History Personal Statement Examples
I have always read widely and, due to my English Exhibition at Woodbridge School and my enjoyment of writing, at one point I had hoped to read English at university. However, whilst studying World War One poetry for my English Literature GCSE, I found that I was most interested in the times and conditions in which the author was writing.
History and politics have had a profound impact on my outlook. From childhood, the tangible history I found in castles, museums and family photographs appealed uniquely to my imagination.
As I grew up my interest in the past introduced me to the political traditions and ideas of my community, and the study of politics became equally absorbing...
I am captivated by the diversity and depth offered by a History degree; attracted by the way it encourages us to be analytical of the values and patterns of past societies. It was in my final year of secondary school that I was awarded the History Attainment Award, although my desire to study History dates back to an earlier age when I visited the site of the allied landings in Normandy at just eleven years old...
Recently, I found out that my grandma was gambled into slavery for seven years. She escaped her prison and made her way back to Hong Kong, 300 miles south. I was amazed at how courageous she was. This personal discovery led me to read Jung Chang's 'Wild Swans' which made me both proud and ashamed of my heritage...
"You go into the humanities to pursue your intellectual passion; and...you emerge as a desired commodity for industry." I interpret Damon Horowitz's statement as an indication that a History degree seamlessly fuses a subject I love with valuable future prospects; something I have always hoped for...
Studying History at degree level has been my interest since my first ever history lesson in High School, for it is a subject that invites debate and feeds my inquisitive side. I have always been intrigued by what has happened before us and how it has led to where we are now...
Growing up in London, I have been exposed to the city’s history from a very young age. While appreciating the myriad historical eras that have shaped the development of London, it is the Victorian era that fascinates me the most...
I have a strong interest in history and the past, which began in early childhood. More particularly, my earliest interests were in mediaeval English history.
My enjoyment of archaeology began with programmes such as Time Team, and similar documentary series, which showed me how exciting the task of uncovering the past and its secrets could be...
As the descendant of an Auschwitz survivor, my family history allows me to understand the influences that the Second World War has had on people's families and the victims of the Nazi regime in occupied Poland...
My decision to study history was not a difficult one. I have long been fascinated by everything concerned with it, including historical findings and the icons we admire. I want to study history because it reveals to us human experiences of the past and how that relates to our present...
‘Life must be lived forwards, but can only be understood backwards.’ Here, Kierkegaard defines why I want to study History.
I have always been curious about how the world works, how the past has shaped society and why cultures develop differently...
It isn't an exaggeration to say my devotion to History has moulded me into the diligent and ambitious person I am today. History continues to shape our contemporary world and my opinions have been formed from an intellectual curiosity about the resonances between the past and the present...
I have always been captivated by stories, and history, after all, is just that, a story. History, to me, is a colossal story that encompasses all of humanity, the tears and the joy, and whose ending is not yet known...
Is one of the useful lessons of the Great Depression that the European periphery cannot restore its competitiveness whilst fixed to an overvalued currency without inducing a debt deflation trap? A study of economics and history can help illuminate such contemporary challenges...
The opportunity to develop and broaden my knowledge attracts me to study history at university. My enthusiasm for history is driven by how past events influence today's political and economic decisions, and how human societies and cultures have gradually developed throughout the years...
“Swap Access to Degree Studies”
Whenever I walk through the village where I live in Polmont, and look just beyond the Westquarter valley where the tree line of the Callendar woods are visible, I close my eyes, and I am transported back to one of the most fateful days in Scotland’s history...
Visits to the national museums of Knightsbridge and the Smithsonian ignited my interest in history. My desire to study history was nurtured following visits to the Normandy beaches which prompted me to research the Second World War and its origins...
Listening to my grandparents' accounts of air raid drills, blackouts and the arrival of evacuees in North Wales during the Second World War triggered my interest in history. My curiosity about the past was further inspired by looking at family photographs and heirlooms and exploring their backgrounds...
For as long as I can remember, I have been skilled and deeply interested in areas of both the sciences and humanities, particularly in human evolution, history and geography. A course in Anthropology and/or Archaeology is therefore perfect for me in that the subject matter fascinates me, and that the course will utilise many of the skills I have learned and developed throughout my education...
I have always been interested in the study of historical idea's and interpretations. I consider myself to be highly focused on the concept of history and believe that studying this at university would further both my knowledge and interest into the subject...
