I’m currently still writing out my personal statement, I finished my A-levels this year but I’m taking a year out so I can work, self-study and gain experience as I did not have many opportunities to.
(This will be relevant) I took Media, Photography and Business (studied economics and took a business paper because I was failing) and I got BBC as my final results. I’m applying for Biomedical Sciences + Foundation Year. My parents pressured me to take those A-levels as they didn’t believe I’d succeed in what I originally wanted to take at A-levels (Bio-Chem-Math).
During lockdown (when I was doing my GCSEs) I was struggling to keep up with work because I wasn’t doing okay mentally. Covid has been my main inspiration and was the situation that knocked my interest into biomed. My second point of interest is that I come from a country that is not as economically developed, and I would like to give back to/support my home place.
I wanted to pursue my interest further but I didn’t achieve 9’s/A’s like my parents had wished for (my grades were about 5-7/C-B) so they pushed me to take ‘easier’ topics. After finishing my A-levels, I realised I wasn’t going to get anywhere as I wasn’t passionate in the subjects I took at all.
I can’t get a job until next year as I’m still waiting to get my visa replaced with a BRP permit, so I don’t even have a bank account yet. I haven’t been able to volunteer at the NHS either because of my visa. Hopefully I will get it done by the end of this year because I am so desperate for a job.
I don’t have a lot of experience outside of school because of these little set backs, and I’m hoping to get some experience or to do things next year before I start uni in 2024.
Do I write down these reasons as to why I lack experience/why I am choosing a different path that my A-levels in my personal statement? Or is it a bad idea?
- unable to volunteer in certain places due to missing documents/no job
- taking the gap year to start in 2024 so I can gain experience and self study to prepare for uni
- parents pressuring me to take different A-levels and realised I wasn’t passionate, changing path
- inspiration is covid/home country issues + self study