How do I write a personal statement?

A personal statement is an opportunity to illustrate your personality and skills to the universities you are applying to. Essentially the main question that you are answering here is “Why should we (the university) pick you?”. The best way to start thinking about your personal statement is through planning your content and structure; with this consider what is important for you to talk about in order to best present yourself. You could start by listing all the topics you want to discuss, and then expanding on them. Once you have some level of content you can then continue into editing until you’re happy with the final piece. Keep in mind that it could take numerous drafts before you’re fully pleased with the outcome, and you may have to write more than one personal statement depending on your form of application (ie. whether you're using UCAS or not).
Some useful questions to think about when getting started are: What is your interest in your chosen subject and why have you decided to pursue it further? What skills have you developed in school that will make you an excellent candidate for your chosen course? (e.g. time management, leadership, teamwork, etc.). Have you done anything you're really proud of? If so, what is it? What have you learned from this experience and how does this set you apart from other candidates?