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How do I show my passion for a subject when I have no evidence?

I am currently writing my personal statement for mechanical engineering after taking a year out to work.
The problem I am experiencing is that despite knowing I am interested in the course and it's what I want to study, I haven't done anything that demonstrates my interest. By this I mean I haven't done any extra curricular activities related to the subject, I didn't build a car out of cardboard when I was 9 or any of those kind of things that I keep reading in example personal statements. I am certain that I want to study the subject and could blabber on for days about why, but I keep reading that I need to 'show rather than tell', so how do I do this when I haven't got anything to show?
Reply 1
Avatar for Jkizer
Jkizer
16
Original post by Confused kid
I am currently writing my personal statement for mechanical engineering after taking a year out to work.
The problem I am experiencing is that despite knowing I am interested in the course and it's what I want to study, I haven't done anything that demonstrates my interest. By this I mean I haven't done any extra curricular activities related to the subject, I didn't build a car out of cardboard when I was 9 or any of those kind of things that I keep reading in example personal statements. I am certain that I want to study the subject and could blabber on for days about why, but I keep reading that I need to 'show rather than tell', so how do I do this when I haven't got anything to show?


books / online lectures / magazine articles are a good way.
Reply 2
Avatar for nic-nac
nic-nac
15
Are there any book/magazines/journals you could read ? Then you could write about that a bit. Only mention it if you have actually read it though, because if you get an interview you could get asked about it !
Have you done any extra-curricular activities at all that could be related? I've applied for Physics and I bought in the fact that I've volunteered at Maths and Science days run at my school - maybe you could twist some experiences to show your problem solving skills and other subject specific skills?
You need to find a way of showing your passion. You need to explain exactly what aspects of the course interest you. Extra reading is essential. Any maths/physics related ECs could be used to show you have an interest in the general area. You can also talk about areas of your current A-level study that are relevant to engineering that you especially enjoy.

You must know why you will enjoy the subject, so you just need to communicate this to the admissions staff.
Original post by Confused kid
I am currently writing my personal statement for mechanical engineering after taking a year out to work.
The problem I am experiencing is that despite knowing I am interested in the course and it's what I want to study, I haven't done anything that demonstrates my interest. By this I mean I haven't done any extra curricular activities related to the subject, I didn't build a car out of cardboard when I was 9 or any of those kind of things that I keep reading in example personal statements. I am certain that I want to study the subject and could blabber on for days about why, but I keep reading that I need to 'show rather than tell', so how do I do this when I haven't got anything to show?


It doesn't matter. Just throw in the usual clichés if you have to. There is a very real chance your PS won't be read anyway. Ultimately, it almost solely comes down to your grades, so make sure they're up to scratch, and apply to universities within reach, and you'll definitely get offers. When I applied to mech eng I didn't know anything about it, other than it involves "moving" things, and I still got offers.
Reply 6
Avatar for Debonair W
Debonair W
3
It's a bit late now to gather evidence. You can't make stuff up either.

Just give up on the 'evidence' thing. You say you can blabber on about the subject for ages, so do that; blabber on about something that interests you especially, and the person reading it will think your intelligent and enthusiastic about the subject, which is exactly what they're looking for.
It's also worth bearing in mind that admissions tutors often aren't that interested in your personal statement (and I have that on good authority btw); they might refer to it in your interview, if you have one, but otherwise if your A-level grades are really good you should be fine.

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