Chemistry Personal Statement

Is anyone able to help me with my personal statement? I know I have to write it myself and it has to be all my own words but I’m really struggling even after reading the UCAS help and many other websites, even after talking to my tutor about it I still have no idea how to write it. I know the structure I’m going for but I have nothing to put in it.

Reply 1

username1339858_

Thats a bit odd to not know anything you can mention.
What structure are you going for?

Please ensure not to type your personal statement on the open forum, I believe there is a private forum for that.

Reply 2

Meggggggggggg

The structure will be something like.
Intro
Love of Subject Evidence
Current Course
Work Experience
Conclusion.
That’s what I was told it should be based on the subject i wish to apply for.

Reply 3

username1339858_

Original post by Meggggggggggg

The structure will be something like.
Intro
Love of Subject Evidence
Current Course
Work Experience
Conclusion.
That’s what I was told it should be based on the subject i wish to apply for.

Best you can do is find examples online and then change it completely to suit you. Then once you are happy with it, you can post it on the private forum for this on TSR to get help. Afaik you can only post once, you'll get suggestions, and will have to apply that yourself.

Reply 4

futurelawtrainee

It took me about 2 months to start writing my personal statement and my best advice is to break it up like you have paragraph by paragraph and start with bullet points. Once you've done that then write which paragraph is easiest for you to write, this doesn't necessarily have to be in chronological order. It might be best to start talking about your current course as its something you definitely know what to write about.

Reply 5

Meggggggggggg

Original post by futurelawtrainee

That's the issue, I have no idea what sort of things to write about my current course. I was never the best at English and only just scraped a C at GCSE so the words just don't come into my head. I have until tomorrow at 9am to hand in a draft statement to my tutor and I'm starting to get stressed because I can't get any words down and I'm not sure what to do. She won't allow an extension and I also have my subject work I need to get done. Help! :frown:

Reply 6

redoubtable

how does the private forum for personal statements work? :h:

Reply 7

futurelawtrainee

Original post by Meggggggggggg

What A Levels are you taking?

Reply 8

username4433848

Original post by pineapplepink

how does the private forum for personal statements work? :h:

Get PS checked - https://www.thestudentroom.co.uk/content.php?r=26458-Get-your-personal-statement-draft-reviewed-by-a-TSR-PS-reviewer
Archive of subject personal statements- https://www.thestudentroom.co.uk/university/personal-statements/personal-statements-by-subject

Reply 9

Interrobang

Check this guide for writing a PS: https://www.thestudentroom.co.uk/showthread.php?t=6666418

What do you love about the subject? If someone was to ask you why you want to study it, what would you say to them? How can you show that interest?

Reply 10

Meggggggggggg

Original post by futurelawtrainee

What A Levels are you taking?

Chemistry, Maths, and Geography.

Reply 11

Meggggggggggg

Are Uni's more likely to accept you if you've done extracurricular activities? I feel like every personal statement I read for help says abot all these extracurricular things people have been to. Not just that but theres a lot of refrencing to books or articles people have read.
I plan on studying chemistry at uni but this section, along with my work experience and hobbies is very dry and has nothing. Help?

Reply 12

Meggggggggggg

Help. I really need advice as to what to write in my personal statement. I can't even answer the first question as to why I want to study it at uni. All I know is I love the subject and want a career in it.
As for extracurricular or extra reading, I've never done anything which doesn't work in my favour. I also can't prove my love for the science in this case.
My work experience was in my schools Music Department so hardly relevant to science.
I don't really have any hobbies, only playing the guitar and listening to music every so often.
It really sounds like I shouldn't be applying for chemistry but it's the only thing I've ever had an interest in. But why? I don't know.
I have 14 hours to draft a statement and I'm working off nothing, please can someone give me some advice. It's really stressing me out

(edited 3 years ago)

Reply 13

Interrobang

Anyone can do supercurriculars - extra reading, online lectures/courses, podcasts. There is so much available for free and you don't have to leave your house. Use what you have enjoyed learning about in A Levels as a starting point to look at in more depth, or the area that you want to go into for work (if relevant)

Reply 14

futurelawtrainee

Start with your Chemistry A Level, is there any topic that you found really interesting or anything you learned that you can make a connection with studying at degree level? Since you're taking Geography see if there are any links that you can make with environmental chemistry.

I know you're struggling on what to write on the course front, the best thing to do is to look at the degree overview in every University you're applying to (See Bristol's here: https://www.bristol.ac.uk/study/undergraduate/2020/chemistry/bsc-chemistry/). You can use this as a starting point to see if you recognise anything at all that you'll be studying and try to link this with what you've done in Year 12.

Extracurriculars are very important and you should highlight anything you've done, even if its helping out a department on an open day at school. Any work experience you've done is really important and should be highlighted. Are you able to describe the key things you learned from working in your music department? I'm not sure what you were doing so I'm not able to help until you mention it but there are a lot of transferable skills you can mention even if music has nothing to do with chemistry.

Lastly, don't stress too much about the deadline. Speak to your tutor and communicate that you're struggling and get a 1:1 meeting with them so they can guide you and give you more tailored advice.

Reply 15

username1339858_

Original post by pineapplepink

how does the private forum for personal statements work? :h:

You write up your personal statement as best as you can using this and whatever else you want to help you write it and format it on the personal statement builder
then you post it in this forum

You can only post once, you will be given advice on what needs checking and changing etc and will have to do that yourself, it will not be done for you