My interest in Geography started as a desire to learn and understand how and why the world around me has formed. Studying Geography has allowed me to immerse myself into the breadth of the subject and I have been fascinated by the intricacies of mobilities within Geography, as well as the many issues and challenges associated with transport planning in the cities of our world. My interest in Urban Geography was first ignited when I was awarded ‘Highly Commended’ in an international Geography essay writing competition, working on this essay provided an opportunity for me to develop my research and analytical skills. I explored affordable ways to solve London’s housing crisis and was inspired by the architect Walter Segal, Chile’s ‘Half Houses’ and other bottom up, community led approaches to development. This led to a further research project into the implementation of ‘Shared Spaces’ and a video call with an Urban Planner in Portland, Oregon. Throughout these projects, I was challenged to consider different forms of active transport, designed to improve safety for cyclists and pedestrians. As I worked on my Shared Space project, I investigated the accessibility and inclusivity issues surrounding implementing Shared Spaces, leading me to consider alternative modes of active transport, including cycleways. I am now researching a cycleway in Cardiff for my Geography Non-Examined Assessment, and have been in contact with members of the Welsh Government who played key roles in designing and planning the scheme. Part of this coursework involved me meeting and interviewing business owners who had been impacted by the cycleway. I have thoroughly enjoyed this aspect of geographical fieldwork and getting to know the individual stakeholders, who were impacted, gave me a valuable insight into the challenges of government initiatives versus community led development.
I further broadened my experience during a week with a Chartered Surveying company where I observed another stakeholder’s viewpoint. I learnt about rural land management from a professional business perspective and had a basic introduction into the role of GIS and Mapping within infrastructure planning (inspired by my love of maps). This brought to life many of the geographies surrounding conflicts between opposing stakeholders, and allowed me to empathise with different people impacted by new developments. As my interest in Urban Geographies has grown, I remain passionate about Physical Geography and am concerned about the environmental impact of our everyday lives. I have been a founding member of my Sixth Form’s Environmental Society, and have taken a leading role in establishing the new ‘College Community Garden’ as well as other projects designed to reduce my College’s carbon footprint. Further opportunities for leadership have become possible through Duke of Edinburgh Gold and Scouting, as I have shared my experience and skills in team situations. As a Young Leader with the Cub Scouts and youth representative on the District Executive Committee for Mid Cheshire Scouts, I have grown in confidence and learnt to communicate effectively across age groups in different situations and with different stakeholders.
10 years later, the same map is still up on my wall, and I am even more fascinated by the world in which we live. I am driven to understand more about the geographies of our world and a degree in Geography is my next step in learning how I can make a positive contribution to our planet within my lifetime.
Academic year application was made: 2021-22
Academic year application was made: 2019-20
Used to also apply for: Liberal arts; Languages and cultures; Sociology
Without studying History, we would never draw patterns in our failures to act with humanity, nor prevent such patterns from recurring. When I visited Auschwitz Birkenau as a HET Ambassador its emptiness infuriated me, for it serves as a reminder of the grim capacity of humans to facilitate genocide remorselessly until caught in the act, but this lesson is lost without the correct historical context. Hearing an account of the bureaucracy involved in transporting 1800 Jews from Corfu to Auschwitz enlightened me to the consequences of being a bystander, but through studying History, we reject complacency on behalf of those who made that mistake before us. Attending two university summer schools encouraged me to assess different sources and compare historians’ interpretations whilst presenting my own, a skill that I have developed through evaluating case studies in A-Level Sociology and apply to historiographical debate through my NEA. From these residentials I gained an awareness of how society is fabricated through headlines and omissions. For this reason, I believe that engagement with History is inseparable from engagement with the present day, for historians’ skills are crucial for navigating current affairs. By studying History at a higher level, I hope to reach beyond the timeline of events and influential figures that constitutes mainstream history, uncovering who is missing from this grand rhetoric, which in truth, is a product of the biases of those who have made active decisions over time to construct it; a systemic erasure of women and people of