Personal Statement:Mathematics and Physics 1

TSR Wiki > University > Applying to University > Personal Statement Library > Mathematics and Physics 1

Mathematics and Physics Personal Statement

I enjoyed Maths and Physics at Secondary School and this lead me to study them both at A-Level. I love reading books about them particularly those on theoretical Physics. I have always enjoyed finding out what makes the universe work and studying Physics would allow me to find out more. A course in theoretical Physics would also allow me to explore and use Maths in a greater detail

My main area of reading has been in 'fashionable' Physics such as Wormholes, Black Holes and Super String Theory, all of which I find fascinating. I have also been following the current debate between Steven Hawkins and Peter Higgs about what gives matter its mass and the existence of the Higgs Boson

When I first started Maths at A-Level, I was doing single Maths. I have now realised that I will need more Maths to really understand more advanced Physics ideas and, because I like Maths for its own sake, I have taken up extra lessons. This will improve my understanding of calculus, complex numbers and other relevant areas

I have extended my computing studies at college into other areas such as programming in C++, Visual Basic, Delphi and developing 3D Models/2D Drawings using CAD software

Out of College, I have been part of an amateur dramatics society for many years and have played 'the fool' in Pantomimes such as Pinocchio in which I played half a double act of fairies! I play guitar and have publicly performed with friends on many occasions playing music from Hymns to Punk. I go touring on my bike as often as I can and I have extended this interest into a part time job in a cycle shop

I joined the scouts when I was six years old moving through the ranks until I became a senior patrol leader. Scouting has given me the opportunity to enjoy many activities such as orienteering, camping, back woods cooking and abseiling. My interest in water sports was also encouraged in the scouts as we often went kayaking and canoeing. I completed my Chief Scout Award at the age of fifteen which involved completing tasks from organising camps and troop nights to completing obstacle courses and building bridges

I hope that my love for Physics is obvious and I genuinely believe that I would enjoy and develop from a degree course in theoretical Physics and am determined to make the most of all the opportunities that university offers.

Comments

General Comments:

This is on the short side for a personal statement, with just over 2,300 characters out of a maximum 4,000 allowed. It targets the right areas that must be addressed in a statement and has approximately the right proportion of discussion for academics compared to outside interests and the right structure. There is some attempt to demonstrate interest and enthusiasm for the subject through a mention of outside reading and maths which is good, however the statement would benefit from more specific details and discussions on this.

The main problem with this statement is a lack of focus. It covers the right areas and the applicant has some good things to talk about but has failed to relate these to the degree or to explain why they are being mentioned in the personal statement. Simply stating that you did drama or that you have studied computing is not sufficient and a good personal statement should talk about the skills and how these would be of benefit to the applicant when studying the course at university. Sloppy grammar is also a problem which hints at carelessness. There is no excuse for missing out full-stops at the ends of sentences and every applicant should at the very least run their statement through a spelling and grammar checker in Word or a similar word processing package.

The statement lacks the specific details and focus to provide strong weight behind an application at a top 5 institution but if the grammar issues at least were resolved then this would probably be good enough for a top 20 university.

--F1fanatic-14915 17:33, 21 February 2009 (UTC)

Comments on the Statement:

I enjoyed Maths and Physics technically subjects should be lower case but at the very least it is important to be consistent throughout the statement. at Secondary School and this lead me to study them both at A-Level. The first sentence of a statement is very important for engaging the reader and so it is a good idea to spend some time on this. In this case, the start is a little uninspiring and it will be clear from elsewhere on the UCAS form that the applicant is studying maths and physics at A-level. In fact it would be very concerning if someone applying for maths and physics at degree level were not studying these at A-level. I love reading books about them, what is "them"? particularly those on theoretical Physics. I have always enjoyed finding out what makes the universe work and studying Physics would allow me to find out more. A course in theoretical Physics would also allow me to explore and use Maths in a greater detail. The introduction is a hard paragraph to write but it's often better to use it to explain why one would want to study the course in general terms and to put across an enthusiasm for wanting to study the subject without getting into the finer points of how that interest has been demonstrated. Here the applicant has attempted to do that, although it somehow lacks enthusiasm. Reading it does not make me believe completely that they are passionate about the subject.

