This thesis is a study about wether first year students in Swedish senior high schools understand the learning intentions and the matter of the subject of history specified in GY 11 introduced in July 2011. The overall question that this master tries to answer is: Do the students understand what and why they are studying history? Three classes studying the first history course in the new system answered a survey regarding five of the specified learning intentions for the course and their overall opinion of grades and level of knowledge and intentions. By measuring the level of understanding and the students’ general opinion the conclusion is following. The students understand the majority of the intention mentioned in GY11 although in the areas of ”historical consciousness” (historiemedvetande) and ”source criticism” (källkritik) the survey shows that the students’ understanding is poor. They also think that is is important to clarify the learning intentions, not only in history but in other subjects in school as well. If that is done the students think both that their grades would be higher and their knowledge would be greater. Even though the students understand the importance of their knowledge in history they have trouble specifying why. They do however point out that if the intention of the subject is made clear, their interest of the subject would increase, and that itself would lead to a higher level of knowledge and understanding.