| This is a real personal statement written by a student for their university application. It might help you decide what to include in your own. There are lots more examples in our collection of sample personal statements. |
When I moved from Portugal in September last year, I was motivated by the prospect of a top education at a British university. This life changing decision required me to adapt not only to a new social environment but to a new culture and education system. Staying focused and committed, following a rigorous work ethic and carrying out independent study have been essential qualities which I have learned to foster by studying A-levels in my second language.
My intellectual curiosity over the economic climate of the European Community was what prompted me to understand the challenging concepts associated with Economics as an academic discipline. Although learning about the price mechanism and market systems at AS-level was rewarding, I found that as we started to cover my most preferred Macroeconomic theories, policy making and international trade concepts interested me even more, as they were dependent on so many other factors. As the idea of applying Economics to solve modern society's problems grabbed my interest, I read "Free Lunch" by David Smith which beautifully links the concepts learned at AS-Level with real life examples and economic events, as well as associating them with the greatest economists of Modern Thought Economics.
To further develop my economic understanding, I attended an Economics course at Debate Chamber where I was introduced to new concepts such as Game Theory and Financial Markets. The course also led to many discussions over economic events, such as China's artificial devaluation of the Yan and the dreaded concept of debt and its consequences, which left me anticipating with relish the prospect of critical engagement with Economics at degree level.
Through all these experiences I have discovered that Economics is an ever-changing subject dependent on human behaviour and culture, but at the same time it is based on analysis of empirical data and application of models and equations. Therefore I believe that studying the human modules of AS Geography has given me insights into how demographical changes and diseases can affect economic data and productivity. It has also taught me to think synoptically and improved my essay writing and data analysing skills. During my one year A-level in Mathematics I learned to be methodical and to think critically about every problem, providing the most straight forward solution. It also provided me with statistical and calculus knowledge that I believe will be essential for my chosen degree and I look forward especially to Econometrics and Quantitative Methods modules.
During this Summer I carried out a 3-week work experience at the EMEA Finance Department of Safenet Ltd. Having to contact customers regarding outstanding invoices increased my confidence and social skills, while my IT skills were also broadened by having to produce a company database on Excel. This experience required both maturity and responsibility. I also volunteer at a Cancer Research Shop where I have seen in practice how a small shop requires so much organisation and management for a productive outcome.
In my free time I enjoy taking on new challenges. Recently, I was able to appreciate the Atlas Mountains in Morocco, where I completed the Residential section of my Gold Duke of Edinburgh Award. Being a Non-Commissioned officer in the Army Cadet Force has provided me with leadership skills and the ability to work as a team. Hard work, respect and perseverance are also qualities that I learned to follow in Taekwondo. I believe that all the aforementioned values and skills will be essential in helping me truly understand Economics and I look forward to excelling, in terms of both academic and personal development, on my chosen degree course.
Universities Applied to:
- Oxford (Economic&Management) - Rejection
- Bath (Economics) - Offer (A*AA) Decline
- Warwick (Economics) - Offer (A*AAB) Decline
- Surrey (Economics) - Offer (ABB) Insurance
- LSE (Economics) ) - Offer (A*(Maths)AA pass in Further Mathematics Firm
Grades Achieved:
- Economics (AS) - A Predicted A2:A*
- Mathematics (A2) - A*
- Further Mathematics(AS) - A Predicted A2:A*
- Geography (AS)- A Predicted A2:A*