My main area of reading has been in 'fashionable' Perhaps "popular" would be a better word here. Physics such as wormholes, black holes and super String Theory, all of which I find fascinating. I have also been following the current debate between Steven Hawking If referring to well-known academics or authors it's extremely important to spell their name correctly, else it leaves doubt in the mind of the admissions tutor whether the applicant has read the book at all. and Peter Higgs about what gives matter its mass and the existence of the Higgs Boson. The applicant has done a better job here of conveying their interest but it would be nice to see some specific mention of texts they have read. It's easy to say that you have an interest in a topic but the only way to really demonstrate that interest and make it believable is to discuss aspects of a text or topic that you enjoy or were interested by in a sentence or two. It's important to keep it brief though, the tutor does not want to read an essay or be lectured on physics either.

When I first started Maths at A-Level, I was doing single Maths. This leaves the applicant open to the question of why they only did single maths, since it suggests a lack of commitment in a subject they are supposedly passionate about. It may be better to pre-empt this and to make an attempt either in the personal statement or the reference as to why this was. I have now realised that I will need more Maths to really understand more advanced Physics ideas and, because I like Maths for its own sake, I have taken up extra lessons. This will improve my understanding of calculus, complex numbers and other relevant areas. The final few words are a catch-all which is so vague as to add nothing to the statement and just takes up space. An applicant should avoid being vague and generalising where possible. The more precise and specific the better, since this demonstrates control, understanding and enthusiasm for the subject. This paragraph has also missed an opportunity to talk about the benefits that these A-levels will bring to a degree. For example, learning maths at A-level provides analytical and logic skills which are extremely useful for a degree such as this. It is important to explicitly recognise the analytical nature of the degree in the PS.

I have extended my computing studies at college into other areas such as programming in C++, Visual Basic, Delphi and developing 3D Models/2D Drawings using CAD software. Programming is a good skill to have and is certainly worth mentioning. However, in this case the applicant has failed to do anything useful with it and so has to some extent wasted what could be a good selling point. Stating that you have studied C++ is one thing, but the critical part is relating this to the degree explicitly and how such skills will be applicable. Showing an awareness of the application of these skills demonstrates that you are writing a focused PS and are in control, rather than writing whatever you may have done in the hopes it might be relevant.

Out of College, I have been part of an amateur dramatics society for many years and have played 'the fool' in Pantomimes such as Pinocchio, in which I played half of a double act of fairies. No need for an exclamation mark here. I play guitar and have publicly performed with friends on many occasions, playing genres from Hymns to Punk. I go touring on my bike as often as I can and I have extended this interest into a part time job in a cycle shop. Extra-curricular activities are important in a statement for demonstrating an applicant as a well-rounded individual with interests outside of work and college. The applicant in this case has mentioned some good extra-curricular activities but like above they have failed to make maximum use of them. Hobbies and interests are a great opportunity to demonstrate transferable skills such as leadership, teamwork, time management etc. and these should be explicitly stated.

I joined the scouts when I was six years old, moving through the ranks until I became a senior patrol leader. Scouting has given me the opportunity to enjoy many activities such as orienteering, camping, back woods cooking and abseiling. My interest in water sports was also encouraged in the scouts, as we often went kayaking and canoeing. I completed my Chief Scout Award at the age of fifteen which involved completing tasks from organising camps and troop nights to completing obstacle courses and building bridges. I think this should be combined with the previous paragraph and shortened. Again it has not discussed skills developed and a tutor is not going to be interested in enjoyment for enjoyment's sake. In other words, unless relating to skills this is not relevant to an application.

I hope that my love for Physics is obvious and I genuinely believe that I would enjoy and develop from a degree course in theoretical Physics and am determined to make the most of all the opportunities that university offers. A conclusion is important in any personal statement and its good to keep it brief as here. I think this sentence is a little on the long side with too many "and"s and may benefit from being separated into two sentences. It's also a little vague. Rather than saying that the interest in physics should be obvious, use the conclusion as an opportunity to re-state and re-emphasize that interest.

--F1fanatic-14915 17:33, 21 February 2009 (UTC)