colour. Through Cheryl Rubenberg’s book ‘Palestinian Women’, I found that this process of erasure persists where women still suffer immense exploitation, due to the inadvertent ignorance of those with the privilege to speak on their behalf towards rural areas of the country. The value of Spanish proficiency today cannot be underestimated, given how the impending Venezuelan migrant crisis and xenophobic rhetoric that pollutes the US border lend a growing political relevance to Spanish. Investigating Hispanic culture has shown me how languages provide a broader perspective of History that would otherwise have been overlooked; the series ‘Las Chicas del Cable’ offers a convergence of my interests in Women’s History and Spanish, and my interest in the artist Frida Kahlo enhanced my understanding of the Russian communist movement as I uncovered her involvement with Leon Trotsky. I am determined to continue advancing with my Spanish, as languages grant access to primary sources such as oral history, and empower human connection. I have shown dedication to Spanish by aiding a Year 11 class with their grammar and pronunciation, which motivated me to busk to fundraise for a TEFL project abroad. I am eager to continue my extra-curricular interests of drama and music at university, as I value the strong sense of community that musical theatre cultivates. At school, I recently played Sandy in Grease, a demanding role but one that I relished, often leading warm-ups for younger students and peers. I accredit much of my self-confidence and drive to my involvement with MH:2K, a project which gave me the opportunity to collaborate with like-minded young people on the creation and delivery of workshops about youth mental health. We then pitched proposals for policies and activities that would support young people’s wellbeing to over 200 decision makers and social workers. These projects have reminded me to maintain a positive outlook when facing difficulty and provided insight into effective individual and collective working, thus they have not acted as a detriment to my studies but enhanced them greatly. I believe that the personal and academic skills that I have gained from these experiences combined with my high level of self-motivation and enthusiasm for knowledge demonstrate my suitability for university life and the demands of pursuing History and Spanish at a more advanced level. |
Academic year application was made: 2022-23
Academic year application was made: 2020-21
Used to also apply for: Theoretical Physics; Mathematics and Physics
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Just start by showing your enthusiasm for the subject, showcasing your knowledge and understanding, and sharing your ambitions of what you want to achieve. Avoid cliches! Remember, this opening part is simply about introducing yourself, so let the admissions tutor reading your personal statement get to know you. Keep it relevant and simple.
Nail your uni application with our personal statement examples! Discover personal statements by subject, from A to Z. Find inspiration for your own application with these successful personal statement examples from real students. View Categories Search Courses.
The UCAS Personal Statement is a student's chance to talk about why they want to study for a particular degree, course or subject discipline at a UK university. As they set about writing a personal statement, students need to demonstrate the drive, ambition, relevant skills and notable achievements that make them a suitable candidate for the ...
On The Student Room, we have hundreds of real personal statements written by students when they applied for university in previous years. You'll find all of these listed below, in order of subject. For more help with writing your personal statement, our personal statement section is a good place to go. You can also find tips and discussion in ...
Use your closing couple of lines to summarise the most important points in your statement. 9. Check your writing thoroughly and get someone else to check it, too. 10. Give your brain a rest by forgetting about your personal statement for a while before going back to review it one last time with fresh eyes.
Dr Phil Porter - Associate Dean Education (Student Experience) The best way to approach writing a personal statement is to consider it like a rock concert... which may sound mad. If you consider a rock concert, it starts with a big lively song to get everyone in the mood and ends with a similar song. So that's one of the most important ...
Avoid contrived or grandiose language. Instead use short, simple sentences in plain English. Insert a personal touch if possible, but be careful with humour and chatty approaches. Use evidence of your learning and growth (wherever possible) to support claims and statements. Plan the statement as you would an essay or letter of application for a ...
A word of warning here: it is vital that you sell yourself, but arrogance or lies will result in your personal statement landing in the 'rejected' pile. Keep it honest and down-to-earth. Provide a memorable conclusion. Once you have emphasised your keen interest and relevant qualities, you should round off the statement with a conclusion that ...
