History Personal Statement Example 60

I want to study history because I have always been interested in the past. History is, essentially, a continuous story and to study it with all of its viewpoints offers me an exciting challenge. What distinguishes history from my other a levels was that it never has failed to offer a difficult task: the course requires contextual knowledge, independent opinions and the ability to evaluate concisely. These meticulous skills that I have obtained from a level history has given me the academic foundations to eventually help me succeed in university.

History has been something I have always enjoyed because there is so much content to delve in to: there is always something new to study. I think it is extremely important to be aware of our past because it offers an insight as to why our world is like it is today and how our attitudes, opinions and beliefs have developed or changed. I also really enjoy the arguments and theories surrounding history. I found this notably taking my GCSEs, that there were a variety of arguments on the origins of the First World War. Whether, simply, it was one bullet that triggered the war, or more cynical reasons: that it was entirely Germany’s fault and that they should take full blame for the repercussions of the war – established as a condition in the Treaty of Versailles. Arguments and different viewpoints about historiographical debates is one of the main contributing factors as to why I am so interested in pursuing history further. In addition, the practice of scoping through history analytically and forming arguments is fascinating to me: regardless of an event being precisely written, my curiosity to see the ulterior motive and result if it could have been avoided, and how, is why I enjoy reading history. I am very attracted to pushing my academic discipline to one of the most competitive and challenging courses at university.

Studying History in my a levels has motivated me to go further than the syllabus to freely research eras or historical theories that appealed to me. Mainly, I have looked at the theoretical side of history which focuses on the purpose of the study. Currently, I am reading ‘What is history’ (by E.H Carr) which offers a well-rounded view of history as a discipline and the purpose of historians. Even though I have noticed that this book is perhaps a dated start towards historiography, nevertheless, it still grasps the concept well on the purpose of history, and is a good beginning towards the practice of the study.

To broaden my understanding of history, I have also visited a variety of Museums and exhibitions. This includes the Mary Rose exhibit in Portsmouth. I really enjoyed this trip, because it was mainly focused on one of my favourite eras in history The Tudor period. It was an exhibit focused on the Mary Rose ship which sank in 1545. This trip also gave an insight into the monarch, Henry VIII, and demonstrated how he was a complicated and paradoxical figure and therefore, a character who we still struggle to understand. Judgements such as is what makes history so appealing to me, as it demonstrates that there is never an absolute answer to different queries and concepts about the past.

During enrichment, I was given the opportunity to mentor younger students and assist them with their history studies. Since this involved year 9’s it was a personal challenge to show them the enjoyment of history, and that the study actually went further than a few facts. From this experience, it gave me deeper understanding into the subject and how others react to history. It broadened my perspective on the subject matter, as well as helped me to teach it in a manner that is both fun and knowledgable to year 9s.
I am very proud of my personal achievements and I believe that my work ethic and my ability to constantly improve my study, will show how I am suited for studying a BA in history as I am eager to engage in a subject I love.