I am a recent graduate in History and French from the University of Oxford. I taught English in France during my year abroad, and have worked on the University of Oxford’s summer school three times, teaching year 12 students how to approach the HAT.

I think both disciplines are great ways to understand and communicate with people, and I have enjoyed studying them immensely. In History nailing the structure to different questions early on is key to success, and this is

what I will initially focus on. Once a solid foundation has been laid, more complex ideas on the nature of sources and historical events can be fitted around this framework, to best answer any questions that come up.

For French I cannot stress enough how much using the language is key to improvement, and this is what made me enjoy studying it so much. What is also important in A Level French is the film or literature essay, and studying this at degree level is what made me love literature even more. As someone who did not study English A level I understand the hurdles of understanding an unfamiliar discipline in an unfamiliar language, but instilling a love of literature in French was key to me applying to study it at university, and key to improvement.