English Language and Literature Personal Statement 7
English has always piqued my curiosity and drawn me into its complexities, so undertaking an English degree is a natural progression for me. I am particularly inspired by the ways in which authors create meaning through their works, and I love to decode these messages and the motives behind them. It is particularly interesting to me when authors address issues which couldn’t be addressed through any other form. The works of playwright Arthur Miller and his inspiration Henrik Ibsen, who both question morals and values despite the oppression of the society surrounding them, are fascinating to me. One of Ibsen’s own influences; critic and likeminded realist Georg Brandes, insisted that the only way a work of literature could be alive is by “subjecting problems to debate” which demonstrates how important the underlying statements are, and how paramount the understanding of context can be to the study of literature.
I am also heavily inspired by poet Tony Harrison, particularly in his poetry about the emerging generation gap within his family as a result of his mother’s death. Here he addresses the issue of poor understanding and communication between generations in a society where open discourse about such subject matter would often be discouraged. The notion of using analytical inquiry to unpick works of literature and uncover encoded motivations through study of linguistics is one which I am keen to pursue further.
I feel that my pursuit of both linguistic and literary study have become a defining factor in my own communication skill set and proved beneficial to other aspects of my life such as the work experience I undertook at a local housing association. I was able to effectively translate the needs of customers into a training pack for future use by employees, by adopting the concept of contextual significance. For example, it was important that employees understood how different levels of register and lexis were required depending on the audience of fellow employees or customers.
My ability to communicate at a different level has seen continual development since I began pursuing leadership activities. I was first Head Girl at school, where I flourished as a leader organising a group of prefects. Upon moving to college, I was part of a pilot scheme entitled ‘The Junior Leadership Team’, comprised to work closely with the Principal to bridge the communication gap between students and staff. This has empowered me to take an active role within GirlGuidingUK where I am a Young Leader and have achieved a ‘Vinspired’ award for 50 hours of volunteering. This combination of commitments outside of academia has given me transferable skills which allow me to adapt and effectively communicate across a variety of levels and media.
As a studious individual, I have a deep-rooted curiosity about the world around me, which led me to become one of 64 students chosen from a pool of 700 applicants to travel to the USA under a pilot summer school run by the Sutton Trust. This inspirational trip saw us stay at Yale University and visit Ivy League institutions such as Harvard and Princeton in the hope of gleaning an insight into how success is captured. Not only has it confirmed my enthusiasm for exploring different cultures, but it has broadened my thirst for knowledge. After spending a week at one of the World’s most prestigious universities, I am more determined than ever to succeed at every task I undertake. This determination and drive would see me do well in a subject that I have always loved, within an environment built to facilitate personal growth.
Universities Applied to:
- University of Nottingham ( English Language and Literature) - Offer (AAA) Firm
- University of Sheffield ( English Language and Literature ) - Offer (AAB) Insurance
- University of Leeds (Applied for English Language and Literature - rejected but offerred English Language and Linguistics (AAA)
- Lancaster University (English Language and Literature) - Offer (AAA)
- University of Birmingham (Liberal Arts and Sciences) - Offer (AAA) (Submitted additional personal statement for this)
Grades Achieved:
- Business Studies - Grade A*
- English Combined - Grade A
- History - Grade A
- Media - Grade A
