Politics and International Relations Personal Statement Example 16

The internal workings of society are evolving and the veracity of our democracy itself is in question; those in power are making decisions that will shape the future, making it all the more critical to understand our political system and the state of relations on an international scale. I consider myself lucky to be alive at a time where the political climate and international relations are so electrifying. Growing up enthralled by politics, an interest in Feminism led me to further reading on liberalism and Intersectionality, shaping my outlook on the world. A love of literature further refined my grasp of the conflict between class, race, and gender as well as the importance of democracy and the dangers of abuse of power through texts such as Akala’s ‘Natives’. Alternatively the works of Niccolo Machiavelli, specifically ‘The Prince’ fed my interest in international relations; while I don’t fully match his sentiments, I find the concept of Classical Realism fascinating, this led me to further reading into Neorealism and the place of anarchic ordering principle within it. Machiavelli also led me to further philosophy such as Plato’s ‘The Republic’ and Sun Tzu’s ‘The Art Of War' such texts have enabled me to build a wider political scope and grasp of the breadth of ideology. As an avid reader from classical literature to newspapers such as The Guardian and The Telegraph, conducting individual research and fact checks have proved integral in forming my opinions on various aspects of political intrigue.

Through school and independent study, my zeal for politics and international relations has continued to develop. Studying The Cold War and USSR-US relations has expanded the horizons of my interests to wider areas beyond Europe, prompting me to look into both Stalinism in Soviet Russia and Maoist China; my chosen A-Levels refining my critical thinking and analysis skills. Independently, I’ve honed my grasp of the impacts of socialism and communism outside of Western Europe. With a backdrop of Brexit and EU negotiations, I’m intrigued by the power of international organisations over state sovereignty and the implications of such power, intensifying my appetite to study it at the highest level and develop my insight.

Outside of academia, I’m a passionate debater, founding, and leading a debate team within my sixth form. I've excelled in public speaking competitions within school and as part of my National Citizenship Service. I’m a lover of the arts, often visiting the many galleries and museums in London as well as performing within a musical and classical theatre troupe at theatres such as The Barbican. One particular exhibition that has resonated with me was ‘You Say You Want A Revolution’ at the V&A exploring how the finished and unfinished revolutions of the late 1960s changed the way we live today and think about the future. Having played competitive hockey for over eight years I’ve developed a strong resilience and work ethic I believe is integral to further education. Being politicised at a young age, I’m greatly involved in activism. Spreading awareness by joining the climate strike and being published by the Socialist Party Newspaper and featured in VICE on my views have demonstrated both my active engagement in politics and passion for it. I’m engaged in many humanitarian endeavours, raising funds and collecting clothes for ‘Care4Calais’ towards the refugee crisis and ‘Islamic Relief’ towards helping vulnerable people across the globe. Additionally to international humanitarian groups, I’ve been volunteering to cultivate a community garden with a sensory garden to avail children with sensory processing issues. I'm deeply ambitious; while my engagement in politics has been activism thus far, I envision a future for myself in politics and diplomacy, studying politics and international relations will provide me with an understanding integral to the capacity to shape policy, and in turn, the future.