So, should you include your hobbies?Yes! But there are a few things to watch out for.
Admissions tutors encourage applicants to produce a personal statement which distinguishes them from others. Talking about your interests and hobbies, in a way that supports the rest of your application, can help serve this purpose.
Just make sure you stand out for the right reasons...
Keep it briefYour personal interests should only make up a small proportion of your overall statement. If you don't keep tabs on how much you're writing, you risk waffling on about your love of bird-watching rather than why you're the perfect candidate for a psychology course.
Your personal statement should centre around your interest in the subject and why you want to pursue it, your academic achievements, experience and why you're a good fit for that course, all demonstrated with some solid examples.Those personal interests, usually towards the end of your statement, can then help admissions tutors build a more rounded picture of you.
Relevance to the courseIf your interests and hobbies have some connection to the field you are applying to study, then this is a terrific reason to include them. However, try to tie them back to the course rather than make empty statements. If you're applying to a film course, don't just say, 'I love watching films'. Talk about specific films or genres you enjoy, what you've learned and how you've developed critical and analytical skills as a result. Similarly, don't simply put, ‘I play rugby on Sundays’. Talk about the qualities this has taught you - from teamwork to tactics, leadership to resilisence - and relate them back to your suitability for the course.
Standing out (in a good way)Not everyone will view your interests in the same way as you, so it's worth thinking about how a hobby might be perceived by an admissions tutor reading it. While you and your friends may love a certain subculture, it might have a different connotation to others.
Think about whether it's really relevant for inclusion in your
personal statement. Anything odd or extraordinary might not make the impression you were hoping for.
Remember,
highlighting work experience and other activities can equally work to convey your personality and interests.Be prepared to talk about your interestsYou may be required to attend
an interview where you'll have to expand on what you wrote in your personal statement. While this will obviously focus on your suitability for the course, your interviewer might start the interview with a more personal ice-breaker question to put you at ease.
So be prepared to talk about your hobbies, face-to-face, in a formal setting (another reason not to write anything too strange!). Equally, don't make up hobbies or interests, as you may be tripped up when asked about these.