Until I began my A-levels last September, I had never been to school or followed a formal syllabus. My parents homeschooled me. They guided, encouraged, and fed my interests with books, documentaries and discussions...
I believe history inspires optimism. With the state being cut and our economy weakening we could easily fall to pessimism. I just have to look within history to see that just over 400 years ago Queen Mary I killed 'rebels' for heresy when they protested, whereas Modern freedoms have allowed me to protest openly in several Unite marches...
Opinions, ideas and knowledge of history are influenced and shaped through heritage and archaeological sites, museums, buildings, and remains. Therefore, to have the ability to define heritage is crucial to ensure our capability to interpret our great past...
I have always been fascinated by history. Through studying different periods of history from medieval to early modern through to the present day I have gained an understanding into some of the crucial developments that have determined what course our future would take...
History links us to the consequences of life in worlds gone by. Childhood visits to the inspiring Hadrian's Wall and Stonehenge fuelled my curiosity in the subject as I wanted to explore and absorb these worlds...
History and Law are critical to thedevelopment of society. The idea that the same mistakes will be repeated unless we learn to adapt and change, underlines the meaning of both subjects. As a civilisation we must find out where we came from and how we can and have changed...
Ancient History, English language and history of the English language are my special interests. I have a particularly strong interest in ancient history and - more recently - in the history of the English language...
My perception of Politics changed when I read the Communist Manifesto. I began to see the world as not a collection of states but a universal society divided by relative beliefs. Humanitarian initiatives, such as Amnesty International, became a large part of my life, and my passion developed from there...
Having spent a great deal of my studies learning about various periods in history, ranging from Ancient Egypt to the British educational system up to the modern day I know that this is a topic which I would thoroughly enjoy spending three years researching and learning more about...
History is one of the most interesting and important things in my life it fills me with knowledge and entertains me with past events which are in one way or another always repeating themselves. The English historian Edward Gibbon once said”I have but one lamp by which my feet are guided, and that is the lamp of experience...
Since my childhood, barely a night has gone by without indulging in a book. I cherish the hours spent poring over literary masterpieces as diverse as The Great Gatsby, Othello and the poems of John Donne, all of which I particularly enjoyed...
My decision to read for a degree in History is a result of my intense enjoyment of the subject. I am extremely interested in past events and how the modern world came to be. My interest in History probably began in primary school when we visited Richmond on a school camp...
My attraction to Archaeology and Ancient History has been shaped by my understanding that the past is incredibly important in our modern lifestyles; two years ago when I visited Rome for the first time I truly appreciated what this meant...
At an early age, the real-life experiences of my family in Nazi Germany and in Apartheid South Africa engendered in me a passion and fascination for history and politics.
There was ongoing lively debate in our home on these political systems and how they directly led to my growing up in Australia...
From its unique vitality and power, to its ever-changing relevance, History has always fascinated me. The depth and diversity offered by a History degree excites me and I am attracted by the way it encourages us to both question and relate to the past...
People ask me why I wish to study Ancient History. Surely it has no relevance to today's world? Absolutely not! It is difficult doing justice to the incredible achievements of the greats of the Ancient World such as Pyrrhus, Hannibal, Alexander the Great, Augustus and Caesar...
My first memory of studying History came in year 6 when answering a question about the Peasant's Revolt of 1381. I remarked that "Nobody died for 10 years"; even though wrong, I feel that this simple mistake was the beginning of my keen interest in History...
Arthur Marwick wrote that "because everything has a history, history as a body of knowledge and as a discipline covers everything." The mental conditioning one undergoes throughout a history degree is what sets it apart...
When I was two years old my family relocated from the New World, Canada, to the Old, and since then I have journeyed to places as far off as Rome, Egypt, and Thailand, among many others. Everywhere I travelled brought upon me a new wave of fresh fascination; not only in the cultural differences I noticed, but in the circumstances, traditions, and history that shaped them...
I have maintained a strong interest in History since my early days when I found a profound enjoyment from the way historical stories fired my imagination. I have enjoyed the challenge in the transition from my childhood's mythologized and historicised tales to relatively 'cold' analysis and evaluation...
It may sound exaggerated, but I genuinely love History, and it has become a part of my life for over four years.
As contemporary political events have increasingly become my main concern in recent years, Politics and Economics are also my favourite subjects...
