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My fascination for mathematical theorems began from studying 'Proof by Induction' at AS level, as I enjoyed the process of making a rational assumption then by thinking logically, deducing the proof from it. By reading Singh's 'Fermat's Last Theorem' I was intrigued to learn how proofs are verified, through rigour, by using logic to restore it back to the axioms that it was derived from. This is how I discovered the heart of mathematical reasoning and it is from this I am determined to find out more at degree level.
To challenge myself I attended a 'Mathematics Masterclass' at Imperial University, where the objective was to work out the angle that light is refracted by a droplet of water to form a rainbow. We were shown how this can be obtained by Airy's Equation and I was surprised to discover, through using the Taylor series, we can get an extremely close approximation to the correct solution. To stretch my mathematical knowledge even further, I read Sewell's 'Mathematics Masterclasses' where I was fascinated by the chapter on Game Theory, although it is introduced briefly, it was the analytical thinking used for solving the problems set by the book that I found to be particularly engaging.
From studying a range of subjects it has allowed me to appreciate the many applications of mathematics, such as by figuring out accurately the masses of chemical compounds in Chemistry,to calculating heart rates in Biology. In addition, by completing an Extended Project I saw how mathematical models are used to represent the Earth's global climate and through researching and evaluating sources, I have developed my ability to think critically. Moreover, I especially enjoyed the great sense of independence involved in undertaking the project. After attending an event for mathematicians at Cambridge University, I gained insight into what mathematics is like at degree level, from a mock lecture on mathematical theorems which captivated me by its flawless nature. Also, a representative of UBS spoke on the prospect of banking, which lead me to taking up an interest in reading the Financial Times regularly, here I saw how mathematics is applied in the financial world, particularly in economics, where calculus is used to measure the rate of change in variables, such as in price for inflation, whereas an exponential function can be used to model the rate of inflation, proving how much these subjects are interlinked with each other.
By acting as one of the subject representatives for mathematics, I have undertaken the responsibility of running forums, where we would evaluate the on-going delivery of the course. Furthermore, I spoke to potential students on the college open day, encouraging them to study mathematics by helping them to understand the great importance of it. I also took part in running the 'Math Society' where I was responsible for setting the members with mathematical riddles which I then enjoyed explaining the solution to them. I have developed my team working skills by being involved in organising the college football tournament. In addition, I have represented our college in the 'Model United Nations' where by negotiating the terms of the UN resolution with the other members of the committee, sometimes by making a compromise, I have strengthened my communication skills. Also as I was determined to raise funds for a charity, I was involved in a sponsored 'sleep out' to raise awareness of the issue around homelessness, from this I learnt the importance to persevere in whatever I commit to undertaking.
My genuine interest in mathematics is what motivates me to want to study it at the highest level where I look forward to the challenges it will offer me. This is why I am determined to try my best throughout, whilst still making time to help organising events during my time at university. I then hope to use the knowledge and skills gained from this entire experience to apply it to a career in the field of economics.
Universities Applied to:
- Imperial College (Maths) - Offer (A*A*A) Firm
- UCL (Maths with Economics) - Offer (A*AA) Insurance
- LSE (Maths with Economics)
- University of Bath (Maths, Sandwich Course) - Offer (A*AA)
- University of Bristol (Maths) - Offer
Grades Achieved:
- Maths (A2) - A*
- Further Maths (A2) - A*
- Biology (A2) - A
- Chemistry (A2) - A
- General Studies (A2) - A
- Extended Project (EPQ) - A*
Student's comments
It helps to read out your personal statement to yourself and to someone after a few hours you wrote it because it will sound a lot different compared to straight after you wrote it and thankfully I didn't need to have any interviews but if you say you did something like reading a book, or newspaper you should actually read it!
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