History? You’re having a laugh! - Nghia

I've always loved history from a very young age. Vietnam has a very rich historical past, and I learned a lot from my own family. It was one of the subjects I always did well in at school, and I always wanted to continue it at a higher level. I had also always wanted to study abroad and I was looking at several options including the UK. 

What drew me to Edinburgh was that it was a very prestigious institution of learning and the city looked amazing, the campus too. 

I was interested in comedy, particularly stand-up comedy, and when I moved to Edinburgh - during Welcome Week - I signed up to the Comedy Society, and I began performing. That's what got me hooked on that path. In my last year, I did the Edinburgh Fringe, performing for the whole month and when I went back to Vietnam after I graduated, I performed there as well. When I moved to Dublin I embraced the local comedy scene here. Eventually, when things opened back up again after Covid, I started running my own shows, being part of the local comedy club as well as both a performer and a producer. 

A historian walks into a comedy show…

A lot of my comedy is observational, based on things that happen to me. I've always loved watching British comedy, like Blackadder, so I try to combine history and comedy as much as possible. I think there's a lot of overlap between the two.

I do feel there are transferable skills from my history degree. Both history and comedy involve critical analysis and thinking. It's especially clear in my role as a performer and producer. There’s a lot of administration and organization involved in running a comedy show – promoting it and dealing with people regularly – and I think studying history helps me understand human behaviour, how to work within a team, and build interpersonal relationships. There's also writing involved in producing shows, which my degree helped improve.

History covers a wide variety of eras, so it was important for me to develop an understanding of the methodology and the ability to form my own opinions on different matters. My degree helped me become a better researcher and critical thinker. I learned to apply methodologies and understand research as a discipline. I’ve been able to take part in projects that involve discourse. I've been invited to podcasts where I talk about history, particularly my area of interest, which includes global history. That's one of the ways I get to use the actual knowledge I gathered during my undergraduate degree.

While I was studying I also gained a lot of soft skills. I got involved in a variety of societies and played for the rugby team, and I was part of the UN Society, and all of them involved collaboration and teamwork to achieve common goals. They all helped me become a more confident speaker and articulate my points well. These skills overlap with real-world roles and have been beneficial.

Worth the ticket price alone

Being in Edinburgh for four years played a huge transformative role in my personal development. I met lots of different students from different subject areas and also from different cultures. The University offers a wide variety of societies and caters to different interests and preferences.

My final year was my favourite. It was the year of graduation, a year when I could wrap everything up, which felt really satisfactory. I was able to cap off everything I'd started. I enjoyed working on my dissertation – I found it very rewarding. Also, I have great memories from being involved with societies, conferences in and outside the UK. On the academic side, I got to work with some great people. 

The punchline?

Enjoy yourself, be curious, and willing to take risks. Get involved as much as possible, and also be independent. Develop your own area of interest. 

Combine academic learning with real-world experiences; it leads to a well-rounded experience.

This interview was conducted on: October 28, 2024