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Engineering personal statement?

I need to gather some stuff for my personal statement for engineering. I don’t gave an awful lot to write about in terms of summer schools, volunteering etc. I’ve looked everywhere. Most events across country are too expensive and there is very little in the area I live in. I’m in a very rural place with not many opportunities.
I have had 2 pot wash jobs and one work experience placement at a petting zoo, but these are not relevant to engineering. I need more specifics.
Please any advice? I’ve scoured the internet looking at uni websites, webinars, etc. Please help!

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are you going to uni this year or next ? I did a headstart summer school (at swansea uni but they're everywhere) and they do discounted prices e.g. if u live in wales or have financial difficulties
also read books and watch youtubers etc ..find something you're interested in and write about it !!!!! my college had a lecture on black holes so i wrote about what particularly interested me about that lecture and that i had found books about it afterwards
ALSO are u doing an EPQ ?? u could easily link it to your course
Reply 3
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Claydo66
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Original post by castles64
are you going to uni this year or next ? I did a headstart summer school (at swansea uni but they're everywhere) and they do discounted prices e.g. if u live in wales or have financial difficulties


I’m starting in 2021, so this would ideally be the summer I get all the experience.
I still cannot seem to find many. I looked with the sutton trust but my grades weren’t high enough. I checked with several places that were all too costly and had no indication of giving a reduced price.
Original post by Claydo66
I need to gather some stuff for my personal statement for engineering. I don’t gave an awful lot to write about in terms of summer schools, volunteering etc. I’ve looked everywhere. Most events across country are too expensive and there is very little in the area I live in. I’m in a very rural place with not many opportunities.
I have had 2 pot wash jobs and one work experience placement at a petting zoo, but these are not relevant to engineering. I need more specifics.
Please any advice? I’ve scoured the internet looking at uni websites, webinars, etc. Please help!


For engineering you want to highlight that you can work in a team and have good leadership skills. You would also like to say that you really enjoy problem solving and problem based learning. Adding some stuff about computer based analysis and coding would also help
Reply 5
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Claydo66
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Original post by castles64
also read books and watch youtubers etc ..find something you're interested in and write about it !!!!! my college had a lecture on black holes so i wrote about what particularly interested me about that lecture and that i had found books about it afterwards
ALSO are u doing an EPQ ?? u could easily link it to your course


No I’m not doing an EPQ. My sixth form didn’t have enough people interested so they no longer ran it as an option.
Reply 6
Avatar for Claydo66
Claydo66
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Original post by Lewis T K
For engineering you want to highlight that you can work in a team and have good leadership skills. You would also like to say that you really enjoy problem solving and problem based learning. Adding some stuff about computer based analysis and coding would also help


Thank you. I plan on learning some basic python as sort of a summer project. Any other projects I could try?
Original post by Claydo66
Thank you. I plan on learning some basic python as sort of a summer project. Any other projects I could try?


MatLAB is the best thing to start with. It’s an engineers second language
Maybe try making a few simple programs, like currency or unit converters on MatLAB
(edited 3 years ago)
Reply 8
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What flavour of engineering are you intending to apply for? (General, Mechanical, civil etc)
Here's some stuff you can check out
https://www.ucl.ac.uk/widening-participation/learners/year-12-and-13/ucl-choices
https://www.surrey.ac.uk/schools-colleges/secondary
https://london.ac.uk/building-biology-introduction-biochemical-engineering-uc18261

You can do a lot for personal statements - read books, read newspapers (science-specific ones i mean), read academic articles/ journals, watching lectures, watching documentaries, listening to podcasts, essay comps, projects (e.g. you could fix an engine), EPQ, Crest award, research project, watching TED talks, watching youtube videos, watching webinars, taster days, summer schools and so much more.

I really recommend @NemesisRider book How to Get An Oxford Engineering Offer: https://www.thestudentroom.co.uk/showthread.php?t=6459286 especially their Supercurriculars and Personal Statements chapters
(edited 3 years ago)
Original post by Claydo66
I’m starting in 2021, so this would ideally be the summer I get all the experience.
I still cannot seem to find many. I looked with the sutton trust but my grades weren’t high enough. I checked with several places that were all too costly and had no indication of giving a reduced price.


You don't need work experience - have you been in any clubs, played sport for a team [in school or outsider], volunteered, etc ....

You can show interest through hobbies ...
Original post by PetitePanda
Here's some stuff you can check out
https://www.ucl.ac.uk/widening-participation/learners/year-12-and-13/ucl-choices
https://www.surrey.ac.uk/schools-colleges/secondary
https://london.ac.uk/building-biology-introduction-biochemical-engineering-uc18261

You can do a lot for personal statements - read books, read newspapers (science-specific ones i mean), read academic articles/ journals, watching lectures, watching documentaries, listening to podcasts, essay comps, projects (e.g. you could fix an engine), EPQ, Crest award, research project, watching TED talks, watching youtube videos, watching webinars, taster days, summer schools and so much more.

I really recommend @NemesisRider book How to Get An Oxford Engineering Offer: https://www.thestudentroom.co.uk/showthread.php?t=6459286 especially their Supercurriculars and Personal Statements chapters

Oxford is not the place to study Engineering if you want to be an Engineer ... most of this is way over the top.
Original post by Muttley79
Oxford is not the place to study Engineering if you want to be an Engineer ... most of this is way over the top.

Their super curriculars and resources still has some good resources though, even if they aren't wanting to go to Oxford
What made you opt for engineering?
Are you good with your hands, can you repair a moped/motorbike car or farm machinery?
How about this for a personal statement: You are going to rob me of the best part of ten thousand pounds a year for a piece of paper that an employer will barely look at when I am interviewed for an entry level job I could have got with some good GCSEs.
Original post by PetitePanda
Their super curriculars and resources still has some good resources though, even if they aren't wanting to go to Oxford

Most of it is WAY over the top tbh - hundreds of my students have studied Engineering with a tiny fraction of that sort of stuff.
Original post by Muttley79
Most of it is WAY over the top tbh - hundreds of my students have studied Engineering with a tiny fraction of that sort of stuff.

Ohhh I understand now my bad
Original post by PetitePanda
Ohhh I understand now my bad

It's fine - I just find that the whole 'doing 'ots of stuff' for UCAS is flawed - if you are interested in something you'll find things to include. Not everyone can afford some of these schemes either because even if they are free you need to get there!
Original post by Muttley79
It's fine - I just find that the whole 'doing 'ots of stuff' for UCAS is flawed - if you are interested in something you'll find things to include. Not everyone can afford some of these schemes either because even if they are free you need to get there!

PRSOM I definitely agree as that's just a lot of unnecessary work. Tbh I just look at it as a way of wanting to find some stuff to learn more about it since it's nice having options to explore more areas about the field (but that might be just me wanting to learn more :biggrin:). Ohh I see. That's true I didn't take that into account because I'd assume they would find some schemes locally if they were free.
Original post by PetitePanda
PRSOM I definitely agree as that's just a lot of unnecessary work. Tbh I just look at it as a way of wanting to find some stuff to learn more about it since it's nice having options to explore more areas about the field (but that might be just me wanting to learn more :biggrin:). Ohh I see. That's true I didn't take that into account because I'd assume they would find some schemes locally if they were free.

It depends where you live though - there's nothing in many parts of the country. Most schemes are based in large cities so just not on for many families.
Nottingham uni have been doing live taster lectures over the past month (aimed at Y12s), they have been recorded and are now on their website. There is a few more next week if you want to sign up to them (and watch them live).

https://www.nottingham.ac.uk/virtual/catch-up/index.aspx

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