Personal Statement - French and Italian 1

Why do you want to study this course or subject?

Throughout my years at school, I have always had a strong interest in languages, and have known for a long time that I would love to pursue this interest by studying it at university. At school I have always taken languages at the earliest opportunity, and currently I am studying French and Spanish.

I recently travelled for a week with the French department to Paris. This experience cemented my decision to study languages to a higher level, because I found I enjoyed communicating with people I would otherwise not be able to, and the culture and surroundings fascinated me.

It is my ambition to work in a career which would be based around my knowledge of languages, whether in a French or Italian speaking country, or a UK-based company which requires modern language skills. A degree in French and Italian would be a crucial step in achieving this ambition.

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

I believe I am very dedicated to everything I commit myself to, and this is shown through some of my hobbies and interests. Since the age of eight I have been playing violin, and have participated in various school concerts and the school string group. Two years ago I also took up flute in my spare time, and recently received an 'A' pass at Intermediate 2, playing both.

Also, at the beginning of fifth year, I volunteered to help out with younger pupils in RE and PE classes to complete my timetable. This experience has greatly helped my communication and my patience, and has given me the opportunity to gain more responsibility.

I also attend college twice a week in the afternoons at _______, studying Sound Engineering. This includes working with the mixing desk and a computer programme called Protools which deals with MIDI sequencing. This course, I believe, is an ideal step between high school and university, as you are given more responsibility for your learning and has greatly improved my self-discipline.

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

If I was successful at gaining a place at university, I would wish to defer acceptance for a year in order to attend college and study French and Italian to Advanced Higher and Higher respectively. Also I would use this time to gain experience and maturity, and hopefully travel to countries abroad where I could develop my language skills.

I believe that after this year I would be ready to undertake a degree at university, and would take full advantage of the opportunity if given to me.

Universities applied to:

• Glasgow University

Grades achieved:

• AAB

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.