Genealogy can be a fascinating but intimidating subject. Finding your family history can offer a sense of connection and reveal ancestors you never knew you had. Everyone’s journey down their family tree is different, but there’s one question everyone has when they first start looking into their heritage: How do you get started?
While there are any number of blogs, podcasts, and websites offering scattered advice, if you’re really serious about getting into genealogy, taking a series of courses on the subject is the way to go.
These courses point you toward research resources and help you organize and interpret documents and other types of information you find in your search. They also offer insight into the resources and methods used by genealogy that you can apply to your own heritage.
Benefits of Genealogy Research
To some, the prospect of digging into your family history can seem daunting. You may only have information on the most recent generations, and it’s hard to know how long it will take to find the answers you’re looking for. However, you shouldn’t let this unknown stop you. Researching your genealogy can offer many benefits.
As families grow, they spread out and lose contact with later generations. While the concept of an extended family isn’t new, it can be hard to know just how vast it really is. You could be related to your favorite movie star, or your best friend from up the road could be a long-lost cousin. Without researching your genealogy, you’ll never know.
Picking the Right Course
A course is the best way to start tackling your genealogy, but which one should you take? There may not be as many courses as there are blogs, but there’s still a lot to choose from.
One good option is the Introduction to Genealogy course that LUX Whittier College offers. This 4-hour course, taught over two Saturdays, teaches you how to use online and offline resources, establish a methodology for your research, and identify what you’re trying to learn about your heritage.
Genealogy research can open doors and tell you things you never knew about yourself. It may seem daunting at first, but taking a good course can help you start your research. You never know what you may find once you start looking.