The key to success in university history: Finding your own voice

Updated: 03.12.2025

Read time: 6 min read

The most crucial difference between the study of history at university compared to school level is that the subject becomes so much more than learning and reciting an endless succession of facts, or even knowing and remembering which historian made which argument in relation to a topic. Of course, facts remain important and students will be expected to read large volumes of opinions and interpretations by various historians every week throughout a degree course. However, what university history really demands of students is that they develop and refine their ‘voice’.

The difference between studying history at school and university

Facts and the opinions of others become secondary to the student’s own reasoning. Essays become centred on the student’s own, original arguments, rather than simply being demonstrations of knowledge.

Indeed, at the world’s top universities, history students are actively encouraged not merely to answer but also to challenge the questions themselves. If a question is asking whether one factor or another led to a particular event or outcome, a good student will ask whether the two factors are genuinely mutually exclusive or whether the dichotomy being set up between them is a false one: whether, in fact, both factors overlap or, as would often be the case, other factors not mentioned in the question were actually equally, if not more, important than those cited. Sometimes questions will make assumptions or use words which students can challenge the legitimacy of.

Primary sources – materials from a period which inform us about it, such as contemporary writing, art and visual culture, or architecture and material culture – are not just cited but analysed; their reliability is questioned on the basis of their provenance (who created them, why, when, for whom, etc.), factoring in their limitations when creating a judgment as to whether their contents can be relied upon as being accurate or representative.

Meanwhile, students craft an argument in response to a question. This should form a coherent whole, guiding the reader through the important facts and themes, engaging (but not necessarily agreeing) with the points raised by other historians, and building a logical path through the argument explaining its reasoning.

Finally, students learn not just to answer questions and reading lists set by others but to start to generate their own: to pursue their interests and the questions which become evident to them through their study of the past. This is the process by which a student starts to become a historian in their own right; it’s a process which may be thought of as a learner finding their own authoritative voice.

Developing study skills ahead of university

These skills – independent research, analysis, and argument – can start to be developed prior to arriving at university. Perhaps the best way to create the intellectual freedom to do so is for a student to undertake a research project, culminating in a written-up essay, on a topic of their own choosing, outside of their school work. This will allow them to work on a topic which genuinely appeals directly to their interests, demonstrate originality of thought, develop research and analytical skills, and create a fully crafted, argument-driven essay which does not have to conform to mark schemes aimed at school level education.

The starting point will, of course, be choosing a topic. To do this, students should first immerse themselves as deeply and widely in material relating to the past as possible, developing a wide appreciation for history. There is no one correct way to do this, but it could include watching TV shows and documentaries, reading magazines, going to see exhibitions, listening to podcasts, visiting sites of historical interest, and attending public talks as well as reading books.

The trick is to not merely consume this content but to engage with it – to think about it, to ask questions of it. Why do particular topics, facts, or themes which are presented interest you? Why have things been presented in a particular way? Most importantly of all, what has been left unanswered by what you’ve consumed and so what are you motivated to find out more about and to answer for yourself? This will form the basis of your research question.

From this point, seek out further reading and material. Were books referenced in the material you have already consumed? In which case a good starting point would be to read them. Additionally, you can search key words online – perhaps using the catalogues of major university libraries – to find titles of articles and books to access. Keep looking out for other forms of material to help inform you, too. Let each thing you consume guide you to the next as you build a more detailed understanding of the topic.

Then consider what question really lies at the heart of the topic for you; what thread have you been following? This is the question you should then write in response to. Use the material you’ve found to carve your argument through it, and reference that material using footnotes and a bibliography. What you will be left with is then a genuine work of history writing; a first step to finding your own voice as a historian.

Immerse Education’s History Online Research Programme has been designed specifically to support
students in this type of project, mentoring them through finding and analysing material to produce
an original piece of work.

History

In-person

Unravel the past in Cambridge, where centuries of...

Ages: 16-18

History

Online

Participants will be guided through an examination of...

Ages: 13-18

Additional opportunities with Immerse

If you’re considering taking part in a summer course, Immerse also offers History summer school programmes in Oxford and Cambridge. Over two weeks, you’ll live in historic college accommodation and study History the way undergraduates do. Seminars with expert tutors introduce you to analysing primary sources, challenging questions, and shaping your own interpretations of the past. You’ll explore major themes, practise constructing arguments, and complete a personal project with feedback. With small classes, daily support from mentors, and the chance to experience student life in Cambridge or Oxford, the programme helps you discover whether History at university is right for you.