Do you have to have a book on personal statement for physics at oxford?

I am dyslexic so I feel like it's going to take me aaaages to finish the book on top of school work. Is it a must have? Or will I damage my chances by not including one as it is seen as the standard?
I want to study physics and philosophy at Oxford :smile:

Reply 1

Anonymous #1

i got an interview for chem at oxford without mentioning any books. during my interview and everyone i’ve talked to who applied for sciences, personal statement wasn’t even asked about (though i’d advise you to be honest because there is still a chance it could come up). particularly for a science degree, books are not that important! in fact it’s almost a cliche to mention the books everyone reads. as long as you’re demonstrating your interest outside of school that’s enough. i mentioned a week long summer science experience at a uni, two days in a uni lab, an online course and reading of some articles. they want to know what you learnt and enjoy in your subject. additionally, i found olympiads (even just past papers if there’s no opportunity for competing) were a great way to understand and learn more!

Reply 2

Admit-One

Universities Forum Helper

21

Mentioning a book, in a PS to any uni, adds nothing.

Writing critically about a book might. But whether you need to depends on what other stuff you are including.

Reply 3

MayaVellichor

OP

17

I have been doing a lot of isaac physics and have applied for the senior physics challenge summer school
I have also been watching YouTube physics 'documentaries', podcasts and lectures
I was just worried cause my school made it seem like it was unprofessional to say that you got information from those sources rather than a fancy book
(I am slightly worried that for philosophy they might expect me to have read a couple of books)

Reply 4

Anonymous #1

Original post by MayaVellichor

I have been doing a lot of isaac physics and have applied for the senior physics challenge summer school
I have also been watching YouTube physics 'documentaries', podcasts and lectures
I was just worried cause my school made it seem like it was unprofessional to say that you got information from those sources rather than a fancy book
(I am slightly worried that for philosophy they might expect me to have read a couple of books)

that already sounds really good! oxford recognises different people have different opportunities presented to them, they’re not looking for how impressive your supercurriculars are. if you’re worried about it, you can word it in a way that sounds smarter lol (‘after watching a documentary on xyz , it inspired me to delve further into… etc etc). do make sure the videos you’re watching from are accurate and from a reputable source though, you don’t want to demonstrate inaccurate knowledge in your statement. for philosophy, it may be a good idea to show them that you are able to comprehend complex ideas through reading however if you have other things related to philosophy you can mention those instead! overall don’t worry too much, statements matter less for science subjects, i’d focus on any oxford assessments required for your course, they tend to place more emphasis on those.

Reply 5

Hannahcgia

10

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Reply 6

PAT_22

12

Original post by MayaVellichor

I am dyslexic so I feel like it's going to take me aaaages to finish the book on top of school work. Is it a must have? Or will I damage my chances by not including one as it is seen as the standard?
I want to study physics and philosophy at Oxford :smile:

Nope! I focused on concepts and ideas I found super interesting in the materials I studied, elaborate on what aspect makes it interesting (how two topics are very connected, how some method makes it easy to understand a large set of phenomena etc.) and also talked about what I did when learning them (e.g. wrote a handout for others, realised it could be refined in so and so manner, hope to improve in uni).

Peruse material for increasing your own understanding, not for completion!

Reply 7

MayaVellichor

OP

17

Original post by PAT_22

Nope! I focused on concepts and ideas I found super interesting in the materials I studied, elaborate on what aspect makes it interesting (how two topics are very connected, how some method makes it easy to understand a large set of phenomena etc.) and also talked about what I did when learning them (e.g. wrote a handout for others, realised it could be refined in so and so manner, hope to improve in uni).

Peruse material for increasing your own understanding, not for completion!

Thank you! I have partially read a few books but it takes me way too long to finish them cover to cover

Reply 8

Anonymous #2

Multiple academics mentioned to me during formals that they don’t read a single word from UCAS personal statements.

Reply 9

beautifulworld

18

Original post by MayaVellichor

I have been doing a lot of isaac physics and have applied for the senior physics challenge summer school
I have also been watching YouTube physics 'documentaries', podcasts and lectures
I was just worried cause my school made it seem like it was unprofessional to say that you got information from those sources rather than a fancy book
(I am slightly worried that for philosophy they might expect me to have read a couple of books)