History Personal Statement 40
Reading my great-grandfather’s letters to his wife as a POW during the First World War as a child engaged me emotionally and gave me an insight into my own history. My fascination with history has continued to grow although I now realise that our emotional reactions can interfere with history and can be used to unduly influence the reader. Listening to Dr. Temi Odumosu speak passionately about representations of “enslaved Africans” in 18th century art, although inspiring, highlighted this issue further: it is almost impossible for historians to detach themselves from their own experiences and look at events objectively. However Peter Furtado’s collection of essays in “Histories of Nations” deliberately addressed this and reading historians’ viewpoints of their own countries’ history and how that history can haunt their present proved thought-provoking.
After enjoying my 20th century History course at GCSE I decided to study history at a higher level, but I opted to take the medieval route, as this was an area which I had barely studied. It has been extremely rewarding to learn about a time which seems distant in so many ways: the fanatically religious motivations of those going on crusade are difficult for me to understand. Yet it has been finding the links between then and now which has made the course so eye-opening: Roger II’s attempt to create a court tolerant of other faiths and protect the rights of the vulnerable echoed our current multi-cultural society. During a history course at Villiers Park a lecturer showed the links we have with 8th century Gauls (the nature of gift-giving) and in an attempt to make even earlier connections I read Daniel Lord Smail’s “On Deep History and the Brain”. Although not entirely convinced by his argument of when “prehistory” ends it was absorbing to discover that our neurological makeup may one day be used as a historical source in order to change “prehistory” into “history”.
After hearing the Byzantine Empire mentioned in class while discussing the Norman Kingdom of Sicily and also the crusades I was intrigued to discover what it actually was. Reading Judith Herrin’s “Byzantium” gave me a fascinating overview of the empire and persuaded me to investigate further and John Julius Norwich’s sensational storytelling in “Byzantium: The Early Centuries” helped me to decide to write my Extended Essay on the topic, specifically on the Emperor Justinian. Studying the diverse and sometimes opposing nature of the primary sources from his reign, especially Procopius’ works, proved to be an insight into how sources must always be analysed critically and also what consequences can arise when they are not. They also provided a diverting read! It was extremely rewarding to start to fill a gap in my chronological knowledge and to link my awareness of Rome and my medieval course together.
Throughout my time at school I have been involved in a number of pursuits outside the classroom. I am a keen musician: I have led my school’s brass section and also been a member of a County Youth Orchestra for the last three years, as well as singing in many choirs. Playing music from many different periods from Baroque through to jazz has given me an insight into the cultures of past societies. Similarly I have been involved in many theatre productions, including an adaptation of Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales and it has been fascinating to find modern equivalents of Chaucer’s characters. I finished 4th in a national competition run by Deloitte this year and working as a tutor and at a local sports camp over the summer has also taught me how to manage time effectively.
I am looking forward immensely to continuing my study of History: the breadth of information there is to analyse and interpret is simply amazing, but the way that History allows us to offer our own interpretation of or sometimes challenge the presented facts makes it a subject that I fully engage with and fundamentally enjoy learning.
Universities Applied to:
- Cambridge (History V100) - Offer (42 points, 776 HL) Firm
- Durham (History V100) - Offer (38 points, 666 HL) Insurance
- St. Andrew's (History V100) - Offer (36 points, 666 HL)
- Bristol (History V100) - Offer (37 points, 666 HL)
- Exeter (History V100) - Offer (38 points, any combination)
Grades Achieved:
- International Baccalaureate - 43 points overall
- History (Route 1) (HL) - 7
- Latin (HL) - 7
- Economics (HL) - 7
- Physics (SL) - 7
- English (SL) - 6
- Maths (SL) - 6
