HET: LFA My Personal Reflective Statement

24.9.15

Hey guys, I thought this would be a good thing to post about since everyone can learn from it. I had the opportunity to go to Poland in 2013 and visit the famous German Nazi concentration and extermination camp called Auschwitz, it was the largest camp to be built and 1.1 million men, women and children lost their lives there. I went for free as apart of the organisation Holocaust Educational Trust - Lessons from Auschwitz (HET/LFA), two people from my 6th form including myself got to go to Poland with many students from other schools. But before we were allowed to embark on this journey we had to attend a couple of workshops to develop our understanding of what happened back then and how it affect us to this day. Then we headed off to Gatwick Airport at early hours of the morning as this was only a day trip, you can see my whole journey on my YouTube page (link in the side bar), after we came back to England we had to write a personal statement (below) and create something to spread the message of the holocaust during WW2, which I did in the form of a YouTube video.

MY PERSONAL REFLECTIVE STATEMENT 

 Lessons From Auschwitz was with out a doubt one of the best things that has ever happened to me, it has been a life changing experience. I know that it is a bit of a cliché but it is the truth I wouldn’t be here without the encouragement of my teacher or Abdul to help me through the visit to Auschwitz. As well as the assisting seminars that helped me to accumulate the lessons that have taught me from visiting Auschwitz and will continue to teach me throughout my life.

Not a single day has passed without myself thinking about the day I visited Auschwitz I and Auschwitz-Birkenau on the 21st of March 2013, it seems like a long time gone but even the memory of standing at the sign ‘Arbeit Macht Frei’ still haunts me to this day but still having the slight feeling of guilt coinciding as knowing that I got to leave that place but many others were not able to.

The now famous gate to the Auschwitz camp has become a place where crowds gather to photograph or video the sign, a way of making sure people at back at home know that you were really there. But does that make an impact on them? No, I don’t think it does, without actually being able to make others understand that it isn’t about the sign or proving that you were there but to make people influenced by the lessons that you have learnt is the most important.

We created a video documenting photos of our journey and facts to accompany them; we uploaded the video on the no.1 Internet video site YouTube to target a broader audience first instead of tailoring it to each individual group as some younger audiences might be age sensitive although this is very important to take into consideration I did not want to rush projects like this one. This being I wanted them to have time to take in and understand what was being told therefore our plans will be to continue these presentations and videos across the next and final year of our college lives.

As my duty as an ambassador I want to educate that ‘seeing is not like hearing’ and it is true because you always hear the stories of what happened in Auschwitz and other various camps but to go there and see it for yourself is another level of understanding that only a handful get to experience and I was luckily to be one of the only few. These places and its survivors won’t be here forever it is our job to keep the memory and its teachings going.

I wish to do more and I will do more as I grow and develop, I want to teach furthermore present the lessons that not only I have learnt but my fellow friends have learnt while going to Auschwitz.

There is so much more I could be able to write but no amount of words would be able to explain the disgust in addition to the overall feelings felt, something we cannot convey…

Helpful Information from UCAS

18.9.15

Hey guys,

I have recently started to post about personal statements as most of you are starting to write/or submit your personal statements to universities yaay! But what about those who have hardly a clue of what they want to do in uni most importantly or what to mention? Here is a post of compiled information from UCAS that I think would be really helpful in making your university choices, this definitely helped when I was going through the process.

Why are you applying:
  • For example why you want to study at higher education level.
  • Why that subject interests you.
  • What your ambitions are when you finish your course.

  • What makes you suitable:
  • Skills, knowledge, achievements and experience you have that will help you do well.
  • These could be from education, employment or work experience, or from hobbies, interests and   social activities.
  • Activities

  • Which of your skills and experiences are most relevant?
  • Check course listings to see what level of understanding you need to have and what qualifications or skills they're looking for.
  • This way you can link your experiences to the skills and qualities they mention, and you can put them into a structure that's most relevant to the course providers.

  • I started by choosing what subjects interest me the most, if you don't have an idea of what you want to do at university I would suggest you do something that interests you and also something that you love doing. Thinking about this logically it make sense to do something that makes you happy and interested then doing a 3+ year degree not enjoying what your learning which also as a consequence is a waste of money in addition to further opportunities to help your future.

    Activities before higher education:
    Extra-curricular activities are great for demonstrating skills on your UCAS application. Maybe something sporting, creative or musical – possibly with key skills like teamwork. Maybe paid work or volunteering, or an activity resulting in a grade, certificate or accreditation. There's so much available – something for all ages and backgrounds:
  • Clubs, societies and employment in your local area.
  • Higher education taster courses – summer schools like Plymouth University.
  • Science, technology, engineering and maths activities.
  • Skills development – ASDAN, Duke of Edinburgh, National Citizen Service or young enterprise.
  • Volunteering – vInspired Awards or WorldWide Volunteering Certificate.
  • Accreditation in personal effectiveness for activities that prepare you for higher education – ASDAN.

  • *information from UCAS website

    Welcome to Glossy Box: August Box

    11.9.15

     


    What is a GlossyBox?
    They send you the newest and most exciting beauty products on the market, this way you can keep up with the world of beauty, fashion and lifestyle.
    You can feedback on each product you receive and be rewarded points which you can redeem for free Glossyboxes. This month they are celebrating their fourth birthday and for this box they filled with with four full-size products.



    Full-size £6.95 MeMeMe Lipglide in Playful Peach
    Full-size £14.55 Manna Kadar Lash Primer
    Full-size £20.59 Emite Artist Colour Powder Blush
    Full-size £10.65 Naobay Calming Face Toner
    Full-size £7 Sass Purifying Cleanser

    £10 (+P&P)


    *All images are my own

    Useful Websites about Personal Statements

    8.9.15

    Hey y'all,

    Some of you maybe getting ready to write that dreaded piece of work called the personal statement in order to get into your university of choice, here are some of the links I used when writing my own - I am in my second year of my first choice uni so I have gone through the whole process myself, you are not alone.

    http://www.ucreative.ac.uk/personal-statement

    http://www.ucas.com/how-it-all-works/undergraduate/filling-your-application/your-personal-statement

    http://www.telegraph.co.uk/education/universityeducation/9566143/Personal-statement-10-most-overused-opening-sentences.html

    http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/2012/oct/22/how-to-write-a-personal-statement

    https://www.e-education.psu.edu/writingpersonalstatementsonline/p3_p3.html

    Good Luck x