Why have a personal statement?
Do's and donts when writing psersonal statements
International Students
Introductory sentences to get you started
Mention the subject
Plan carefully
Points to remember
Sub-sections
What Admissions Tutors look for
What to inlcude
Sub-sections
School activities
Have you been a prefect at school or held other responsibilities? If so, you should mention them because they show that you are capable and motivated. Are you a member of a sports team? If so, which team is it, how long have you been a member, have you made any notable achievements during your membership? Being part of a team shows that you are a sociable person who is capable of working with other people towards a common goal. At university you will mix with all sorts of different people and you will need to get along with all of them. If you need help with this part of your personal statement here are some Introductory sentences.
Intellectual Activities
Have you been to any talks or lectures on a subject that you are interested in? Do you regularly visit art galleries, the theatre or museums? Are you a member of any clubs or local societies? If so, which ones and what do you like about them? These things are important because they will ensure that you come across as someone who is interested in learning and broadening their mind and experience.
Out of school activities
Many of these will have been covered in the above section but you might want to include community work, voluntary work, Duke of Edinburgh Awards, playing a musical instrument or being in a band, visiting foreign countries, arts and crafts, in fact anything that occupies your time outside school or college. Whatever you say you must give examples, name the artists, musicians, authors that you are interested in don't just say "I like listening to classical music."
Having self-motivation is an extremely important quality but just attending school does not prove you are motivated. Doing things outside school, doing them because you enjoy them and doing things that interest you really does demonstrate your motivation in a very practical way.
Work experience
Any form of work is valuable experience and should be mentioned on your form. This is especially true if you have done some work that is relevant to the course you have chosen to study; in fact, for some courses relevant work experience may be essential.
There is a big difference between school or college and 'the real world'. When you have to go to work to pay your way you have to be more mature, sensible and reliable; talking about your work experience demonstrates that you have these qualities. Your job or work experience can also be the proof you need to show that you are dedicated to your chosen career or course and are mature enough to stick with it for the duration.
The particular skills that you might have gained at work could include: working to deadlines, working independently or working as part of a team, managing other people, diplomacy, problem solving, using your initiative, speaking and listening, communication skills.
Key skills
If you are not offering Key Skills separately then you should consider giving some evidence of your abilities in numeracy, communications and Information Technology. All university courses involve a lot of writing, a fair amount of work on the PC, basic maths. and talking to individuals or groups. You need to show on your form that you are capable of doing these things when you get to university.