How to start personal statement

Ok ok so I know that I’m going to go through several drafts of my personal statement but it has been recommended that I have at least the first draft of my personal statement done before the summer (I have a week left) so how do you start writing it because I’m struggling a lot with the beginning

Reply 1

subbhy

18

Original post by HistoryCactus

Ok ok so I know that I’m going to go through several drafts of my personal statement but it has been recommended that I have at least the first draft of my personal statement done before the summer (I have a week left) so how do you start writing it because I’m struggling a lot with the beginning

Hey! I’m in the same boat: writing a personal statement 😖

I’ve been told to do the beginning at the end as it’s the hardest part to write! So don’t worry about that for now and try writing a main body paragraph. What subject are you writing for?

Reply 2

HistoryCactus

OP

8

Original post by subbhy

Hey! I’m in the same boat: writing a personal statement 😖
I’ve been told to do the beginning at the end as it’s the hardest part to write! So don’t worry about that for now and try writing a main body paragraph. What subject are you writing for?

I’m writing for history not sure if it’s going to be a pure history degree or if I’ll pick a couple combined though

Reply 3

Lancaster Student Ambassador

Official Rep

18

Original post by HistoryCactus

Ok ok so I know that I’m going to go through several drafts of my personal statement but it has been recommended that I have at least the first draft of my personal statement done before the summer (I have a week left) so how do you start writing it because I’m struggling a lot with the beginning

Hi,

I'm a third year at Lancaster Uni but I can remember how difficult it was to write my personal statement. The hardest part is starting.

A good place to start is by brainstorming. You can reflect on why you are passionate about the subject you're applying for, specific experiences that have shaped your interest and relevant academic and extracurricular activities that showcase your interest.

After this, I would start by writing anything that comes to mind about why you want ot study. At this point, try not to worry about structure or grammar and just focus on getting some content. Make sure you link your experiences to your enthusiasm and explain why the skills you have are relevant.

After this, you can start to structure your statement with a short introduction, a main body and a conclusion.

Hope this helps
-Beth (Lancaster Student Ambassador)

Reply 4

Lancaster Student Ambassador

Official Rep

18

Original post by HistoryCactus

Ok ok so I know that I’m going to go through several drafts of my personal statement but it has been recommended that I have at least the first draft of my personal statement done before the summer (I have a week left) so how do you start writing it because I’m struggling a lot with the beginning

Hi!

For your personal statement, you should write about why you want to do your subject/course, how have your qualifications and studies helped you to prepare for the subject/course, and have you done anything outside of education to prepare you for your course and how have they helped.

Before jumping in and writing the main essay, just write some bullet points for each section, because that will make it much easier to write the personal statement afterwards, and it’s much less daunting!

For the section about doing things outside of education, it doesn’t necessarily have to be subject specific! You could have things that help with general skills such as leadership, communication, etc, which will all still help with your course!

I hope this helps! Good luck with writing your personal statement! 🙂

Jamimah
(Lancaster University Student Ambassador)

Reply 5

UCLan Student

Official Rep

16

Original post by HistoryCactus

Ok ok so I know that I’m going to go through several drafts of my personal statement but it has been recommended that I have at least the first draft of my personal statement done before the summer (I have a week left) so how do you start writing it because I’m struggling a lot with the beginning

Hi @HistoryCactus,

I remember writing my personal statement a couple years ago and I understand that getting started is often the most difficult part!

Personally, I began with brainstorming ideas of what I wanted in my personal statement. Some main points you may wish to include are:

•

Why you want to study that course (show your passion)

•

Career goals

•

Experiences outside education

•

Work experiences

•

Skills (with examples!)

•

Interests and achievements

•

Academic experience

Making a rough mind map around these points can give you an idea of where to start and what you wish to include. From here, I would recommend making a rough structure to your personal statement using bullet points. You can research various recommended templates.

From here it's just the process of making drafts, receiving feedback and repeat. It may take a while to get it perfect, but that's just part of the process!

I hope this helped, please feel free to ask me any questions 🙂,
-Sophia (Business and Management)

How to start personal statement

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