I have a keen sense of my own history, and that of my family, which I discovered could be traced from the Nazi camps of Theresienstadt and Auschwitz to an obscure convent in the Pyrenees. It was through this research that my interest in history was fuelled, leading me to become increasingly fascinated by this expansive and varied subject...
My decision to study History was never a difficult one. Having always been captivated by the past and its relationship to the present, study at Advanced Level has served only to strengthen my interest...
Internationals relations and politics are around us in our everyday lives, even if we are aware of it or not. They can influence our society through newspapers; the broadcasted news and general day to day activities and we have all been affected by politics and international relations or influenced by it...
Until my AS year, I had never completed a full school year. I am a member of the Travelling Showman community and spent several months a year travelling and working with my family's Fair. I was self-taught from the Easter holidays until September...
My passion for French has certainly flourished throughout my education, a language and culture that have, without doubt had an enormous impact upon how we, as British citizens, live and
communicate today...
What fascinates me about history and politics is their impact they have had on our society over the course of many years. Growing up I was initially influenced by my father's own interest in both history and politics...
History and English Literature have been by far my most exciting studies in the Sixth Form. Ever since discovering historical literature I have been engrossed by the way the two disciplines coexist and entwine, an interest intensified by school ventures to the Reichstag building, Ypres battlefield and Auschwitz...
I consider myself an enthusiastic, hard working student who will do everything possible to achieve the best set of results possible. I have a very strong work ethic and get on well with teachers and my fellow pupils...
English Literature has always been a strong interest of mine, from the ancient works of Homer to the contemporary writings of Steinbeck.
I have always found solace in exploring the imagination of writers from a variety of different genres, cultures and time-periods...
Living in the Georgian city of Bath, I have grown up surrounded by history. The timescales in evidence around me, from the ancient Roman Baths to the Georgian Royal Crescent, echo the timescales of some of my own historical interests...
I am a determined academic individual, leading me to believe that a degree course at university should definitely be in my life plans. I have always achieved high grades and I am confident that I can continue this success at university...
I strongly believe that sheer enjoyment of a subject is critical when choosing that subject for further study. Mine, however, was not the traditional academic route, as I did not study History as one of my GCSEs, a mistake I rectified when choosing A-level options...
Five years ago, during the last night of the proms and there was a pivotal moment whilst watching the orchestra that changed me forever. Rapidly developing a love for music I realised that the influence exerted by history over music is profound...
Although I have been an avid reader of a wide range of fiction since childhood I delved into literature on a new level when I began studying Access to Humanities.
My eyes were opened to poetry for the first time and I have gained an enormous appreciation for the works of Wilfred Owen, Tennyson and William H Davies and their differing styles...
I was nine years old, and we live in Chicago, Illinois. That year my family had a membership to the Field Museum of Natural History, and every Saturday would find us on the train to the Field. Our first stop was always the pyramid...
The changing interpretations of the past has left an enduring mark on the way I perceive history as an expression of the developing morals and values held by society. Historical works have provided me with an invaluable insight into the perspectives of the time of which they were written and comparisons between works of varying periods have enabled me to observe the change and continuity in human behaviour...
The study of History - from the daily lives of individuals, to the causes and effects of international events - is the most useful way to gain an understanding of the world, past and present. I am committed to developing an accurate understanding of the world, and the study of History has consistently been the way that I have achieved this, from reading of Kate Mcmullan's biography of Harriet Tubman as a child, to my ongoing reading on twentieth century Chinese history and the American civil rights movement...
My name is Ariel Blumberg and I am 19 years old. I was born in a little village near Eindhoven, a in the south of the Netherlands. While growing up there, I experienced a warm family life and plenty of opportunity to develop my youthfully curious mind...
My decision to pursue a graduate degree comes from my need of further study. My recent knowledge is not enough for me to work well so I decide to pursue a MBA degree to gain more business knowledge and management skills for my work...
Growing up in the historical city of Derby and county of Derbyshire, I am lucky enough to have been surrounded by history all my life. I was fortunate in that I was never too far from the ancient sites of Roman and Saxon settlements or the historical landscapes and houses that set the scenes for the Jane Austen classic, Pride and Prejudice...
When I was younger, I had always wished to travel to the United Kingdom. I loved everything about it: the history, the architecture, the food, the people, the music, and so much more. Living in a rural part of the United States, it was rich in a culture completely opposite to my own...
