Personal Statement - History and Japanese/Chinese

Why do you want to study this course or subject?

Contrary to the analysis of Sellar and Yeatman, the only date that has been fully memorable to me is the 22nd August 1485—the day that enflamed my love for English history. Fortunately it is not dates that captivate me, but rather the values and understanding behind the events that make them important. My fascination with history began with trips to the Ashmolean and the British Museum at a young age, and later I was able to spend 2 weeks working at the Musee de Picardie in Amiens, France (2005) where I conducted a guided tour of the archaeology section. Also, in 2006 I volunteered on a trip to the USA where I visited several galleries and museums in the capitol, in-between renovating trailer houses. The A-level history course produced a myriad of opportunities to me, passionately debating against a class of Richard III haters and discovering books like Guy's 'Tudor England' and Stafford's 'Roosevelt and Churchill'.

A trip to Japan in 2001 resulted in culture shock and introduced me to the Orient. On returning to Britain I devoured everything I could on Oriental history and culture, from Chang's 'Rape of Nanking', to Ferguson's 'Hokkaido Highway Blues', and via membership of the UK Anime Club. My reputation as an 'orientophile' led to me being picked to represent my school at a meeting with the Thai Minister for Education in 2006. Subsequently, I attended a Korean taster lesson at a language conference in 2008, taught myself Japanese so that I was accepted onto the A2 course without the usually required 3 years experience, and started Chinese Mandarin lessons. Overlapping this, I have worked at a variety of part-time jobs, from waitressing to rearing ducks and pheasants, to raise cGBP 1,000 for a trip to Japan last October (2008). I thoroughly enjoyed the visit, made many new friends in England and Japan, and felt it reinforced my desire to study Oriental history at University.

In all the courses I'm applying for, the modules would add a new layer of fascination to my work and understanding, certainly giving me the basis to pursue a career in lecturing overseas or working in embassies.

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

The A-level history course produced a myriad of opportunities to me, passionately debating against a class of Richard III haters and discovering books like Guy's 'Tudor England' and Stafford's 'Roosevelt and Churchill'. These studies have provided a firm foundation in both historical knowledge and critical thinking that I intend to build upon at university.

I taught myself Japanese to be accepted onto the A2 course without the usual three years' experience, demonstrating initiative and aptitude for languages. Additionally, I started Chinese Mandarin lessons, further preparing me linguistically for my intended studies.

My school organised work experience in 2006 was based at CUBE magazine, where I was elected Editor. This challenged me to negotiate the managerial line between leading a team and pushing them, and I was invited back to carry on writing articles and attending conferences. Later, I became chair of the Sixth Form Magazine team and honed this skill further. More recently, I used and extended these skills last summer (2007) when I was employed for 2 weeks by Social Interface Ltd, Bangor Wales, where I wrote business plans, conducted interviews, liaison etc.

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

I am a self-starter who likes to be in the thick of things. As well as planning, organising and raising the money to pay to visit Japan, I have been active on several youth committees and drama groups. I have enjoyed playing leading Shakespeare roles at the Crucible Theatre and aiding the first South Yorkshire Gay Pride.

Regularly selected for school political debates, I feel this is indicative of the high regard in which my peers hold me.

Throughout, I have balanced part-time jobs from waitressing to rearing ducks and pheasants to raise approximately £1,000 for my trip to Japan. The visit itself was hugely rewarding, allowing me to make many new friends both at home and abroad and reinforcing my desire to study Oriental history at 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.

Need help with your personal statement? You can ask a question or get feedback from The Student Room community (and our trained personal statement experts) on the personal statement advice forum.