My personal statement

“Words… are the wildest, freest, most irresponsible, most unteachable of all things. Of course, you can catch them and sort them and place them in alphabetical order in dictionaries. But words do not live in dictionaries; they live in the mind…”

                                                                                                                                                                                 – Virginia Woolf

INTRODUCTION 

In the UK, universities require a specific application process that students need to submit in order for their application to be taken into consideration. The application process includes a “personal statement”, which is a chance to describe your ambitions, your skills and your experiences by trying to link them to your own subject of interest.

MY PERSONAL STATEMENT

Literature has always been an essential aspect of my life: every time I read a book I feel as though new elements of the world and my personality were revealed to me. I let authors speak to me as loyal yet brutally honest companions would do. The main reason why I am applying to this course is that I believe in the vital role of literature in our existence. What originally sparked my interest in English literature is the writers’ capability to communicate to different generations throughout history and to trigger the same emotional response in their readers, as if their words were frozen in time. Being able to see the world through the eyes of every author I have studied has aroused my curiosity to the point that every lesson leaves me with a desire to learn more.

I regard myself as a determined, hardworking and empathetic young woman. I consider my passion to be my number one strength. High school has often tested my ability to produce high quality work within established deadlines and thanks to my keen interest and my organizational skills I have been able to respond well to the challenge. I have been passionate about English for as long as I can remember: as a kid, I used to take part in English summer camps and last year, simultaneously to my studies, I took the Cambridge Advanced Certificate in English, which I passed with a B, attesting a C1 level and a solid command of the English language.

Apart from English Literature, I studied Italian and Spanish literature, which helped me find analogies between Italian and foreign authors and analyze the way different cultural environments influence each other. My history and philosophy classes enabled me to gain further knowledge about the ways historical contexts affected the works of the writers I studied and to engage in complex self reflections and critical thinking.

In my free time, I like to delve into the authors that fascinate me the most. For example, I watched the films ‘Mary Shelley’ and ‘Bright Star’, about the lives of Mary Shelley and John Keats. Additionally, I like reading poetry both in Italian and in English: this has inspired me to experiment with poetry myself. Along with my studies, I was able to cultivate my interest in the arts. Last summer I went on a trip to Berlin, Amsterdam and Stockholm. During my tour I visited several museums and art galleries, recognizing the importance of different art forms as the means through which artists can examine the mysteries of human nature.

Studying Romantic poets this year, I was intrigued by their conception of the poet’s task: many Romantics felt that they could commit to society through their art.  I was extremely captivated by this idea, as I too feel a strong sense of duty towards society and I like to give my contribution to its development through volunteering. For instance, I have been tutoring children for the past year, experiencing what teaching really entails. During a trip to Spain, I had the pleasure of collaborating with an organization called ‘Aviva’, whose volunteers work with disabled people who wish to do sports. Both of these activities helped me strengthen my sensitivity to other people, a quality I regard as fundamental to understand literature and human beings. In the past two years, I have been elected as school president: I am therefore in charge of organizing events and activities for my school. This unique experience has allowed me to become a good listener and communicator.

The main reason why I want to study in the UK is that the idea of living in a culturally diverse environment really fascinates me. Moreover, the value of degrees from English universities is appreciated all over the world and, in my opinion, there is no better country for me where to study English Literature. In the future, I see myself teaching English either in the UK or in another country, as I wish to instill my same passion towards English Literature in future students and to be continually stimulated by them.