Personal Statement - Modern History and Arabic

Why do you want to study this course or subject?

Standing at Al Deir, Petra, I realized my innate love for all things historical; the sun blasted carved sandstone had seen centuries of Jordanian life: from the days of the Decapolis over 2000 years ago to the Six Day War against Israel 45 years ago, Al Deir had survived it all. This was the moment that I realized the importance of History, and my love for the subject. It was on moving to the Middle East that I developed a love for Arabic cultural heritage and language.

After studying modern, euro-centric History, I decided to explore the medieval period, especially that of Arabia. Having spent much of my adolescence in that region, I already had an interest, initially raised by visiting the Al-Fateh Mosque in Bahrain. Reading "The Prophet and the Age of the Caliphates" by Hugh Kennedy, and Karen Armstrong's "Islam: A Short History", I found that the medieval caliphs and Umar II in particular, differed hugely to my existing experience of History, yet, were every bit as interesting. What I found intriguing were the differing views on the extent to which the decline of the Umayyad Dynasty can be attributed to the reign of Umar II. Whilst some of the works I read cited policies related to taxation implemented by Umar as responsible for the fall of the caliphate, Kennedy approaches the situation from a different angle and suggests that problems deriving from these economic policies were reversible and other decisions and pre-existing factors such as the internal division within the caliphate hold greater explanatory power. Moreover, the fall of the caliphate, which had become increasingly more secular, to the pious Abbasids has shaped the Arab world and moulded it to what it is today.

I have found Arabic distinct to both romance and Germanic languages. After relocating to the Gulf, Arabic began to rival History as my favourite subject. The language of the dad has come relatively easily to me, and I miss the manner of its instruction, although recently have begun to re-immerse myself in the language. Having travelled within the region, I have been enthralled with the Arabic culture and attempted to draw parallels with occidental culture; I found that few comparisons could be drawn. The Arab people put a much bigger emphasis on community and family than Westerners do. Conversely, what is interesting are the differing cultures amongst the Arab nations, and contained within that, differing regional cultures. Traveling through Oman, I found the Dhofar region a different world to Muscat, only a few hundred kilometres away.

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

My other academic subjects have complemented my study of this interpretive subject by allowing an interdisciplinary approach to my studies. I see literature as encapsulating History, as many historical themes are captured in a literary context. Having read Conrad's "Heart of Darkness", I was drawn to reading "King Leopold's Ghost" by Adam Hochschild, which allowed me to comprehend the extent of European exploitation of African natives in the Belgian colonial empire and the European attitudes towards the natives in the late 19th century, and many of the contextual references cited in the novel.

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

Moreover, I believe my extracurricular activities greatly complement my desire to study both disciplines. Being an avid debater in competitions both in and out of school has allowed for growth in my analytical and receptive skills needed for the historical discipline, and has greatly improved my analysis of contrasting opinions and greatly aided my oral skills that allow a fluency of tongue required for linguistics. Furthermore, being a prefect and participating in the DofE Gold Award has allowed me to develop abilities in making decisions and judgements based on preceding actions.

Universities applied to:

• University of St Andrews (Arabic and Modern History)
• University of Edinburgh (Arabic and History)
• University of Glasgow (History)
• University of Manchester (Modern Middle Eastern History and Arabic)
• Durham University (Combined Honours in Arts - Arabic and History)

Grades achieved:

• IB HL English A Literature - 7
• IB SL French B - 6
• IB HL History of Europe and the Middle East - 7
• IB HL Geography - 6
• IB SL Biology - 6
• IB SL Mathematical Studies - 5
• EE - A TOK - C = 2 bonus points
• IB Score - 39 points

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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