Geography application

(edited 2 months ago)

Why not take a look at the Royal Geographic Society website https://www.rgs.org/ for inspiration. Watch a couple of TED talks or other geography podcasts posted by universities. Read a book or two e.g. Monbiot, G. (2022) Regenesis: Feeding the World Without Devouring the Planet.
The important thing to remember is not to produce a long list of things you've watched or read, but describe what you've learned from experience. Did a podcast inspire you're enthusiasm for geography? What questions were left unanswered? What did you do next to widen your understanding of the subject?

Reply 2

Lancaster Student Ambassador

Official Rep

Original post by b1zz1m

What sort of experience/awards/volunteering would help to boost a uni application for geography? I’m applying later this year to start in 2024 and my S5 higher results are Eng A, Geo A, Mods A, Maths B and Chem B which is just above minimum for most Scottish geography courses so I want to elevate my application through my personal statement. Anything I can complete before the UCAS deadline or at least make a dent in so I can actually put it on my statement

Hi!
In your personal statement you can talk about any super-curriculars you've done outside of college. When I was applying, I talked about some courses I'd completed with Open Learn. There's a huge variety of courses available so you can pick one that pertains to your interests. You can also talk about any wider reading you've enjoyed, for example if a book, podcast or article has impacted your thinking on geography or furthered your interest in a particular area. Depending on whether you're interested more in physical or human geography or a mixture you can look at opportunities for fieldwork/practical courses with organisations such as the Field Studies Council. You could also look at any volunteering opportunities for example beach or river cleans or wildlife monitoring. As mentioned, it's important that you don't just list your experiences/wider reading but talk about how they've impacted you and your reasons for studying geography.
So long as you can demonstrate your passion for geography and why you want to undertake further studies in your subject area you should be able to write a successful personal statement.
Hope this helps,
Becky (Lancaster University Student Ambassador)