I intend to continue the study of History at university. As a subject I have been interested in since childhood, I enjoy studying the past and how it has shaped our future. The study of History allows us to view the mistakes and successes of the past and employ them to the future...
History is the infinite path of human existence; a perpetual cycle of life itself. Our knowledge of historical accounts and events are assisted through the branches of Literature. Without this, it would be impossible to understand the concept of time and the influential presence of people from past humanities...
Although I was too young to witness at first hand the heady days of revolution that took place in the East as the Iron Curtain was being swept aside, I was privileged enough to live and work in a number of the countries that arose in its wake as they made the gradual transition from the pre- to the post-1989 world...
David Hume, the 18th century Scottish philosopher, believed we can only know what we have experienced. His equally influential German contemporary Immanuel Kant believed the opposite - that knowledge is independent of subjective reasoning...
The fine line that separates the present and past shows how significant each and every historical event is in shaping our future. Although I have been interested in many subjects during my education, history has always been at the forefront as it excites and motivates me the most...
History enables me to see how actions and events have shaped our current society and to understand the present, one must understand the past. The broad topic areas that are involved in History and Sociology allow me to understand different perspectives on a diverse range of subjects...
“I have conquered an empire but I have not been able to conquer myself.”
This quote by Peter I came to mind when I had to write this statement because is sums up my interest in History; here a great leader of men expresses his human weakness...
It is those things we don’t yet know or understand that make history a fascinating, intellectual puzzle. We know a remarkable amount about history and the development of society but new archaeological discoveries, the dedicated efforts of historians, translators and other academics and advancements in areas such as archaeometry mean that the body of historical information is still expanding...
With such a range of different interpretations for any given era, what fascinates me most about History is the opportunity for debate and analysis. Studying the American Civil Rights Movement, it has been interesting to analyse the motives behind the efforts of Franklin Roosevelt and John F Kennedy to improve the lives of African Americans...
As an immigrant living in Spain, I am constantly reminded of the importance social and cultural factors have on my daily life, the language I speak, and the difference between the relationships I maintain with people from my own country and those I encounter here on a daily basis...
'If you want to understand today, you have to search yesterday.' - Pearl Buck. This quote illustrates my enthusiasm and interest in history; you can be enlightened of the events of the past, while furthering your understanding of the present...
The study of history has always been a profound interest of mine; I find delving into the past a truly invigorating experience. By enhancing my knowledge of past events I can more effectively evaluate the future implications of episodes of history...
I have always cared passionately about my academic endeavours, from reading as widely as possible in my English and history A levels to carrying out an investigating into the antibiotic effects of indigenous poisonous plants in biology...
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 have always found myself interested in the social sciences. The complex relation between individual, family, society and state enthralls me. The dynamic between civil liberties and state security, the role of the state in society, the question of war and revolution, are all topics that fascinate me...
When studying English and History I find that I have the freedom to explore different interpretations. I have always struggled with the concept of the definitive answer; I feel that every subject is subjective and as a result I find it hard to confine myself to one single idea...
Studying history and English concurrently has appealed to me ever since I recognised the inseparability of the two disciplines closest to my heart. Personally, I believe that the literary style of a piece of writing is as important as scholarly research and I try to make my essays as lively as possible whilst still grounded in solid historical or literary method, dulce et utile, following the example of writers such as Richard J Evans...
For me, History has always been a forerunner when it comes to choosing a degree at university. From an early age I have always enjoyed learning about the past and how some key events like the Battle of Britain and 9/11, have shaped our future...
My interest in history lies in the simple fact that I have always been fascinated by the past. At eleven I won a full academic bursary to attend my current school. This was a way into a community in which my intellectual curiosity would be valued and where I could further my enthusiasm for history...
For years I have listened to my family discussing the latest political and historical issues on the news and I have been fascinated and awed by the fact that there was never a wrong or right answer, decision or explanation to a given problem...
Louis de Bernières writes in ‘Captain Corelli’s Mandolin' that history is fascinating 'because everything [is] connected to everything else in the most elaborate, devious and elegant ways'.
Perhaps this explains the importance of history in understanding the modern world; it governs the way in which we view society, dictates our actions and, perhaps most importantly, provides guidance to those who establish law...
