My Interest in the Study of History

My interest in the study of history dates back to my early days at Queen Elizabeth II High School, Isle of Man. I was fascinated by the study of the Roman Empire that I undertook during my first year. Fuelled by enthusiastic teaching my interest developed, and I became particularly interested in my GCSE history course that was concerned with the Cold War period. My interest in modern political history has continued into the sixth form, and, in particular, the breakdown of communism in the USSR and Eastern Europe, and area that I intend to explore in my Extended Essay.

The breadth that the I.B. offered attracted me and I applied for and obtained a scholarship to Gigglesworth College, one of the few U.K. schools to teach the I.B. Since my move to Gigglesworth, I have begun to read more deeply and understand more completely what the study of history entails. My enjoyment of reading and interest in the subject has deepened as I have read Gorbachev by Martin McCauley and some of A.J.P.Taylor's essays. The literary element of my IB course led m...