English with Education Personal Statement Example

The best decision I ever made was to leave sixth form for a place in college to complete my A Levels. Here I had the opportunity to study English Language and Literature - the subject area for which I have the most desire and aspiration and wish to take to degree level. College allowed me to grow.

Literature has always been a major focus in my life. As a child my dreams were inspired by the books I read and in turn my dreams inspired the stories I wrote. To this day I remain an ardent reader, enjoying contemporary fiction such as Vikas Swarup's "Slumdog Millionaire" and Philip Pullman's series "His Dark Materials" as well as classics including Harper Lee's famous novel "To Kill a Mockingbird".

Having read the book and subsequently visited the local theatre to see their production, I found the story and morals contained within it to be so inspiring they will stay with me all my life. I also particularly appreciate how poets express ideas rather than emotion through their work, especially Sylvia Plath, whom I have recently discovered through my A Level coursework study.

I find Plath's use of imagery to illustrate the dark themes she explores captivating. I intend to compare a number of poems by Plath with a selected few Hamlet extracts, concentrating on language techniques and the similar themes they share.

A Level Media Studies has helped further improve both my analytical skills and essay writing technique whilst appreciating how dialect and language styles can change the attitude and feelings of an audience or reader. Through the medium of Welsh I have studied a range of poetry, with themes as varied as Wales, responsibility and love.

I particularly admired Ioan Kidd's "Saith Pechod Marwol" short story sequence of modern day parables which related to each of the "seven deadly sins".

During secondary school I became involved in writing and presenting reports in morning assembly sessions.

'Buddy reading' with year 7 students on a one-to-one basis encouraged each pupil to improve their reading skills. Together we were able to improve their reading skills and better understand and interpret plot. Pupils commented they felt the stories come alive as a result of reading together.

This practice boosted my confidence working with younger students and confirmed my inner belief that I would make a good primary school teacher. Having completed a number of weeks' experience in a primary school during my GCSE years, I found both working as part of a team and individually with children most gratifying. The reward was simple: enabling young people to enjoy books as I had throughout my childhood.

My most fulfilling achievement in secondary school was establishing and running a lunchtime club for selected year 7-9 pupils. This was a major challenge involving a small group of peers planning and scheduling the sessions; addressing health and safety issues; writing and learning about confidentiality and anti-bullying policies; agreeing rules with the members; seeking funding; and supervising the pupils.

The club is still in existence. Through the scheme, I developed life skills including problem solving and planning, dealing with people and the ability to work with others.

Working in a university library recently has given me the opportunity to further develop my transferable skills. I am able to work under pressure during busy periods, and take pride in being a part of the library team. The role is varied with responsibilities including shelving, processing new books, working on the help desk and assisting students.

University will offer me the opportunity to broaden my cultural and literary horizons. I am more than ready to rise to the challenge.