month Omri Nimni, a senior and history UDR, has been chosen for his contributions as a UDR and his archaeological work in Israel over the summer. Congratulations Omri!
Q1. Why did you decide to become a history major?
A1. My decision to become a history major was an easy one. As a child the books that I chose to read on a regular basis were more often than not historical fiction. From there as I grew up my love for history grew with me. Throughout high school my favorite subject was always the history course that I was enrolled in. The only problem with high school history was that I could only take one class at a time. Therefore when I got to college all I wanted to do was to take multiple history based courses. That is exactly what I have done here at Brandeis I have taken a total of thirteen history or history based courses here at Brandeis. From the beginning I knew that was passionate about the study of history and therefore becoming a history major was an easy and logical choice for me.
Q2. What has been your favorite history class?
A2. My favorite history class that I took here at Brandeis so far was Roman History to 455 CE taught by Professor Kapelle.
Q3. What history area of specialization are you most interested in (for example, 20th century US history, the French Revolution, etc.) and why?
A3. The area of history that is of the most interest to me right now is Early Medieval British History also known as the Arthurian era. That is the period that I am current in the process of writing my thesis about. The reason as to why I really enjoy this period is because it is a period of great transition. By looking in depth into this time we can see the changes that happened in Britain in post Roman period as well as during the time when Britain began to be taken over by the Saxons and started to be shaped into the England of today.
Q4. What advice would you give to a freshman history major about the discipline?
A4. The advice that I would give to anyone interested in pursuing an education in history is to do two things. First is to take a wide variety of classes within history. This is to expose yourself to many different types of history because if you don’t then it will be difficult to find what you truly love studying. The second thing is to never stop reading. At its most basic level history is the study of the written words of the past so the best way to learn history is to continually read.
Q5. How do you plan on using your history major after graduation? What skills has your history education instilled in you?
A5. After I graduate from Brandeis at the end of this year I plan on pursuing a higher level degree within the field of history. I plan in continuing research in the field of history and eventually teaching history at the University level. The two major skills that I have gained from my study of history are learning how to think and write critically. I have learned how to approach a question and break it down in to sub-questions that I can then answer. Furthermore when it come to writing history has taught me to be able to clearly structure an argument and how to use as much evidence as possible to prove my point. These skills will continue to help me thought my continuing education within history and outside of it as well.
