Have you read The Strange and Beautiful Sorrows of Ava Lavender by Leslye Walton because honestly it's so beautiful and whimsical and heartbreaking?? (and mostly heartbreaking. having read it, I am a little broken. but like... in a whimsical way.) It's about a girl born with wings and the women in her family and I want it to be more popular but there is so little I can say about it without ruining it completely, I guess.
Thanks for the rec! Whimsical and heartbreaking books are my weakness. I've seen it in my local library a few times so maybe I'll pick it up next time I'm there. :)
wow aaaah that is a lot THANK YOU for your help and time omg. i'm definitely concentrating on a feminist angle for my statement, but mainstream lit (and perception of it) links into my epq anyhow ha. thank you again! there's a lot of things you've mentioned that haven't come up in talks about my PS with teachers, so you've been super helpful. :))
HELLO as far as I understand you study english at uni? I'm applying p soon and was wondering if you have you any advice for writing personal statements? (bc for science-based subjects they want you to talk about work exp, but for english i'm thinking that they don't want 4000 chars of what books i've read haha [panicking tbh]) thanks :))
Hello. :) Yes, I study English Literature. Ah, personal statements. God I remember that time well.
I'm not entirely certain how much help I can be because, from what I gathered from the various teachers that edited mine, they all remarked that it was a rather unusual piece. There was some pretty generic advice like including extra curricular activities and grades and explaining your passion for your subject etc. so forth; but I sort of twisted mine into a bit of a narrative whereby I started by explaining how I became interested in literature. And mine is rather unconventional tale (I used to hate reading) which I used to draw my reader in with, if you will. Take advantage of the fact that you're applying for a creative subject/the arts -- they will want to see something that demonstrates your interest -- that is, almost in itself, a piece of literature. In other words, don't approach it with the same kind of economical, pointed, formulaic business-like phrases that you would a CV. Don't be afraid to play around, skip back and forth chronologically. English lecturers are exactly like you: they love reading. They want to see something that oozes with zeal and passion. Because those are the students that they're going to enjoy teaching the most, and those are the ones who are going to excel at their subject. Come across as an individual, not a sheep. And remember: you already are an individual. You just have to find the right way to express it.
And don't, whatever you do, express your interest in tedious cliches. Don't say, I really love the characters in Jane Austen's novels. (And don't say things like, 'I really love Elizabeth Bennet because she's such a strong female character.' Because firstly, what does 'strong' mean? Any character that is well-rounded and well-written should come across as poignant and memorable? And that should be a given.) Be original in describing how/why you love those characters (e.g. how is the novelist getting across that aspect of their character?) or talk about a another aspect of the novel. For instance, I very predictably declared my undying love for Wuthering Heights in mine, and instead of rambling about how I'm weirdly attracted to and fascinated by Cathy and Heathcliff's characters in a very unhealthy way; I talked about the element of extreme isolation, the microcosm that WH itself comes to represent, the use of language/setting, chronological shifts etc. Basically, don't go about expressing your passion for books in a very trundling, obvious way that they've probably read exact duplicates of 10,000 times before getting to yours. (If you're struggling, you could come at this angle expressing your interest in reading texts from a feminist / marxist / postcolonialist / pyscholoanaytical perspective. I didn't do this at the time because i didn't know much about it, but if i had to write one now, I would. Don't do this if you're not, though.)
WRITING. Do you like writing? And that's not just fiction (and yes, you can include fan fiction, just don't call it that/make it sound more sophisticated) -- poetry, journalling, writing articles, even polemic prose like essays -- that's an brilliant thing to include. If you do like writing, what do you like to write about? What are you writing at the moment, what got you into it? This is another area that lecturers want to see a preference for. Because you're going to be writing lots of essays. Creative writing courses will probably be made available to you. They want to see that you're comfortable in an environment where you have to sit down and produce lots of written material.
Drama is another element of English studies that tutors would like to see some kind of inclination for. You don't have to be mad about it (but if you are, great!) but -- there's an awful lot of the literary canon that technically consists of plays. I mean, Shakespeare. You're probably going to be exposed to an awful lot of drama, and thinking about how the world of literature and drama intertwine therein. So, if you've ever participated in any productions, or even working backstage, or even enjoyed theatre, is a great thing to talk about.
Languages. You will be thinking a lot about linguistics, so, how words are constructed, how we put sentences together, how English has developed over time, its origins etc. Simply having an interest in words is vital, I would say. So for instance, in my PS, I talked about how I'd had a flare for languages since I was young, and how I enjoyed studying French and German at GCSE and then went on to study Latin at A-Level. (And btw, having a knowledge of foreign langs. is very helpful in literature studies because a lot of authors like to pull from non-English/European/Classical sources. I.e. Ovid.)
The last paragraph, like the first, should be memorable. Don't be dramatic, but don't let your statement just wither away into blah--blah-i-can't-be-bothered-anymore-you-get-what-i-mean. Introduce a new topic, or talk about what you're looking forward to studying in your degree, what you're hoping to do in university, or how you think an English degree might help you in the kind of profession you're aspiring towards. Remember, they want to see students demonstrating that they are driven and genuinely passionate about the subject they've applied for.
I'm not sure if that helps, but, I wish you all the best when you get round to writing it! :)
eep sorry in advance, i love these two but it's been a while since i read graceling!
who wakes the other one up with kisses
Po likes to wake Katsa with sleepy, sloppy kisses. Katsa likes to wake Po with a kiss and then aim a punch at him to test his morning reflexes.
who cooks for who
Neither of them, now that they're not having to hunt their own food.
who is the morning person/night person
Katsa is definitely a morning person. She's always alert, and she's never experienced sleepiness. Po is always drowzy first thing. He's still getting used to using his grace to see his surroundings, and it can be overwhelming first thing in the morning.
who is the romantic one
They're not typically romantic, but in private, they can be sickeningly sweet. Po is usually more romantic, but Katsa has her moments.
who is the top when it comes to sex
Whoever wins their latest sparring match (hint: it's usually Katsa)
who would lead in ballroom dancing
They attempt it once. Katsa gets so frustrated that she kicks him in the shin and it turns into a wrestling match followed by sex in a storage closet after Katsa makes Po swear that he'll never make her dance again.
who is the more cuddly one
Po (but Katsa can be just as cuddly when she falls asleep in his arms)
who is the one to most likely pick the movie they watch
Movie? What's a movie?
who is the one who would pay for dates
Po.
who is the one who would initiate a quicky during classes
They're always sneaking off to Po's private quarters in the middle of the day
the book thief by markus zusak!! (the movie is out in the us rn and i'm sad)
I HAVEN'T BEEN ABLE TO SEE THE MOVIE BECAUSE I'VE BEEN SO BUSY WITH SCHOOL AND IT'S VERY FRUSTATING
URL: 10/10Icon: 9/10Theme: 9/10 (pretty sure I've used that one before, the post wrap is just so pretty)Posts: 7/10 (not my kind of thing :/)Overall: 8/10
put your fav book in my ask and I'll rate your blog
Never again | Ugh | Eh | It was okay | I liked it | I really enjoyed it | Loved it! | OMFG | I died from love | Never read it | Plan on reading it | Will look into
