Archaeology degree personal statement example (1d) Southampton offer

Why do you want to study this course or subject?

Why does a 2000 year old, long gone civilization, have such a continuing and profound impact on modern society? It's hard to put my fascination with the Romans and other ancient civilizations into words. Being able to study archaeology with the depth and rigour that university requires will take me on an intellectual journey that may raise more questions than answers but will be a source of lifelong discovery, not only about the Romans but, perhaps, about modern society as well.

What interests me the most in archaeology is the thought of discovering the unknown, being able to further piece together aspects of our past and even now I try to accomplish these feats by reading books to discover more and more. Favourites of mine include 'Roman Sussex' by Miles Russel, 'Roman Warfare' by Adrian Goldsworthy and 'Britain in the Middle Ages an Archaeological History' by Francis Pryor. Moving from Australia to England has given me the exciting opportunity to pursue the career I want in a country filled which such an extensive amount of history. Everywhere I look you can find old churches, houses and buildings which when I gaze upon them fill me excitement and anticipation that there is just so much more to learn.

How have your qualifications and studies helped you to prepare for this course or subject?

My final two years of high school saw me develop more as a person and in this year my fascination in archaeology continued even more. This is reflected in the subject areas I studied which included both Ancient and Modern History which allowed me to develop my skills in aspects of the past. During this time I was accepted into the leadership program in order to develop my leadership skills and this resulted in being appointed to the positions of school prefect and house captain which helped me develop my teamwork skills as part of the Prefect Body. Furthermore I was an active member of the 1 st XV Rugby Team and in my final year I was awarded the Ruben F Scarf award for commitment.

What else have you done to prepare outside of education, and why are these experiences useful?

I know that being accepted a place at university will allow me to continue to pursue my love of archaeology but it will also allow me to give something back to the university in the way of my personal interests. Apart from history include sports (I have been active cricket player since I was 7 and I also enjoy rugby, soccer, tennis, squash and table tennis), entertainment, music, technology, computing and reading (I enjoy books that range from fantasy through to crime fiction). I believe that these interests will allow me to give something back to the university in a positive way.

The thought of going to university is one that fills me with excitement and I know that should I be accepted I will work to the best of my ability. I have always been a hard worker and this combined with studying in a subject that interests me I know that I will work to the best of my ability and be extremely dedicated in what I do. The prospects that a university education will provide me will mean the wealth to me and it will give me a chance to fulfil my dreams and ambitions of becoming an archaeologist.

Universities applied to:

• Southampton University

How personal statements have changed?

The current personal statement format, with three 'scaffolding' questions, was introduced by Ucas in September 2025. This personal statement was submitted before then, using the old essay-style format. It has been carefully edited into the three-question format, with all of the original wording kept.

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