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.
My interest in studying Computer Science came from the realisation that ICT was quickly becoming my favourite GCSE subject. Yet, even though I enjoyed the subject immensely, I was always more interested in the underlying concepts behind how Microsoft Office worked, rather than using the software itself; I wanted to know more and look deeper, beyond the course at GCSE. This desire of mine for greater, more detailed understanding is what led me to choose A level Computing, which I now know and love, and is fuelling me to pursue a degree in Computer Science.
Studying A level Computing really opened my eyes to the possibilities of computers, and it was throughout the course that I found that topics such as programming languages and Human Computer Interaction are both areas that truly interest me and that I wish to look further into at degree level. It particularly intrigues me how big software systems such as Facebook and Google all really boil down to the same fundamental aspects of programming, and once these are learnt, the possibilities of the software you can create and understand are endless. Human Computer Interaction, to me, is the perfect mix of Computer Science and Psychology - another subject which I study at A level and enjoy. Ultimately, understanding how to optimise the experience of using a computer for the human brain is of extreme importance in today's age, where computers have become an integral part of our lives and we seem to find some form of computer everywhere we turn.
To follow up my interest in software development, I took part in a week long coding event called Young Rewired State. This involved working in a team to produce a new prototype using a source of open data. Our team created a small, but fully functioning social network called [name]. Our project displayed available friends in the area and local points of interest on a map, to make the process of organising social gatherings much easier. This week taught me so much, ranging from the obvious, such as teamwork, to the perhaps less obvious, how to succeed under pressure.
I am a student who never settles for doing the bare minimum, who will always seek opportunities to further my own learning and development. In the future, I would like to go into teaching, so I have been volunteering as a mentor in GCSE ICT lessons for the past year, which I am continuing to do with the same class for this academic year as they approach their final piece of coursework. This has been hugely rewarding for me, being able to see the classroom from a different perspective, but also useful for the students as they can seek advice from someone who has been through it all not that long ago. Furthermore, due to there being no programming lessons or clubs for years 10 and 11 at my school, I will be single-handedly teaching a coding club for these students after school this year.
For the past two years, I have been a House Captain at my school, being committed to organising house events, promoting house ethos and delivering school assemblies - which has really helped me to develop my own listening, learning and leadership skills. In addition to this, I have recently been chosen as my school's first ever Head Girl, providing me with new challenges and opportunities to make a difference in the year ahead.
Outside of school life, my biggest passion is youth democracy - ensuring young people have a voice where it matters. I am currently the elected Member of Youth Parliament for [Local Authority], representing young people and their views on regional and national levels - allowing me the opportunity to speak in the House of Commons and attend several events which have really shaped my character and skillset over the past year and a half.
Studying Computer Science at degree level will allow me to reach my ambition of teaching Computing to a new generation of students, inspiring them to go on and become a part of the exciting, ever-changing discipline that is Computer Science.
Universities Applied to:
- University of Birmingham (Computer Science/Software Engineering MEng) - Offer (AAA) Firm [unconditional as of 15/08/13]
- University of Sheffield (Computer Science) - Offer (AAB) Insurance
Grades Achieved:
- Psychology (A2) - A*
- Mathematics (A2) - B
- Computing (A2) - B
- Government & Politics (AS) - B
Reviewer comment:
Section on coding event is good but can be expanded to show why this was an interesting project for the applicant and to link it back to the application.
Great to see career aspirations mentioned in the personal statement as it shows the admissions team that the candidate is dedicated to their future
Too much content on A-levels
PS requires more of a focus on computer science and links to activities about this that show and explain their interest
Extra-curricular section is a bit long but it is written very well
Some random capitalisation of words
Final sentence is a bit repetitive but the message is strong
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