My grandmother’s maiden name is Marx. Her uncle, the world-renowned landscape architect Roberto Burle Marx, was Karl Marx’s great-nephew. This fact, while seemingly trivial, has worked to strengthen the spark history has ignited within me since I was old enough to read...
History is paradoxically the most advanced way for our society to predict the future. Learning from the past mistakes and successes, and using them to our advantage, to navigate us through perilous times...
Fuelled by an early fascination of conflicts, people and the way our world has been shaped, history has always been the natural choice for me. The ability to study history offers the opportunity to critically analyse and question particular perceptions of the past and to form an opinion that is not only rewarding but also liberating...
History has always fascinated me because of what it can tell us about humanity; the decisions taken, the actions chosen and the mistakes made can all make us reflect on what it means to be human. I firmly believe history is not simply a case of learning facts and dates but rather a chance to analyse the past, enhancing our understanding of how we interact with each other today...
History is elemental in understanding and furthering most aspects of life; without studying the past we cannot expect to move forward, and in this respect I believe history to be the most universal subject...
What fascinates me the most about archaeology is how easily it nowadays allows us to find out more about the past.
Just the fact that carbon dating technology can tell us almost the exact age of an object is amazing...
Throughout my life, through reading and the mass media, I have developed the inquisitive mind for researching areas of interest within historical subjects. The universally artistic and philosophical crusade, which is the era of Romanticism, has been one of the focal areas of interest for me...
Throughout my education, I have constantly been captivated and inspired by my History and English studies. I have recognised how the two disciplines entwine and coexist to create an invaluable tool with which to explore the past and future...
I have always wanted to be part of an open-minded society and live in a country where originality is rewarded, so the UK came to my mind as being the best country to read my degree. My passion for the English language has developed over years of studying English at school, where I have been successful in every written and oral exam...
Every facet of history is so spectacularly different that it inspires me to read deeper into the subject. I believe it to be important to know how our history shaped the world today, so I aspire to be an individual that takes this further, especially elements that I'm longing to explore such as the effect of military history and the role of international relations...
I have long had an interest in history, and I have a bronze lion named Stephen to thank for that. When I was 6 years old, my mother took me to a square in Hong Kong, where two bronze lions nicknamed Stephen and Stitt stand...
It was after reading the Communist Manifesto as a historical document at the age of thirteen that I became intrigued how a seemingly small text could be so significant. A brief polemic, published some 160 years ago, profoundly influenced the course of 20th century history and is still cited for its influence on modern political writing today...
My interest in History was first sparked during a remembrance service at the Menin Gate. Hearing the bugles bellow out the 'Last Post' to a crowd of thousands, instilled in me a deeper appreciation of the past, and the sacrifices that were made to sculpt the world we live in today...
History may repeat itself, but never in the same way. The history of the world is ever changing and exciting. New history is made and written every day, so the past is always significant, whether it be five or five hundred years ago...
The study of history is a lens through which political developments can be viewed, enabling us to see how past policies between nations have sculpted western society today.
The intertwinement of history and political relations was best epitomised through my discovery of historical revisionism and negationism; how the realities of history can be altered and distorted in the name of political gain...
Childhood visits to Jorvik Viking Centre and Bede’s World to looking at old family photographs, let my imagination run wild, building stories and lives for people who would have lived during that time...
What makes history engaging and interesting to me is its interdisciplinary nature and its ability to take you on a journey to the discovery of humanity's past. History has been a constant source of captivation for me, from studying the mythology of Ancient Greece in primary school through to the study of the Russian Revolution at A Level...
Whether considering the real world applications of Bentham's utilitarianism in Religious Studies, analysing the context of a changing Victorian society in English Literature, or debating the evolving ideology of the Labour Party in Politics, there is one common thread connecting what I enjoy most about my studies: history...
I aspire to study history at university because I want the opportunity to develop and broaden my historical knowledge. An advantage of a degree in history is that the flexibility and the potential opportunities are endless...
Quite simply, I wish to study History because I have an increasing fascination with the past. This has stemmed from a childhood love of films and books set in the 'olden days'. Since then I have only become more interested and excited by the past and it is the immense impact that it has on society today that warrants my desire to pursue History degree...
The subjects that I wish to study at university are History and English, with the view to ultimately becoming a teacher. I have chosen to study History not only because it's a subject that has always been a favourite of mine, but also because of the skills that you gain and develop like critical thinking and making the most use of time and resources...
