Ancient/Medieval History Personal Statement Example

My decision to study Medieval History at a higher level was never a difficult one. Having always been interested about the relationship between the past and the present, studying History at AS-Level only strengthened my decision. I enjoy reading and researching about different countries and how and why they have developed into their present state. Learning about different leaders and ages has opened my mind to different cultures also.
Work in the recent past on Saxon and Norman England, which I studied for my GCSE coursework, captured my interest which has grown by reading work by authors such as David Starkey and Michael Wood. Starkey's work in particular on the monarchy has interested me to know more about how England was founded and how the monarchy began. I was particularly interested in the archaeological excavations in the centre of Exeter when the city centre was redesigned, as well as the Roman garrison fort found on the outskirts of Exeter which changed the conventional thinking about the date when the Romans settled in Exeter. I have also undertaken field work on the Norman castle situated in Totness.
I enjoy reading other historians work, especially the work of Chris Ward's 'Stalin's Russia'. When I started reading his work it became clear to me that he is a very respected and influential historian. Even though I have different views to Ward, he made me examine the Russian situation and that of Stalin differently. This resulted in giving me a different side of an argument which helped me structure the essay's in my exam, in which I was able to score 100%.
I enjoy learning about the past before thinking about the future as studying the past can help us shape the future, as we can analyse our problems and not repeat them where this is possible. Studying the development of Russia has shown me this by looking at the change in their politics and policies since the collapse of the USSR. My studies of English political history have whetted my appetite to study early England as I would like to read how our own present situation became like it is.
My passion for History has been developed during my time at Exeter College. This is partly the result of my personal leaning towards the subject and inspirational teaching across my A-Level subjects which have encouraged me to further my experience and knowledge by reading history at university.
My other interests include playing a variety of sports, for example basketball, cricket and football all of which I have played for local clubs in various local leagues. I am a skilled guitarist and also play in a band. I have played several times in public for the band which I organise. I also enjoy composing music and writing lyrics. I have a part time job in a local estate county store in which I have demonstrated skills as a team member and the ability to deal with the public and independently handle a heavy work load. I have a healthy social life and a large circle of friends. I enjoy reading and this supports my work in English Literature where at the moment I am studying the work of Thomas Hardy. My love of History has made my reading of Tess of the D'Urbervilles interesting because of my natural interest in the social and economic climate of the times which places Hardy's work in context.
I am an enthusiastic person who has developed a fierce determination to always achieve the highest standards. I think that reading Medieval History will give me a good platform for my future as it involves many different skills including analysis and synthesis. This will help me find a job after university as these skills are key. I believe that I am ready for the next step in my educational development which will hopefully provide me with a place at university to read History. This will provide me with not only with an academic challenge but with many transferable skills which I will be able to use through out my career and through out my life.