Personal Statement:History and Archaeology 1

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History and Archaeology Personal Statement

Cicero said "History...illuminates reality, vitalizes memory [and] provides guidance in daily life" which perfectly sums up why I have enjoyed learning history as a subject at school, in turn motivating me to apply to study it at University. I am fascinated by our past and the development of society over the ages, particularly in late medieval and modern periods. I relish the wide geographical and cultural aspects of the subject, as it allows me to learn more about areas that I am unfamiliar with. For example, I have developed a keen interest in modern Chinese history after studying it for my AS levels and visiting areas of China on a school trip, having previously known little about the country and its history. This inspired me to read Jung Chang's 'Wild Swans' to extend my knowledge of this era from a more personalised point of view. One of my favourite aspects of History is identifying certain patterns and events in the past and how they can recur throughout global history, for example the similarities in the Holocaust in the 1940s and the ethnic cleansing of Serbs in the former Yugoslavia in the 1990s. I participate in discussions like this at weekly AEA History club meetings and I hope to take the examination at the end of this year.

I believe that Archaeology complements History perfectly, as it deals with more physical aspects of history, as opposed to textual sources. It also allows us to learn more about the lifestyles of ordinary people instead of elite figures like monarchs, which often happens in earlier historical periods. I have been intrigued by archaeology since visiting the city of Pompeii whilst living in Italy at the age of seven and through various museum visits. Last summer I participated in the University of Bournemouth's 2008 excavation of a Neolithic barrow in Knowlton for one week, to discover the subject at first hand. I acquired a variety of practical skills, such as how to clean surfaces with a trowel, taking back sections of soil, drawing a section and identifying flints worked by humans by their bulbs of percussion. To find out more about Neolithic flints, I read 'Archaeology: Theories, Methods and Practice' by Colin Renfrew and Paul Bahn, to discover how the flints were mined and worked into their shapes. The experience of the dig convinced me that I would definitely enjoy both the practical and theoretical parts of Archaeology; the talks on the significance of finds like stake holes on the barrow were fascinating. I am also a student member of the Council for British Archaeology. I believe I would also benefit from the scientific side of the subject, as I enjoy studying Chemistry A-level.

Currently, I engage in rock climbing with my school's climbing club for two hours each week. Not only does this allow me to keep active, but it has taught me the importance of working as a team for safety reasons, in addition to working as an individual on the climbing wall. Over the past year I have participated in several climbing trips to places such as Fontainebleau and Dijon. I have also served on my school's Charity Committee and this year I am a member of both this and the Events committee. Working on committees has taught me the importance of organisation and commitment to holding events such as cake sales for Cystic Fibrosis, as well as working and liaising with other people who may be of a different opinion. I have also attended Model United Nations meetings, which have further enhanced my political awareness on issues like peace keeping, and allowed me to fine tune my debating skills. For my work experience last June, I spent a week in the research department of a publishing company in New Jersey, USA to further my interest in researching as a career. I learnt how to work alone and unsupervised, due to the cubical nature of the office, as well as having a crash-course in how to survive in a different environment and culture - essential for university life.

Universities Applied to:

• York - offer AAB with an A in History Firm
• Exeter - offer ABB Insurance
• Southampton - offer BBB
• Leicester - offer BBB
• Kent - offer 300 points

Grades Achieved:

I somehow ended up going to York despite messing up my History exam and totally missing my offer - I got ABB with a B in History!

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