Personal Statement - English Literature and Classics

Why do you want to study this course or subject?

Randomly researching the etymology of my name I stumbled upon Hesiod’s ‘Theogony’ which depicts the myth of how my namesake came to be. Whilst falling from footnote to note, I resigned myself to a fate within the Graeco-Roman world and delved deeper to find out more about this classical time, thus unwittingly giving direction to my life and choice of course.

One of the many appeals of Classics is philosophy, a subject I find continually fascinating; in fact it has also inspired my EPQ in which I explore the modern pertinence of Plato’s ‘Republic’. While reading the ‘Republic’ it dawned on me how Thrasymachus’ view on justice being for the strong was still true today.

Both Classics and English, with their multidisciplinary natures, ally with my broad interests: they allow me to study contrasting literature across time and the insights into the problems of philosophy. I feel that all of these aforementioned qualities make this joint degree in particular the perfect course for me.

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

As well as being bilingual, I am spellbound by languages; this passion being expressed through my immersion within French literature, a notable favourite being ‘Le Petit Prince’ which has cultivated the social critic in me, as well as interesting me in respect to its links to the allegory of the cave. My fascination with etymology and how Ancient Greek and Latin birthed our language today led me to read Ostler’s ‘Ad Infinitum’ which illustrated just how closely language and power are linked; how Latin existed as the lingua franca of the world until the decline of the Roman Catholic Church and the emergence of new foreign languages. My capability in languages hasn’t just allowed me to pass exams, but also to aid French and Chinese students by translating a bank of subject specific phrases and words; the roots of our languages in classics fascinate me.

I enjoy seeing how ancient paradigms are reflected in modern literature, most reflected in the ‘The Hunger Games’: there is an allusion to panem et circuses. I was intrigued by Collins’ use of the eponymous games as both a distraction and a mode of control which I immediately noticed to mirror the use of gladiators by numerous Roman Emperors. My interest in the power of the ancient world to transcend time motivated me to pursue these links further as a part of my extended project qualification. I discovered that a vast array of classical mythology has had a profound influence across the cultures that succeeded it.

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

I am part of a writing group where we express our love of fantasy worlds by inventing theories and produce creative writings based on them. This is the reason I love literature, not just for the ability to lose myself within another realm, but the freedom of expression which creating it allows me. I have grown to appreciate the forethought of certain authors who strived to use the medium of literature in order to cause an impact on the world. To cite an example, I found Huxley’s warning in ‘Brave New World’ against becoming mindless followers and the ramifications of what this could have on society, deep and thought-provoking. The world appears to not be heeding his warning and heading towards a similar society as depicted in his book. Russia, in particular seems to be taking steps in this direction with their active persecution of homosexuals; an issue which frequents my blog time and time again. The activeness of my blog has become a beneficial outlet for my strong opinions.

I take a lead role in my sixth form as a senior prefect, peer mentor and council member. Skills of diplomacy and communication are my strengths, further developed through my participation in local debating competitions, where my team often emerge victorious. I was also lucky enough to visit the Asclepion, which brought to life both the wonders of mythology and history. Additionally, I learnt more from local tour guides which added another dimension to my pre-existing knowledge of the lore.

Universities applied to:

• St. Andrews (Comparative Literature and Classical Studies)
• King's College London (Comparative Literature and Classical Studies)
• Edinburgh (English Literature and Classics)
• Birmingham (English Literature and Classics)
• Kent (Comparative Literature and Classics)
• New College of the Humanities (English and Classics)

Grades achieved:

• English Literature AS - A, Predicted A for A2
• Spanish AS - B, Predicted B for A2
• French AS - B, Predicted A for A2
• Mathematics AS - B, dropped for A2

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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