Coming from an entrepreneurial background, I have always been fascinated about business management and the thought process

behind every decision made. I have been interested in what my father does and have offered my ideas and suggestions. Since taking Business Studies, my understanding of different aspects of the business and how they are integrated to make it work has significantly increased. What particularly interests me is how some of todays PLCs were once businesses which had a few employees, how the journey of making technical decisions, being determined and having the drive to accomplish have brought them into the FTSE100 to become extremely successful companies. I am particularly interested in Business and Economics because both are the building blocks on how the world works and has worked. They both examine choice; why and how institutions such as governments and firms make decisions and what the repercussions of those decisions are. Reading the contemporary economic book Freakonomics and Logic of Life ignited a further interest in how economics can affect our everyday lives whether we know it or not. As people become more economically literate, they become especially interested in the problems of the economy when everything goes wrong. My work experience at Reckitt Benckiser (RB) lasted two weeks. I was placed in the HR department of the company which helps look after over 700 employees on site. This opportunity gave me vast experience and improved my analytical skills, as I had completed various tasks, such as doing a thorough analysis on the companys exit survey for the Year in Industry programme. This involved creating a presentation describing the trends in the survey for the site leaders of RB which was a daunting yet breathtaking task. I analysed the different types of on and off the job training courses and budgets for RB. The aim was to see whether a reorganisation of training budgets was needed depending on the cost and popularity of the courses. Working in an office full of experienced employees could have been overwhelming; however, it enabled me to improve my interpersonal and communication skills within groups of people that I had not met previously. I certainly didnt feel out of my depth in this environment. This will assist me in my university course and in the future with my career, as it is important to be able to communicate your ideas clearly in your work and through your words. Being Grade 8 standard at piano and performing in many recitals in and out of school it has developed my confidence whilst learning to present myself well in front of large groups of people. I also enjoy a variety of extra-curricular activities which include playing for my local 11 and 6-a-side football team, where I have won the Players Player award for many years. Playing football has helped me appreciate that teamwork performance is as important if not more so than individual performance. This understanding was reinforced when I was part of a Young Enterprise team which won the Team Work award in 2011. My chosen A Levels have allowed me to build up a variety of skills, such as quantitative and qualitative data analysis, essay writing, dealing with theories and hypotheses. I feel that Psychology will help me with my chosen university courses as Economics is based on human behaviour where the theories are based on assumptions of people acting rationally but in fact they do not always do so. Economics may benefit from Psychology, as it gives an understanding of how people behave in production, consumption and exchange.

I am a highly determined and motivated student who hopes to pursue a career involving Business and Economics, as I think that they are the base of very important issues that we face globally today. This course will allow me to extend my knowledge and understanding further and help me become more involved with the world we live in.