Personal Statement:Media and Culture

Why do you want to study this course or subject?

My interest in media and culture initially evolved from my desire to contribute to the social justice activism community. I’m excited by the way that contemporary media has lifted the ceiling from society, expanding the platforms from which people can share their ideas, and providing the power to create dialogue and change through popular culture. The ability to critically engage with political and social areas of contemporary culture is something I am constantly developing, and am eager to explore at a high academic level. Working to create an online presence for myself, I want to improve and diversify my blogging efforts on the subject of intersectional feminism for young people, and to bring what I learn into a space where I can share and build on it.

Initially attending university to study English, I soon realised that I could not connect with it the way I do with contemporary media, and this important learning experience allowed me to confidently realign my education to my interests, and work towards a place in the media industry.

I am determined to apply myself and my ideas to this degree, and to fully utilise this opportunity to build upon my passion for the role of media in social change. I look forward to evolving my skills in theory and practice, and am excited to explore and critique contemporary media on a global scale.

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

Concurrent to this, I also enjoy using art and photography to express my views and start conversations. In my Photography course, I used my projects to tackle controversial subjects that interested me, such as gender fluidity and the early sexualisation of young girls. Studying creative subjects has improved upon my ability to articulately and liberally analyse pieces of creative work, providing me with experience in using Adobe Photoshop CS6 and a fearlessness in tackling any new creative process. My confidence to confront unseen work for critique comes from my study of English Literature, where I was also able to explore creative writing and work on my written voice. My Psychology course provided me with an insight into the way we are affected by online communication as people, such as the growing popularity of online dating services, and allowed me to gain a foundation regarding media in the social sciences.

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

Taking up work experience in the Department of Work and Pensions, I was able to improve upon my own interpersonal and improvisation skills, as well as gain experience in design. I was trusted to completely remodel the building’s bulletin and motivation boards, learning how to use and apply Adobe InDesign by myself in a few days. I was also able to witness first-hand how the media was progressing too fast, with a disconnect between generations that left some jobseekers unable to comprehend a rapidly digitalised job market. Observing someone type on a computer for the first time in their life made me eager to further explore the way that media has affected our identities throughout history and how it will change in the future.

In my free time, I produce digital art and study Mandarin. After visiting Shanghai and Beijing, I am particularly curious to further study how China’s bans on various aspects of global and western media affect media consumption and cultural identity; aiding my own personal study by exploring Chinese social networks, and posting reviews of popular Chinese music, film, and TV shows. I have also recently been inspired by the viral photography project of Brandon Stanton, ‘Humans of New York’, which explores individual identity and otherness, and proved to me the extreme power of social media in telling stories.

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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