International Relations

International Relations and conflict of war has always enthralled me. Firstly, coming from Somalia, a conflict hot-zone, I have learnt first-hand how a country's war with itself and others can destroy an entire society and how corrupted political leaders can take advantage of those in need. From a very young age I was more socially aware of my surroundings than the average 11 year old due to my interests in current affairs, this enabled me to represent my school in debating competitions for my borough. Debating taught me to construct a coherent and objective argument about the topics given, a skill that is very integral for a degree in International Relations.

From the chilling Cold War to renewed tensions boiling over Iran's supposed Nuclear Programme or perhaps the controversial Israeli-Arab conflict; these are just some of the topics that make me want to study International Relations at degree level. I am particularly engrossed by 'war, Peace and International Relations'; this was fuelled by reading Colin S. Gray's book of the same name. In which he writes in great clarity and depth about history of strategy, this I believe will be valuable for me when I start a degree on International relations, War and Peace.

Observing the recent US presidential debates has allowed me to take a much more in depth look at the U.S Political system. The U.S foreign policy and the vast impact that it can have is a keen interest of mine and has been one of the main reasons why I am choosing to study International Relations.

My AS Level in Government and Politics assisted me greatly in deciding on my choice of degree as it not only outlined my love affair with International Relations and Political sciences, but also gave me the chance to be introduced to great Political Scientists and fascinating theories. Studying Media Studies at both AS and A Level benefited me as I learnt about technological advancements over the years. I learnt about the trade relations between China and the U.S and more interestingly the relations between Cuba and the U.S. Furthermore, Media Studies allowed me to use my creativity as I created two films during this process, showing that I have a multitude of skills. English Language and Literature has been a joy to study due to the contexts of the texts that I read regularly and learning about the societal impacts and backgrounds. George Bernard Shaw's plays were always fascinating to me as his idiosyncratic political views were always apparent within his works. Sociology applies theoretical approaches to answer political questions, such as Karl Marx's crackdown on Capitalism or the feminist theory which argues that women are often excluded from International Relations. Sociology has given me the foundational knowledge of many applicable theories to International Relations, it has also helped me understand society and introduced me to globalisation and the vast impact that it can have.

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