Personal Statement - French and Russian 2

Why do you want to study this course or subject?

I feel that languages are the most fulfilling and exciting areas of study. I am attracted to Russian for many reasons; one, the country itself has a phenomenal history, culture and array of literature; secondly, it is a unique and beautiful language and thirdly; I would thrive on the challenge. I find French a fantastic language to learn and would love to further immerse myself in French culture, history and literature. For my coursework I am researching the student revolution of May 1968 and the feminist aftermath, a period in French history I feel to be important and relevant to French society today. Interestingly President Sarkozy denies May 1968 ever had any significance, whereas I would argue it had massive repercussions (such as the feminist movement), both long and short term!

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

Having studied English Literature I would be compelled to study foreign literature of any sort, particularly novels and poetry. I read extensively for pleasure and am currently reading 'Miss Harriet' by Guy de Maupassant. The short story 'The Legacy' I found very satirical in a humorous manner of French traditional views on marriage and children in the 19th century, and depicted an unhappy life as a civil servant; something Maupassant experienced. Ironically, although Lesable is unable to have children for much of the story, it is the civil servants themselves who act much like children!

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

I love travelling and recently went to Taiwan with my school for three weeks. I am now able to speak a few words of Mandarin, and even recognise a few symbols. France is however my preferred destination and I have been offered a bursary by my town's Twinning Association to stay with a French family in October and will use the opportunity to speak French as much as possible! I also recently visited Auschwitz, as part of the Holocaust Educational Trust's Lessons from Auschwitz Project. This was truly moving and has given me a heightened respect for not only the Jews but other, different cultures to my own. I have spoken about the experience in assemblies and as a result I have enhanced public speaking skills.

Over the past two years I have taken part in five Model United Nations conferences, representing a wide range of countries and debating a variety of both true and hypothetical issues, such as the conflict in the Middle East and one particularly memorable debate concerning the Pope's abduction of the Hamas leader. I have gained a lot of confidence in doing this, particularly in public speaking which has helped my oral language skills. I was also commended at the last conference I attended, which was a fantastic personal achievement. Furthermore I have volunteered every Saturday for the last three and a half years in my local Cancer Research shop. I always look forward to this, and even after getting a paid job in my local Morrisons Cafe in June 2007 I continued to volunteer on a regular basis. Inside school I have held the post of House Captain, a role that required organisation and cooperation with other house captains and it has greatly improved my interpersonal skills.

Overall, I am a highly motivated and hardworking person and am looking forward to continuing my study of French and learning a language from scratch. The cultures of both countries are unique and I am excited at the prospect of studying them. I would be committed to the work involved and above all, I would thoroughly enjoy it.

Universities applied to:

• University of Birmingham
• University of Leeds
• University of Bristol
• Durham University
• University of Cambridge

Grades achieved:

• French A2 - A
• English Literature A2 - A
• History A2 - A
• German A2 - B

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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