The Student Room Group

Personal Statement Advice and Guidance NEW 2026 format - Ask your questions here!

Scroll to see replies

Reply 20

Is it ok for me to mention my law work experience in question 1 if i feel that made me want to do law ? and then talk about what i learnt of course.
Original post
by ndwphere
Is it ok for me to mention my law work experience in question 1 if i feel that made me want to do law ? and then talk about what i learnt of course.


Yep absolutely

Reply 22

Hi, sorry I got confused. Where would work experience fit in a speech and language therapy personal statement?
Original post
by anxious&paranoid
Hi, sorry I got confused. Where would work experience fit in a speech and language therapy personal statement?


1 or 3
It's not studies, so that rules out 2. But could fit in either 1 or 3 depending on where you have room.

Reply 24

Hi. Where would supercurricular learning go? Could I put it in question 2 since it is learning, or should it be question 1?
Original post
by jasmineva3128
Hi. Where would supercurricular learning go? Could I put it in question 2 since it is learning, or should it be question 1?


1 or 2 fits
Q2 refers to "your studies", that can (and should) be beyond your compulsory curriculum

Reply 26

Would I mention a subject-related MOOC in Q2 or Q3? (I'm auditing it, if that matters, so won't get a certificate at the end.)
I have been largely using St Andrews University's guide on writing your PS as that's my top choice of university and they seem to suggest it would fall into Q3 but I wanted to get someone else's opinion on it. (Page here, if relevant.)
(edited 1 month ago)
Original post
by OnlySmartOneHere
Would I mention a subject-related MOOC in Q2 or Q3? (I'm auditing it, if that matters, so won't get a certificate at the end.)
I have been largely using St Andrews University's guide on writing your PS as that's my top choice of university and they seem to suggest it would fall into Q3 but I wanted to get someone else's opinion on it. (Page here, if relevant.)


If I was applying to St Andrews a MOOC would most likely go in section 3. Section 2 would be dominated by wider academic reading I'd undertaken. I wouldn't be discussing school qualifications in any detail

Reply 28

I'm honestly stuck with my personal statement. I'm home educated and self-taught, so for Q2 I'd been planning to write a paragraph on how this has taught me time management skills, discipline, organisation skills etc etc, but apparently that's too generic? I feel so lost now, because I'm not sure how to phrase this without talking about these sorts of skills :frown: I'd really appreciate any advice.
Original post
by Meriium
I'm honestly stuck with my personal statement. I'm home educated and self-taught, so for Q2 I'd been planning to write a paragraph on how this has taught me time management skills, discipline, organisation skills etc etc, but apparently that's too generic? I feel so lost now, because I'm not sure how to phrase this without talking about these sorts of skills :frown: I'd really appreciate any advice.


What course are you applying for and what have you done academically towards your interest in that subject?

Reply 30

Original post
by 04MR17
What course are you applying for and what have you done academically towards your interest in that subject?

Chemistry (with medicinal chemistry) :smile:

So far I've done two mini courses, one on drug design and the other on the use of metals in medicine. I've also watched a few MIT Opencourseware lectures on the principles of chemistry.
Original post
by Meriium
Chemistry (with medicinal chemistry) :smile:
So far I've done two mini courses, one on drug design and the other on the use of metals in medicine. I've also watched a few MIT Opencourseware lectures on the principles of chemistry.


Find ways that those things connect to each other and that's your Q2 content done. Depending on how competitive your unis are you may want to try getting some more academic content in there e.g. a book or article you've read as a result of something in one of your mini courses

Reply 32

Original post
by 04MR17
Find ways that those things connect to each other and that's your Q2 content done. Depending on how competitive your unis are you may want to try getting some more academic content in there e.g. a book or article you've read as a result of something in one of your mini courses

PRSOM, thank you!

Reply 33

Is it okay to start off my statement with "My interest in chemistry began..." or "I realised I wanted to study chemistry when..."? These are along the lines of what I had in mind, but I've seen people online saying that this sort of opening is overused/generic/boring :frown:
Original post
by Meriium
Is it okay to start off my statement with "My interest in chemistry began..." or "I realised I wanted to study chemistry when..."? These are along the lines of what I had in mind, but I've seen people online saying that this sort of opening is overused/generic/boring :frown:


They are both cliches and I'd recommend to avoid them if possible. They won't lose you any points, but they are not a terribly inspiring start. Could you find a way to begin with your example/experience itself?
:ditto:


Instead, tell them about what really excited you about chemistry now. Not when you were 12.

Reply 36

Original post
by Admit-One
They are both cliches and I'd recommend to avoid them if possible. They won't lose you any points, but they are not a terribly inspiring start. Could you find a way to begin with your example/experience itself?

Yes, I think I can do that. I'd been planning to start off with how I'd been interested in chemistry since IGCSE etc etc, and then move on to writing about a topic in chemistry that interests me. Would it be okay to jump straight in with something like "An area that particularly interests me is..."?

Also, I've seen people include broad, sweeping sentences in the first paragraph of their statements; things like "(chemistry) really is a central subject that supports most of biology and medicine and shapes many contemporary ideas from global warming to anti-cancer drugs" or "Chemistry is fundamental to several vital processes in our world that we can take for granted: the development of medicine, the sourcing of energy and the cultivation of crops are some of the essential actions from which we benefit in our everyday lives". Is it a good idea to include something like this or not? My first thought was no, because it's not personal, but I just wanted to ask to make sure.

Thank you so much :smile:

Reply 37

Original post
by 04MR17
:ditto:
Instead, tell them about what really excited you about chemistry now. Not when you were 12.

I'll try to do this, thank you :smile:
Original post
by Meriium
Yes, I think I can do that. I'd been planning to start off with how I'd been interested in chemistry since IGCSE etc etc, and then move on to writing about a topic in chemistry that interests me. Would it be okay to jump straight in with something like "An area that particularly interests me is..."?

Also, I've seen people include broad, sweeping sentences in the first paragraph of their statements; things like "(chemistry) really is a central subject that supports most of biology and medicine and shapes many contemporary ideas from global warming to anti-cancer drugs" or "Chemistry is fundamental to several vital processes in our world that we can take for granted: the development of medicine, the sourcing of energy and the cultivation of crops are some of the essential actions from which we benefit in our everyday lives". Is it a good idea to include something like this or not? My first thought was no, because it's not personal, but I just wanted to ask to make sure.

Thank you so much :smile:

First bit, yes, absolutely.

Second bit, meh, you could. But it's just waffle and the kind of thing I skim past to get to the relevant stuff. You're not writing an essay on the subject, so you shouldn't really need to dazzle the reader with some assertion about it.

Reply 39

Original post
by Admit-One
First bit, yes, absolutely.
Second bit, meh, you could. But it's just waffle and the kind of thing I skim past to get to the relevant stuff. You're not writing an essay on the subject, so you shouldn't really need to dazzle the reader with some assertion about it.

PRSOM, thank you so much, that's really helpful! I'll definitely start off my statement that way then, and also not waste some of my character count on irrelevant stuff. It's honestly so nice to get advice from someone who really knows what they're talking about. I really appreciate it :biggrin:

Quick Reply

How The Student Room is moderated

To keep The Student Room safe for everyone, we moderate posts that are added to the site.