Personal Statement - Geography 8

Why do you want to study this course or subject?

The primary reason why I want to study geography at university is that it addresses the main issues in the world today such as overpopulation, the depletion of the ozone layer and pollution. Geography is the subject that has interested me the most all through GCSE and A-Level and the only subject that I have ever considered studying at a higher level. Geography interests me particularly in how it links people to the earth that surrounds them. To give two examples of this: people have an impact on the earth through means such as pollution; and the earth impacts on people's lives through natural disasters like volcanoes.

I enjoyed all the topics explored in the AS level geography course. However it was the population topic from human geography that interested me the most. By studying population predictions from different countries in the form of population pyramids and the demographic transition model, I was able to understand how population was going to change in different parts of the world and how this would affect the area they live in.

I am looking forward to building on my existing knowledge of geography and getting the opportunity to study it for 3 more years. I hope then to achieve my goal to teach geography to share my own enthusiasm of the subject.

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

Studying geography at A-Level has strengthened my desire to study the subject at university by introducing me to new topics which I have enjoyed such as cold environments and health. My knowledge of previous topics I have studied, such as rivers and population, has also been strengthened. My geographical skills have also improved throughout the course especially through fieldwork investigation. Fieldwork has also taught me how geography works in a real life setting. I undertook two fieldwork investigations in my AS year: one physical and one human. The human fieldwork investigation took place in Wolverhampton and compared the population structures of two wards through the use of surveys and secondary data such as census statistics. The physical fieldwork investigation tested the changes downstream of the Ashes Hollow river in Shropshire. This fieldwork investigation taught me skills such as data collection; for example when testing the velocity of the river I was taught correctly how to use a flow metre and how to get the most accurate result. By also studying Psychology and English Literature and Language combined at A-Level, I have been able to develop other skills such as essay writing and statistic techniques.

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

In my free time, I work in a charity shop at least once a week. This has been a rewarding experience and has taught me essential skills such as taking the initiative in a situation. An example is when inspecting the shop floor if I saw a half empty shelf I would know to fill it up. I have also attended geographical lectures with the Shropshire branch of the Geographical Association. This has reinforced my enthusiasm to study geography at higher level. One of my main hobbies is swimming, a skill I only learnt 4 years ago by teaching myself after many years of struggling. I now try to swim at least 3 times a week. Swimming has given me confidence to try other new sports including badminton. While at school I was a student leader, a role that enabled me to work in a group to help organise students break and lunch times to stop overcrowding in corridors. This involved scheduling where different year groups would be and the amount of people who were allowed in different areas. In 2008, I acquired a Mandarin Chinese breakthrough certificate after a year long course. I enjoyed learning a new language as well as other elements of the course such as learning what China was really like from the Chinese teacher.

Universities applied to:

• University of Birmingham
• University of Nottingham
• Bangor University
• Aberystwyth University
• Lancaster University

Grades achieved:

• Psychology (A2) - A
• Geography (A2) - A
• English Combined (A2) - A

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.