My desire to study history was provoked by my enjoyment of examining how humans think and how an individual's decisions can impact the world around us - past and present. I enjoy looking at human experience; seeing just what drives a human and under what circumstances, and how the past relates to the present...
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...
The study of languages and their related cultures provides an excellent vista through which to understand humanity.
From the literary to the political, the historical to the cultural, I appreciate the various components of exploring linguistic traditions...
In my IB History course I was particularly interested in topics such as the effect of the Wall Street Crash on Hitler's rise to power or mercantilist policies as a cause of the American War of Independence; the areas where History and Economics come together...
I was exposed to history and politics before I knew what they meant. As a second generation immigrant from China, dinner table conversations with family friends inevitably seemed to stray to the impact Mao and Deng’s policies have had on modern China...
I knew that history was the subject for me from the moment that I entered Auschwitz on a school fieldtrip: seeing history, seemingly frozen in time in front of me, left such an emotional impact that I knew that I had to take it further...
When I was younger, I remember listening to stories about what my grandparents endured during the Second World War. In Japan, my grandmother suffered famine, crime and the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki...
As the daughter of Ugandan refugees, the social sciences have always been poignant in my life. The forced deportation of my parents and 80,000 other Asians by Idi Amin, led to their destitute expulsion from Uganda, providing me with a fuller perspective of the recent Syrian refugee crisis...
History is very important and is very relevant in today's society, which is why I have a passion for studying the subject. I find past events to be very interesting, and I am intrigued to find out how they can help to shape the future...
It was only after buying a set of First World War medals, studying them, and more importantly researching their recipient, that I really understood Winston Churchill’s quote ‘"A medal glitters but it also casts a shadow", and my interest in history was ignited...
It was during a project in Year Six that I first became interested in History. I was making a presentation about World War II, and my grandmother brought out her own gas mask for me to see. I was immediately fascinated by the realisation that the seemingly distant events - almost fictionalised to my young mind - really did happen, that my grandmother was there during World War II...
The search for identity has shaped our individual and collective history. It wasn't until I visited the memorial of Ghana's first president, Kwame Nkrumah, that I began to consider my own identity and roots in African history...
The present is only momentary, and will soon turn into history. Almost all that we are as countries, as cultures and as a species is based on our common history. In fact, it is our unique ability as Homo Sapiens to accurately store, pass on, and understand in detail our past findings and knowledge that has allowed us alone to dominate and exploit the planet that we inhabit...
Growing up, my aspirations were ever evolving - a lawyer, a doctor, an author- as were my interests. The one thing that stayed is my love for stories. I started off believing that I would end up as an English major, but over the course of my IBHL English literature course, I found that I was more interested in the context that prompted the author's publications...
Ever since visiting Berlin in 2015 I have been captivated by world history. Visiting historic places such as Sachsenhausen Concentration Camp, The Berlin Wall and Checkpoint Charlie awakened me to the fact that humanity's mind as a whole has not progressed too much from when those monuments were relevant...
I have always loved challenges and I expected the successful results, so over time. Whether it was rock climbing or playing chess, I realised that it is not enough for me only to practice, I also needed to delve it into the theory...
Human civilisation fascinates me. Watching Andrew Marr's "History of the World" opened my eyes to the path that society has charted over the millennia, developing from a disparate collection of hunter-gatherers to the collection of sophisticated polities we have today...
Since the first time my classes were divided by subject, history has been the class I looked forward to attending the most. My first history textbook was titled "Alabama History," and it was far from enough to satisfy my curiosity about the world...
Growing up a first generation Somali-Norwegian, it was important for my dad, a Somali language teacher, to teach me and my siblings about the history of our family and the history of Somalia. A country he and my mom had fled during the beginning years of the ongoing Civil War...
Machiavelli wrote "there is nothing..more doubtful of success, nor more dangerous to handle, than to initiate a new order", but I hope by studying a History and Politics degree it will enable me to explore a 'new order' of thinking...
Whilst volunteering for the National Trust at Calke Abbey, I became intrigued by their unique approach to preservation which demonstrates how different rooms were locked over the course of several decades, rendering the house frozen in different eras of history and revealing the impact of the 20th century decline of English country houses on the history of Calke...
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...
Studying history at degree level is an exciting opportunity for me to explore the past to investigate how it has shaped the world today. The plethora of culture I immersed in as a child was the progressive impetus to my interest in history...
