Economics & French Personal Statement Example

The way in which consequences of economic policy can affect ordinary life fascinates me. We are now facing a crisis in the financial market that was inevitable. Year after year of growth has finally culminated in a massive downfall due to the carelessness of the American banking system.

Throughout my schooling I have analyzed and studied many situations which have had complications attached to them, such as the run on The Bank of the United States of 1930 that played a major part in the Great Depression, whilst developing my own theories and the understanding that the world revolves around economics.

Last year, along with 5 friends, I took part in a business project called Young Enterprise. With this project, we set up a small company and created a product which we sold at events around Brussels throughout the year.

The chance to be assigned the important position of Finance Director allowed me to experience the work involved in running a company, from the first steps of selling shares to finance our expenses, to managing the accounting while the product was marketed, to liquidating the company at the end of the year.

The results that came from this exercise were an award that we won for best sales technique (out of about 100 other companies taking part in the competition), a profit of 150 euros, a certificate for passing the Cambridge University Young Enterprise examination and a much higher level of communication and management skills, which are vital for a successful future.

In school, I have participated in many projects that have required my skills in one way or another. Every year, with my economics class, we organise several sales from which the benefits were given to charities.

For example, for Valentines Day, we sell and distribute roses to students. The last sale made a profit of 2000 euros that we donated to a local charity for hospitalised children. I have also been part of a team that introduced Oxfam fair-trade products to our student cafeteria.

Outside school, I worked with the organisers of the Amartya Sen lecture series in arranging Sustainable Democracy, a lecture, by Anand Panyarachun, the former Thai Prime Minister, under the aegis of ING and The Oxford, Cambridge and Harvard Societies of Belgium.

Living in Belgium for the last 16 years means I have been able to develop my knowledge in languages. I am fluent in oral and written French, having attended a Belgian primary school up to the age of 10. As well as continuing to study in French and English in the European School, I also learned Spanish to a competent level.

For the last four years, my class has elected me to serve as Class Representative on the Student Council, where I refined my debating skills in French. Working day to day with all ten language sections in the school has given me a thorough knowledge of communication and the different cultures throughout Europe.

In my spare time I enjoy playing both the piano and the harp, each of which I started studying at an early age.

Two years ago, I took part in a concert performing two pieces on the harp. In my leisure time, I am a keen reader, both of daily newspaper reports and literature in general. I have subscriptions to both The Economist and Le Soir. At the moment, the two texts I am reading are Emma, by Jane Austen, and Bruges La Morte, by Georges Rodenbach. I am a proficient badminton player, at an amateur level.

I am really looking forward to the next years of university, a whole new culture. Coming home will be a refreshing change.