History has always been the subject that I had the most passion for learning and naturally was my best subject throughout middle and high school. Always in honors history and going above the requirements for the class since i had a natural love for the subject. I completed a semester of college as a film major but found it slow and reteaching much of what I already knew (I've worked in live media and broadcasting for 4 years).
I'm in the process of going back to college after some time off due to a family matter. With so many degrees heavy on math (my worst subject) and finding many other fields boring or dull (If I have an interest in something I can do well since a passion forms), I've come to the conclusion that I would be a good history major.
My sweet mother is saying otherwise. Questioning my sanity for pursuing a degree that to her, will land me at a desk in a high school teaching fortnite playing vapers. I'm applying for a Marine Corp ROTC scholarship which would allow me to major in anything I want and the Corp would pay for my education. And while I have never lived a day in that lifestyle I could see myself doing 20 years and retiring.
Give me the most blunt, honest, humorous, advice you can muster up.
Director of undergraduate studies here. History majors do everything. The major builds skills in research, documentary analysis (primarily qualitative but at times quantitative), critical reading, communication and expression. More history majors go on to get JDs, MBAs, than PhDs. History majors go on to get MLS degrees to work in museums or libraries. Many go on in education, but also social work. I had a student who double majored with film and is now a documentarian.
My advice, major in history if you love the material and want to build those skills. But make use of the career center at your university. Majors are not careers despite what parents or media headlines might suggest. Remember a major is usually only 25% of total credit hours. You make your career not just from your major but all your other experiences and classes. The career center can help you see how your whole curricular and extracurricular activities are shaping a future career.
History provides a great set of skills for the modern world. You will know how to interrogate sources, weigh evidence, and make authoritative claims. You can get a job on Wall Street or in communications or public relations or as an analyst for any number of corporate or bureaucratic jobs.
Only a tiny fraction of history majors go on to teach, but all history majors use the skills they learned in the careers they discovered.
One thing I tell prospective students when they ask what they can do with a history degree is, 'I have never asked a graduating senior how they plan to use their history education and not gotten a clear answer.' You will figure it out. Like I said go to the career center they love to help people find their passion, and I am certain that historical training will make you better at that career!
Since you are doing an ROTC scholarship, you may be interested to know that the Marine Corps (and other armed forces) sometimes send officers to grad programs so that they can teach PME (0professional military education).
However, a history major isn’t enough for PME or many other defense positions for historians.