Archaeology degree personal statement example (1e) Durham offer

Why do you want to study this course or subject?

Something that really excites me about university is the opportunity it affords to discuss, debate and question in an unbounded environment. History first became more than just a subject to me when my Grandmother brought out her Grandfather's WW1 medals as History is not just dates, facts and events but a personal thing, moulded around the lives of ordinary people. To observe these people, we need to look not just to the written record but the material remains. Archaeology has been my major interest for several years now, as shown in 2006 when on a visit to the Louvre, the medieval walls were more exciting to me than the great art within. They told the story of the palace, of its construction by King Philippe Auguste through to Louis IX's renovations and all the implications that these had.

At university I want to not only explore and research my current archaeological curiosities but also discover more of this captivating and broad ranging discipline.

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

Studying History and Classical Civilisations has nourished my historical curiosities. Analysing sources has been a valuable skill that I have improved during these courses. I was particularly challenged when asked to evaluate John Guy's article about Thomas More. The theological debates gripped me, as did the importance of looking at the smaller details like who More wrote to. French has given me a new and in depth perspective of another culture which is helpful as it is often so difficult to comprehend how somebody else lives. In the same way, my enthusiasm for historical fiction has also helped me with this. For example, to aid with the 'dissolution of the monasteries' section of my history course I expanded on this interest by reading 'Dissolution' by C.J. Sansom.

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

In August 2009 I was fortunate enough to take part in a training excavation in Winchester, investigating a medieval leper hospital as well as the later periods of the site. The significance of small items such as shroud pins astounded me, as did the precise and intricate trowelling that was required to discover them. The new technology that we had access to piqued my interest and is something I would like to research further. To be able to pinpoint on the national grid easily and exactly using the total station was fascinating to me. Medieval archaeology is my current area of fascination and as such I took a keen interest in the process of dating finds, having a little background knowledge that I was able to pull on to date pottery. After the excavation I decided to follow this up with research of my own into dating methods and am now trying to follow exciting new dating methods such as the fire and water system. I hope to further my practical experience with Surrey Heritage and a community Archaeologist. I feel that bringing Archaeology to the community is vital to preserve knowledge and interest in local heritage.

I am very interested in drama and have recently been in a Little Theatre production about women in the A.T.S. during WWII. The experience was, once again, one of team work. As well as teaching me about that historic period, the acting also made me think on my feet and develop my confidence. This year I have been selected to take part in the 'Lessons from Auschwitz' project, again following my desire to learn from the past. I also enjoy playing the flute and piano, especially playing the flute in my local orchestra and church band. My new leadership role in my church youth group, for the 11-14 age group, has built my self-confidence and given me interesting responsibilities. Another passion of mine is reading. My favourites range from historical novels like 'Innocent Traitor' by Alison Weir to childhood classics like 'Swallows and Amazons'.

Universities applied to:

• Durham University
• University College London
• University of York
• University of Southampton
• Cardiff University

Grades achieved:

• ABB
• AAC
• BBB

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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