Personal Statement:Economics and Mathematics 2

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Economics and Mathematics Personal Statement

Economics is at the forefront of the many decisions made by politicians, investors and even ourselves as consumers, every day. I am thoroughly fascinated by its application to the modern world; Economics is relevant to everyone, be it a large world-wide corporation or a small-scale business. Reading newspapers and books such as 'The Bottom Billion' and 'Globalization and Its Discontents' highlight that the gap between rich and poor countries is widening at a rapid rate. Currently, we are facing mounting problems such as poverty, a growing world population and the appropriate allocation of limited resources. I am only just beginning to understand the nature and the proposed solutions to these problems, such as introducing thorough and unique economic reform in these poorer countries but ultimately the creation of a level playing field that allows all countries to compete in the market should be the aim. My appreciation for Economics has come from its significant effects on society and how the choices of others can influence activity in markets.

Mathematics is a pivotal subject, which I believe complements and integrates into Economics. It is the language that Economics is written in, and mathematical models are the most effective way of demonstrating complex economic processes. It is this simplicity in Mathematics which I love. Whilst reading 'The Logic of Life', I became interested in the concept of game theory. The application of mathematical ideas to discover patterns in strategy games and to predict sequences in human behaviour, make it an important area of Mathematics which combines with Economics. This is one of the reasons I wish to continue to study Mathematics at university. This summer, I was fortunate enough to gain an internship at an investment management firm, where I shadowed their in-house economist. The work of an economist; analysing graphs of economic trends and using the information to suggest new behaviour in the markets taught me the importance of graphs in economics and that the skill to interpret them is vital. Fuelled by my interest, I have taken up AS Further Mathematics because as well as developing problem-solving skills, I have enjoyed the topics in Pure Maths, in particular calculus, which is useful in microeconomics. Statistics is another branch of Mathematics which is closely associated with Economics. The development of statistical methods to analyse the economy will improve economic policy as well as our general understanding of Economics. As the importance of Mathematics and Statistics increases, studying its uses in Economics will reap many benefits in the future.

Studying two languages at A2 level has prompted me to consider the prospect of living in Europe. It has improved my speaking skills as well as my understanding of other cultures. Within school, I am a Senior Prefect and a Head of House and take an active role in organising house events and participating in school life. Music is a keen interest of mine outside of school. I play the flute to Grade 6 standard and I have been a member of the ******** ******* Concert Band for over 9 years. Music can assist learning, which led me to write a physics 'rap' song called '*** ****** ****** *****' for a film explaining radioactivity. The film won 3 Sci-Cast awards and was featured in the Evening Standard newspaper. Starting and running a student business, a sweet shop for students at my school, for the NFTE scheme enabled me to learn about managing finances and working as a team and to also see the way in which Economics affects the real world in the way of businesses.

Being able to contextualise parts of Mathematics into the way the economy works is something that interests me and I am eager to learn more at degree level. I believe that my love and command of Mathematics, my passion for Economics along with my dedication and hard-working attitude will make me successful in higher education and beyond.

Universities Applied to:

• Warwick (MORSE) - Offer AAAa Firm
• Queen Mary (Economics, Mathematics, Statistics) - Offer AAB Insurance (Declined)
• University College London (Statistics, Economics and Finance) - Offer A*AAe
• King's College London (Mathematics with Management and Finance) - Offer AAAe
• London School of Economics (Mathematics and Economics) - Rejection

Grades Achieved:

• Mathematics A2 - A
• French A2 - A
• Spanish A2 - B
• Further Maths AS - B

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