This is a real personal statement written by a student for their university application. It might help you decide what to include in your own. There are lots more examples in our collection of sample personal statements.
It was at Secondary School that I first became interested in science, as I enjoyed the practical and analytical elements the subject provided. I also benefited from the vast array of experiments that I performed as it enabled me witness science first hand. My favourite topic to date is Transition Elements, understanding the reasons behind colour change and how the colours themselves come into existence by the bonds absorbing different wavelengths of light. During my final years at Secondary School I became more interested in the chemistry aspect of science as I found the content far more exciting than the other sciences and thinking analytically comes naturally to me, so I’ve chosen to continue it at college. As I studied chemistry at college I decided attend chemistry open days which solidified my decision to continue it at university. I was amazed at the accuracy and complexity of the equipment and the experiments that I would perform at degree level, the most memorable parts of the open days I attended was a demonstration of the colour of electrons; something I never thought possible to discern.
I have improved upon my skills of analysis, evaluation and attentiveness at college, as these are key skills to have in chemistry to explain results but also through the application of physics to every day situations and extended pieces of writing in history. As part of my History A Level I studied Edward IV of England for an Individual Investigation (Coursework) as he was one of my favourite monarchs from the period. I enjoyed this piece of work as it allowed me freedom with the choice of topic and to further develop the skills needed to work alone, this will help me in the independent study I will have to do at university. I have also gained skills from positions of responsibility I was given, I was a prefect and an Arts Captain at secondary school. These experiences helped me to develop my self-confidence and to be positive when faced with an issue that needed to be resolved, this will be useful when I find a subject difficult at university. In the second year at college I ran for Publicity Officer as part of the Student Executive and I won the position. This helped to develop my interpersonal and communication skills while working as a team to organise things such as college parties.
I have also completed some work experience, working at Sovereign Radio showed me what a work place is like and taught me how to work with others effectively. Working at Cavendish School developed my leadership skills and forced me to work outside my comfort zone. During these two periods of work experience, I found that I enjoyed working in a group, leading me to decide that I wanted my career in chemistry to involve the public. I have also done some voluntary work in a charity shop set up to help older people, near where I live. I got to interact with the public and made many new friends in the process.
I am most looking forward to studying Spectroscopy at university and building on my previous knowledge from A-level as the intricacies of the machines, the vast amount of detail and data that comes from one small sample is astounding.
After university I hope to have a career related to chemistry, either in research or analysis, as they require similar skills. However, I would like part of my career to include the public in some way, as I enjoy communicating with people and would like to pass on the knowledge I will have gained to others, for example by becoming a lecturer in later life.
Comments from our reviewers:
The section of the PS which is the strongest is: The work experience paragraph is the strongest. It provides two examples of work experience and highlights the specific skills they learnt and how they plan to incorporate these skills within their degree. Concluding paragraph has the right energy, just needs a change in tone. There are a few instances where skills are mentioned in a cohesive way which works well.
The section of the PS that needs the most work/attention is: The opening paragraphs are very cliched, crowded and are too informal. The first is arguably one of the most important paragraphs as it needs to hook the reader. The structure is far too waffly and contains a few cliches. If I were to be extremely pedantic, then I would also point out that there is a 'to' missing in the part where they mention attending open days.