Postgraduate Personal Statements. Personal statement examples to help those applying for a Postgraduate course. Find out more. Read our personal statement examples to help you write your own unique, successful statement for the degree you're applying for.
Credit: Mallmo - Shutterstock. To write the best possible personal statement for university, avoid these mistakes: Bunched up paragraphs - You should aim to add a line space between each paragraph so that it's easier to read and looks neater. Each line space will use up a character, but it'll be worth it.
UCAS personal statement word limit. Your personal statement length can be up to 4,000 characters long. This may sound a lot, but it's a word limit of around 550-1000 words with spaces and only about 1 side of typed A4 paper. You need to keep it concise and make sure it's clear and easy to read.
Top tips on how to write your statement opener. We spoke to admissions tutors at unis and colleges - read on for their tips. 1. Don't begin with the overkill opening. Try not to overthink the opening sentence. You need to engage the reader with your relevant thoughts and ideas, but not go overboard. Tutors said: 'The opening is your chance ...
Writing a UCAS Personal Statement How to write a UCAS Personal Statement. A personal statement is part of your application to study at a UK university.In a personal statement, the student writes about what they hope to achieve on a UK university course, what they hope to do after it, and why they are applying to this particular university.It is your first chance to show a demonstrable passion ...
Kate McBurnie, First Year student in French, Italian and Theatre. "I think it's really important to not only include why you'd like to study the course you're applying for, but also the things that set you apart from other applicants, i.e., your hobbies, interests, skills, volunteering etc.".
Economics Personal Statement Example 10. I wish to be recognised as someone who is open-minded and well educated. That is why I want to achieve a top degree in the rigorous, but always changing discipline of Economics. Studying this subject at university would allow me to understand how combinations of complex economical concepts can help to ...
Make a plan. Prepare how you're going to write your personal statement before you begin any of the actual writing. Note down how you want to structure it and what you want to say in each paragraph. By summarising what you're going to write in a plan, you can assess whether your personal statement will flow and if you have all the things you ...
Personal statement checklist. Use Arial or Times New Roman. Font size 11 or 12. 4-5 paragraphs. Include why you chose the university. No negative information. Don't duplicate material from your resume. One side of A4, unless the course specifically asks for more/less.
1. Before you start. The academic work is the most important reason why we're here, but that also translates into work experiences, internships, volunteering. I think a big part of the personal statement is crafting that narrative of academic self that fits alongside your professional experiences, to give that greater picture of who you are ...
Include the following when crafting your personal statement: Why you want a place on the course. Your career aspirations and how your chosen subject fits into these (if you're still unsure on your future career goals, give an idea of what you'd like to move into upon graduation) Qualities and experience you'll bring to your studies ...
The personal statement builder breaks down the content you need for your statement into three key areas: Writing about the course. Skills and achievements. Work experience and future plans. Within each of those sections there are questions to help you think of what to write. For example, in the first section - writing about the course ...
UCAS recommends that you write your personal statement in Microsoft Word before copying and pasting it into the online application form. This is because the application page times out after being inactive for 35 minutes. You'll still need to account for how individual characters are counted differently between Microsoft Word and the online form.
Get your questions answered by sending them an enquiry now. Book Event. If you're applying to university, you'll need to write a personal statement. Here, we talk you through the personal statement structure, from the start to end.
Don'ts. Don't be modest or shy. You want your passions to come across. Don't exaggerate - if you do, you may get caught out in an interview when asked to elaborate on an interesting achievement. Don't use quotes from someone else, or cliches. Don't leave it to the last minute - your statement will seem rushed and important ...
Personal Statements Bank. ... At university, I hope to delve further into the field of computational biochemistry and its future applications, such as advancements in drug development. ... Studying Politics at A Level, I am developing my understanding of the UK's political system and its role as an influential power on the world stage. At ...