Geography is one of the most internationally accessible courses to study, covering Human, Physical, Economic and Social aspects of how the world works. In secondary school, you will be expected to study a variety of topics on all the above-mentioned types of Geography
Top Ten Reasons to Study Geography!
1.To Know Where you are!
This might sound silly but so many people don't know their location on the planet; by studying geography you will learn all about the different continents and countries of the world, so you will be able to locate them on maps at a glance!
2. Learning Map Skills
We are living in an age of technological revolution, so these skills may seem like they are not necessary anymore. However your Sat Nav does not magically have all of the information within it, geographers work hard to gather all of this information and data and input all of this to the GIS (Geographical Information System). Learning Map skills will improve your spatial awareness skills and will benefit you if you are ever lost without access to WiFi to help you find your way home!
3. It helps you understand the News
You will find it very difficult to understand the news if you don't know your geography, Geography helps you to put current events into context. For example, whenever the name of a city is mentioned on the news, you will be able to relate to how close that area is to you, what country/continent it is on!
4. Travel
Every now and then we will all get the travel bug and want to visit different places around the world, knowing your geography can enhance each travel experience as you will be spatially aware of various things around the world, and the location of famous places to visit.
5. We all love to talk about the weather!
When there is nothing else to talk about it is always handy to chat about the lovely day outside. By understanding the different climates around the world we are all able to understand why different places around the world experience different types of weather and have different types of plants and animals living in these climates.
6. Physical Geography
Physical Geography is cool! Knowing how the Earth's plates move, causing volcanoes, earthquakes and tsunamis is simply fascinating. It's also handy as you will know what to do if you ever experience one of these geographical hazards! Knowing about rocks, soils, rivers, coasts and the ocean is important to understanding how natural changes occur.
7. People
There are over 7 billion people living on the planet; to know how we live and the different parts of the world we live in will make you question things like: Is there enough food and water for everyone? How come some countries are very rich and some are very poor?
8. Understanding your Home
By studying Geography it allows you to understand your surroundings in various ways. For example towns and cities are almost always built beside a river, can you think why?
9. Understanding Globalisation
The world is getting smaller, not physically; however the speed at which information, goods, services and people move around the world is getting much faster. For example in 1953 it took five days for the news of Edmund Hillary conquering Mount Everest to reach London. Today it would take seconds!
10. Your Future!
Understanding Geography and having a grasp on geographical skills can help you in your every day life. Geography is a fantastic subject to be used as a stepping stone into a variety of professions from Meteorology to Teaching to journalism, the list is endless!
