Personal Statement - History and Politics 1

Why do you want to study this course or subject?

History has always been an interest of mine, however my first experience studying it academically was as part of my Access Course. I left my career as an actor a year ago, initially intending to pursue a literature degree, but was eventually forced to question that as I realised how much I enjoyed reading and, especially, writing history. On the course I covered principally British social and economic history, examining Victorian urbanisation, the economic crisis between the wars and the dismantling of British colonialism, with specific focus on the Indian Independence movement. I had studied none of these before and I was particularly struck by how much I could see them underpin political and social realities of today. In the attempts in the 1920s and 1930s to resolve unprecedented levels of unemployment, for example, I could identify shifts in national sentiment that heavily contributed to the creation of the Welfare State following the Second World War. In turn, I could see this ultimately exhorted the individualist responses of Thatcherism, the legacies of which are an undeniable part of modern Britain.

Wanting to see history as it directly impacts upon the present underlies my recent main study interest: the spread of modern democracy and particularly its conflict with totalitarianism in the 20th century. I am currently reading Robert Service's histories of world communism and the Soviet Union, along with Simon Montefiore's biographies of Stalin. This has also brought me into contact with the writings of Robert McNamara. While certainly contentious, I admire in McNamara's work the affirmation that an analytical, quantifiable approach to understanding war and human history is not mutually exclusive with emotion or humanity. This is something that I think will influence me greatly in the future. I also want to use my time at university to study the evolution of British democracy over the late 18th and the 19th centuries, particularly in terms of gradual extensions of political enfranchisement and developing class awareness, and then see how that relates to similar developments globally in the 20th century.

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

My interest in democracy goes back many years: in my teens I spent a several summers working for my local MP. This saw me set to a variety of tasks ranging from setting up a database on constituent demographics, to taking notes on a Select Committee meeting on a humanitarian crisis in the Congo. Beyond just being eye opening, this helped me develop a highly methodical approach to both my research and my writing. Being able to link my passion for this with my academic study has thus meant a great deal to me.

However, whilst this is my major pursuit, I make a concerted effort to keep what I am learning about varied. I am a volunteer in the photography archive of the Imperial War Museum and in choosing my modules at Birkbeck for the coming year I selected a specifically wide range, going from Charlemagne through Descartes to Bismarck. As well as being consistently interesting, I have found this approach rapidly builds up a broad overview of the past, which can provide insights into unexpected areas. In doing research in Romanticism, for example, I gained a new perspective on the origins of German fascism. Looking at the literature of the 19th century, I came across developing nationalist myths and intellectual movements I could see later playing a core part of extremist political ideologies of the 20th.

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

My other interests remain heavily influenced by my previous career and I am still a great fan of literature, and of the theatre. My work as an actor also helped make me highly self motivated. In particular, the seasons I spent touring have made me apply a strong sense of responsibility and professionalism in anything to which I commit, qualities I think lend themselves directly to the independence demanded by a history degree.

Universities applied to:

• UCL
• KCL
• LSE
• Oxford
• Durham

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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