What should I talk about in my personal statement?

Condensing your personality and achievements into just 4000 characters to impress an Admissions Tutor might seem an impossible task at first glance! Everyone you talk to will give you different advice on what's most important to say, but from talking to friends and lecturers, here are the 3 things I think it's important to include:

1) Why you want to study that particular subject - What sparked your interest in Linguistics? Why have you chosen a degree in Chemistry? Did a particular book give you a passion for English Literature? Which part of History can you talk about for hours? Did you choose a particular Maths course for a reason? In my experience, universities want to see that you're interested and enthused by your subject; after all, you're going to be reading about virtually nothing else for a few years! Enthusiam will drive you through your degree, and showing it will go a long way to showing an admissions tutor why you'd be a good fit for their course.

2) What you've learned so far -  I don't mean list every fact you know about every subject! It's great to mention key subjects you've studied so far to get to this point, but also talk about what skills you've developed while you've been learning and working. For example, instead of just saying you're studying for a Maths A-Level, talk about how it's teaching you problem-solving, and analytical skills. It's even better if you can give an example of how you might use those skills during your studies.

3) What do you like to do outside of studying? - It's important to mention your academic achievements, of course, as well as any extra-curricular activites (D of E, etc). But while at University, you won't be studying ALL the time (trust me), so what else do you like to do? Do you like playing or watching a particular sport? Are you a film or theatre buff? Have you travelled? Are you excited to join a particular society or team when you get to University? What have you learned from those experiences? Why do you enjoy what you enjoy?

There's no one correct way to write a Personal Statement, and be sure to think about what you most want to put across when you're writing it. Just remember, the person reading it will have read hundreds of them, so they've seen it all, and they're not looking to catch you out or laugh at you! An enthusiastic and thoughtful Personal Statement goes a long way towards impressing an Admissions Tutor and setting you apart from the crowd.

I'd caution against showing your Personal Statement to too many people, because everyone has a different opinion, but advice from a knowledgable person that you trust is invaluable.

I hope this has helped, and feel free to ask any questions you might have! Finally, I wish you the very best of luck writing your Personal Statement!