PLEASE how can i start a politics personal statement

How can i start my politics and economics personal statement

i have everything else though just the starting sentence which i need to be very powerful

PM please

Reply 1

PQ

Clearing and Applications Advisor

21

Original post by golden tribe

How can i start my politics and economics personal statement

i have everything else though just the starting sentence which i need to be very powerful

PM please

If you have everything else then you probably already have your opening sentence. The opening doesn't need to be powerful - what it (and every other sentence in your ps) needs to be is PERSONAL. You should open with what it is about your subjects that has you keen to know more or the story of the path you've followed that has led you to this point.

Making your opening line stand out will not improve your ps - it could well make everything that follows a disappointment of it could disrupt the flow substantially or it could sound like it is written by someone else. Your opening should come naturally from the content if your ps (so that from the readers point of view it flows on to the rest of the content)

Reply 2

Comeback

14

As long as it's not these (or similar to these) your opening sentence is suitable:

Spoiler

Reply 3

ByronicHero

20

As PQ said, you just jump right in. I started with a statement about the nature of progress which provided the context for one of the first things I wanted to talk about. The rest flowed from there. I know it is commonly believed that you have to do something exceptional to demand attention but I can't stress enough how nonsensical this is.

Reply 4

golden tribe

OP

15

Original post by PQ

If you have everything else then you probably already have your opening sentence. The opening doesn't need to be powerful - what it (and every other sentence in your ps) needs to be is PERSONAL. You should open with what it is about your subjects that has you keen to know more or the story of the path you've followed that has led you to this point.

Making your opening line stand out will not improve your ps - it could well make everything that follows a disappointment of it could disrupt the flow substantially or it could sound like it is written by someone else. Your opening should come naturally from the content if your ps (so that from the readers point of view it flows on to the rest of the content)

can you please take a look at it

Reply 5

bananaminion

12

Original post by golden tribe

How can i start my politics and economics personal statement

i have everything else though just the starting sentence which i need to be very powerful

PM please

I started with a couple sentences of what politics was to me - not in a pretentious way. Just like, basically, why I picked politics without saying "I like politics/ love politics/ adore politics because".
But yeah, considering 90% of people are going for an amazing opening statement which will catch the eye, I'm sure that it's rare for the attention for an admissions tutor to be grabbed by it whatever you do, so just make sure it's not pretentious, it's not twatty, and it works with the flow of the rest of the PS

Reply 6

golden tribe

OP

15

Original post by bananaminion

I started with a couple sentences of what politics was to me - not in a pretentious way. Just like, basically, why I picked politics without saying "I like politics/ love politics/ adore politics because".
But yeah, considering 90% of people are going for an amazing opening statement which will catch the eye, I'm sure that it's rare for the attention for an admissions tutor to be grabbed by it whatever you do, so just make sure it's not pretentious, it's not twatty, and it works with the flow of the rest of the PS

what unis did you apply to and which ones did you get an offer from

Reply 7

Pretentious Pete

6

Original post by PQ

The opening doesn't need to be powerful - what it... needs to be is PERSONAL.

This is so, so true. OP.

Admittedly not in admissions for Universities but I am in HR so I do know a thing or two about applications. If it's personal it will naturally show passion, and that is what they are after. Make it 'powerful' and you'll end up doing the following:

Original post by Comeback

Ever since I was a 1 year old I have dreamed of studying politics...

It would be outrageous to think I am anything but perfect for a politics degree, because...

Poltics is my favourite subject at schol because...

Ghandi once said...

Margaret Thatcher once said..

Anyone once said...

Which is outright cringe worthy. As the famous philosopher Jayceon Taylor once said 'be you, do you.'

Reply 8

Comeback

14

Original post by Pretentious Pete

This is so, so true. OP.

Admittedly not in admissions for Universities but I am in HR so I do know a thing or two about applications. If it's personal it will naturally show passion, and that is what they are after. Make it 'powerful' and you'll end up doing the following:

Which is outright cringe worthy. As the famous philosopher Jayceon Taylor once said 'be you, do you.'

Your quote makes it look like I was endorsing that :tongue:

Reply 9

bananaminion

12

Original post by golden tribe

what unis did you apply to and which ones did you get an offer from

York/Lancaster/Liverpool/Loughborough/Lincoln

Reply 10

Estreth

11

Original post by bananaminion

York/Lancaster/Liverpool/Loughborough/Lincoln

Did you really want to go to a university beginning with L and then decide you needed a non-L university as insurance so included York?

Reply 11

bananaminion

12

Original post by Estreth

Did you really want to go to a university beginning with L and then decide you needed a non-L university as insurance so included York?

Yup. And now I'm actually off to York!

Haha believe it or not but I didn't even realise until I literally confirmed my choices on UCAS.

Reply 12

Illuminate.

3

Hi

I spent ages trying to come up with an amazing first liner for my personal statement and then realised how much time I was wasting.
Like everyone else said, just get stuck in. Universities don't like people who beat around the bush in their personal statement and it only wastes characters.
A few things to consider:
- Why you want to study politics
- What politics means to you
- Experience or future plans which you think your degree will help you to achieve

If I could give one piece of advice it would be to do you research into the modules universities cover and try to fit that into your personal statement. For example: 'Once beginning university, I eagerly anticipate learning about ...' It shows that you've done your homework and are serious about applying.

My PS started like this:

Theopinions of one individual inside government can significantlyinfluence the decisions made by others and the welfare of the state.The nature of the British Political system allows any individual,regardless of background, to make a positive change to wider society.This is what I hope to do upon completing a politics degree, whetherthis is achieved by taking up a job within Whitehall itself, apressure group organisation or even a journalistic profession.

I got offers from all 5 of my choices including Nottingham, Liverpool and Lincoln :smile:

Good luck!

Reply 13

Expert #7451

12

I think you need to open this sorta thing with a very important statement which encapsulates your beliefs and your ideals. That'll both put across that you've got principles, a personality, and an interest in your subject. I began by paraphrasing Jefferson in my PS, using that to segway into my ideological inclinations and so forth.

It was for PPE, but same principle.

PLEASE how can i start a politics personal statement

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