History Personal Statement Example 50

Being surrounded by the historical brilliance of Scotland's capital, Edinburgh, together with visiting one of Britain's most famous buildings, Edinburgh castle at an early age, accounts for the main reason history is one of my strongest interests. It was not just the countries capital city that built up my historical passion, other historic sites such as The Battle of Bannockburn gripped me from the moment I stepped onto the grass where the famous battle took place.

A school trip to Amsterdam further developed my enthusiasm for the subject, where I visited Kamp Vught and Anne Frank's house. They gave me an in depth understanding of what life was like for Jewish people during the Second World War. The timing of this trip combined well with my studies of Nazi Germany in GCSE history and it was during this period that I developed an eagerness to absorb more in depth information regarding Hitler and the Nazi Party. As a result of my enhanced interest in the topic, I had a desire to do some wider reading in order to broaden my historical knowledge. I read books such as "The Rise and fall of the Third Reich" and "Inside the Third Reich" in order to expand my understanding of Hitler and the Nazi party's successes and ultimately their downfall. Both the books led me deeper into the real facts of the Nazi's regime before, during and after the war. Studying Russia 1900-1921 gave me an understanding of the beliefs of communists and their aims and objectives as well as the effect that they had on the country. Year 13 will see me carry out my personal study on the significance of the battle of Waterloo. My personal study will give me valuable experience of acting as a real historian, which will give me good preparation for my dissertation at university.

My other sixth form choices have provided a solid foundation for my chosen degree. Media has helped me develop my analytic skills by evaluating how different social groups have been represented through TV. These skills will be useful when evaluating primary and secondary sources throughout my history degree. Through business I have been able to develop a more professional approach to all the work I carry out as well as improving my time management through the strict deadlines set in the subject. The Law course has furthered my knowledge of legal history. Having familiarity with the history of the law has allowed me to have extensive understanding on how the law has affected history through time.

Aside from my academic studies, I have been heavily involved in volunteering at my school, while also being an active member of the student senior leadership team. Through my volunteering I have helped improve the reading capabilities of younger year students and recently I have put myself forward to act as a mentor to younger pupils. As part of my student leadership role I was a member of the media team which helped organise events and improve students' relationships with the school through social media. I was also student head of Daley house where I was responsible for ensuring all students were working together productively and maintaining the house's fantastic reputation. Sport is a big factor in my life and I enjoy running along with playing football. Running is something I have developed a strong interest in and I am planning to run the Silverstone half marathon in March of next year, the training for the event will show my independence, motivation and ability to complete the goals I set for myself.

Studying at university will help me to expand my knowledge as there are so many avenues I am yet to explore and I know further education will aid me to enhance my historical understanding.