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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If you are a current St Anne’s student and want to share your personal statement as a way to guide prospective applicants toward a more successful application, please submit your personal statement (anonymously) here .
Applying to university.
The personal statement builder in the UCAS Hub is designed to help you think about what to include in your personal statement, and how to lay it all out. It also counts how many characters you’ve used, so it’s easy to see when you’re close to the 4,000 character limit.
All you have to do is sign up for the UCAS Hub and then you’ll be able to see how to break your personal statement down into sections, making it easier to arrange your thoughts.
Personal statement builder features.
Once you’ve registered in the UCAS Hub, you can begin to order your thoughts by working through the personal statement builder. You’ll find it on the grid of content on your Hub home page.
The personal statement builder breaks down the content you need for your statement into three key areas:
Within each of those sections there are questions to help you think of what to write.
Once you’ve written your answers in the personal statement builder, you can preview and then export it as a PDF or copy and paste it into a Word document to save it, using the built-in functionality.
There’s also a link within the builder to our dedicated personal statement hub , where you can find guides with lots of extra information around writing it, including:
Also, even if you don’t end up applying to university, using the personal statement builder is a great way to practise writing about your skills and experience you can then use in your CV or an apprenticeship application .
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UCAS scans all personal statements through a similarity detection system to compare them with previous statements.
Any similarity greater than 30% will be flagged and we'll inform the universities and colleges to which you have applied.
Kate mcburnie – first year french, italian and theatre student, university of glasgow.
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COMMENTS
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.
A personal statement is an essay written by a student applying to either a college or university. A personal statement is written and then uploaded to UCAS and is then attached to any university applications that the student may then make. ... undergraduate Universities undergraduate Uni's . Uni of Sunderland . 193 courses. Visit website . Uni ...
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.".
The Free Guide to Writing the Personal Statement. Kick things off with the two greatest brainstorming exercises ever, learn about options for structuring a personal statement + example outlines, check out some amazing example personal statements, and get on your way to writing your own killer personal statement for university applications.
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 ...
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.
Tips for Writing a Personal Statement for College. 1. Approach this as a creative writing assignment. Personal statements are difficult for many students because they've never had to do this type of writing. High schoolers are used to writing academic reports or analytical papers, but not creative storytelling pieces.
Read your statement aloud to check that it flows well. Make sure it is truthful and honest; some courses have an interview element so the admissions selector may ask you to expand further on something you wrote in your statement. Make sure it is applicable to all five of your UCAS choices; remember you can only submit one personal statement ...
In a great personal statement, we should be able to get a sense of what fulfills, motivates, or excites the author. These can be things like humor, beauty, community, and autonomy, just to name a few. So when you read back through your essay, you should be able to detect at least 4-5 different values throughout.
Personal Statement Examples. Essay 1: Summer Program. Essay 2: Being Bangladeshi-American. Essay 3: Why Medicine. Essay 4: Love of Writing. Essay 5: Starting a Fire. Essay 6: Dedicating a Track. Essay 7: Body Image and Eating Disorders. Essay 8: Becoming a Coach.
If you're applying to college, you'll most likely need to write a personal statement as part of your college application. (And please note that the personal statement examples below are for undergraduate applications—if you're trying to find grad school statement of purpose examples, please head to that link.). But before diving into analyzing some great personal statement examples, it ...
Academic Vs CV Personal Statement 7 Steps to Write an Academic Personal Statement #1. Read the Brief (Carefully!) #2. Research the Program #3. Plan Your Statement #4. Look at Example Statements #5. Structure the Contents #6. Pay Attention to the Language #7.
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
For undergraduate courses, UCAS allows students up to 4,000 characters for their personal statement. This isn't a huge amount of space, so you need to make sure every word counts and you sell yourself in the best possible light at all times! ... We explain why it's always best to write your own UCAS personal statement for university. Find out ...
I feel that this has provided me with the experience to successfully balance my academic and social life, and I plan to continue this balance whilst at university. It is my dream to become an alumnus of the School, and I am sure that as I am the top student of my class, you will offer me a place." This brief example of a personal statement is poor.
Stay focussed and relevant. Be specific; use examples and give evidence. Be authentic, enthusiastic and persuasive. Avoid generic and obvious statements. Ask someone you trust for ideas and feedback - they might think of something you don't! Draft your personal statement then copy and paste into Apply.
I have a keen interest in the world around me, and enjoy taking part in a variety of activities for example: volunteering at my local brownies, volunteer marshal at Brighton Marathon; textile and weaving classes; completion of the Trinity Guildhall award at both Bronze and Silver level; and a Stand Up Paddle board instructor.
The personal statement format, structure, and content tips below can help you select an approach that helps you find and express the arc in your life, whether you're working on undergraduate college admissions, law school, medical school, or other graduate schools. What is the Correct Personal Statement Format?
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 ...
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. ... and this dynamic and contemporary element excites me. Hence, I wish to read law at undergraduate level with a study year abroad in Spain. Materials Science.
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 ...