Napoleon reputedly said 'History is a series of lies we agree on'; I find this idea compelling as opinions on how we decipher recorded history change with perspective and interpretation. History provides a sense of identity and belonging, it fosters alliances and the investment in behaviours we might otherwise misunderstand...
What interests me about history is the human side of it; the fact that humans portray events from a biased stand point, as much as one tries to remain neutral. I love the fact that history affects people in so many ways, for example, when Henry VIII split from the Catholic Church between 1532 and 1534, this had a huge impact on the people of Britain in varying ways and studying different perspectives is key in understanding the implications of the decision...
This summer, I read an interesting article in The Guardian about a debate raging in the city of Gdansk on how Poland is commemorating the 80th anniversary of WWII. At the heart of this debate lies the decision by the ruling PiS government to change the city's war memorials to highlight Polish patriotism instead of an earlier emphasis on 'war memory' that was defended by Polish historians...
Whilst I have had a keen interest in history from a young age, I have only more recently come to appreciate the extent to which debate exists on the interpretation of history through engagement with academic texts...
I never had the chance to meet my grandfather, a POW of Japan during WW2. I did, however, have the invaluable chance to read his jarring contemporary account of life in the jungles of South-East Asia. Such a document instilled an unparalleled appreciation of the necessity of sources and accounts in understanding history that singles me out from my peers and set me on a path towards a profound love of the past...
My study of India’s Dalits enabled me to consider history in a socioeconomic context. I was shocked that “Untouchability” still pervading Indian society has such detrimental economic effects like discrimination in the markets and diminished education opportunities...
My years in the English and French educational systems led me to appreciate an international pedagogical approach to learning. This perspective enhanced my discovery of different civilisations and populations which, bolstered by my studies of German and Latin, deepened my long standing interests in History, Economics and Politics...
My interest in history has always been closely linked with a passion for storytelling. A childhood obsession with stories about knights and pirates has grown into enthusiasm for cultural history and the origins and impacts of historical narratives...
The more my studies of History have progressed the more convinced I have become that delving deep into the realms of historiography is key to creating a full understanding of history itself. It was through E...
History runs as a consistent undercurrent to my studies and life: whether considering the effects of Rome's conquests on the development of language and culture in Spanish or analysing the context of an anxious Victorian society poised on the turn of the century in English Literature...
A visit to Ypres and seeing the war memorials in person of soldiers who lost their lives, each for their own reasons, including patriotism, to defend loved ones, for adventure, or even a decent meal, developed an understanding in me...
The concepts of history, language and culture are inextricable. When studying all aspects of history, I have found it crucial to contextualise events; nothing does this as profoundly as languages do. With the taking up of Spanish study, I hope to broaden the diversity of my knowledge, reaching beyond the history I have been taught until now...
My interest in History originally derived from my visits to Fountains Abbey and France’s Citadelle de Brouage. Physically seeing what remains helped me to establish just how much we rely on the past, and that there is much more than just the tangible evidence. Our entire functionality as humans in a society reflects our heritage, yet it also echoes the cultures we learn from others.
I strongly agree with Tolstoy's criticisms of the great man theory and of the urge humans feel to attribute geopolitical events to one single leader, when instead each event is the result of countless others that precede it...
I strongly agree with Tolstoy's criticisms of the great man theory and of the urge humans feel to attribute geopolitical events to one single leader, when instead each event is the result of countless others that precede it. The complex causal web behind current affairs is proof of this theory. The Catalan Independence Movement can be linked to the effects of the 2008 financial crisis, the Spanish Civil War and the Reaper's War in the mid-1600s.
I am drawn to History due to my love for stories. I love the way history is told: as a narrative that explains culture, society, and politics today in a way that facts and figures cannot. Because of this, library and museum visits were regular activities for my family...
Whilst it is true history is part of the past, it has influenced my life immensely. From the diverse selection of people I have met, it is interesting the extent that history touches us all. My passion for the subject has shaped me into intellectually curious person I am today, with History and Politics A level aiding to further expand my scope for debate in present circumstances and exceed my exploration into evaluating causations and outcomes in current political affairs...
My fascination with the social sciences first materialised whilst living on both sides of the Malaysia-Singapore border; it perplexed me how such contrasting levels of prosperity emerged despite their immediate proximity...
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