Personal Statement - Mechanical Engineering 4

Why do you want to study this course or subject?

Engineering has not only given us inventions such as the car that have improved our lives but also captured the imagination of the world through space travel and the Apollo missions. I always dreamt of building skyscrapers and rockets, yet it was not until year 9 that I really thought it could be the career for me. I arranged a weeks work experience with a local medical engineering firm called (name of company). It was during an explanation of a radiation therapy machine that I started to appreciate how much of a role engineering plays in the world. I found a better understanding from my experience and realised it would be a challenging yet rewarding career.

Doing mechanical engineering will allow me to contribute to a range of industries from energy to jet engines or even new sectors such as nanotechnology. In an ever more demanding world, engineers will have to continue to design and innovate which will inspiring me to become involved in projects that could be the next Apollo mission for my generation.

How have your qualifications and studies helped you to prepare for this course or subject?

In year 12 I applied for the Engineering Education Scheme (EES) and on the selection day showed I was able think in a creative but logical way. I did this by breaking the problem into steps and applying my experience to the situation. My EES project was to find a way to measure 51 holes over a 3m diameter on a level surface with in 5mm error tolerance. This project turned out to be a great challenge due to many restrictions and tolerances that pushed us to become more creative in our solution. My main aim in taking part was not only to learn more about engineering but also to narrow down what type of engineering I really wanted to do. The project covered various disciplines and while designing and building a prototype I really enjoyed the mechanical engineering aspects. For my EES project, I was able to develop my teamwork skills along with learning how to write a technical report. At the end of the project was awarded a BA gold crest award. I was also able to give a presentation to the head of (name of company) that really helped me gain confidence in public presentations and allowed me to secure a 6-week work placement.

My work placement in August 2008 taught me more about the economic part of engineering. Learning how technology contributes to economical development by improving firms through better efficiency. As well as improving my business techniques, I learned more about technical drawings. On reading about fluid engineering in the book “An introduction to mechanical engineering” I really enjoyed the section on how laminar and turbulent flows can affect objects such as a plane or even a golf ball differently. I also found why at hypersonic speeds a normal jet engine with a compressor fan is unusable and why a scram jet is used instead.

I am currently in my gap year and will be finishing my A2 maths. I will also be taking AS further maths including mechanics 2 and 3 so I will be better prepared for the course. While I take these exams I should be in an engineering year in industry work placement. By doing this I hope to expand on my technical knowledge, like improving my CAD skills.

What else have you done to prepare outside of education, and why are these experiences useful?

At school, I was the chairperson of the school year council (over 400 students) and participated in young enterprise in year 12. In the young enterprise group, I was the operational director. This involved overseeing the finance department and the logistics. Doing this I improved my skills in working and communicating in a multi-disciplinary team, and how to manage time and resources. My interests range from martial arts to being an avid f1 fan, where I love to read and learn about the engineering behind the cars.

Universities applied to:

• Loughborough (Mechanical Engineering)
• Sheffield (Mechanical Engineering)
• University Collage London (Mechanical Engineering)
• Cardiff (Mechanical Engineering)
• Surrey (Mechanical Engineering)

Grades achieved:

• AAA
• ABB
• ABB
• AAB
• ABB

How personal statements have changed?

The current personal statement format, with three 'scaffolding' questions, was introduced by Ucas in September 2025. This personal statement was submitted before then, using the old essay-style format. It has been carefully edited into the three-question format, with all of the original wording kept.

Need help with your personal statement? You can ask a question or get feedback from The Student Room community (and our trained personal statement experts) on the personal statement advice forum.