Personal Statement - Geography 1995

Why do you want to study this course or subject?

Geography has had me ‘hooked’ for as long as I can remember. My love for Geography began at the age of 10 on a family holiday to Dorset where we visited the famous limestone arch known as Durdle Door. I was amazed at the sheer power of the waves, yet the eloquent beauty of the coastline. Since then, my interest in Geography has developed into a love for the human side of Geography, especially aspects such as globalisation and development. These are of particular interest to me as I am fascinated by the relationship between humans and their environment. People try to maximise their human resources so that they can develop economically while at the same time aiming to achieve sustainability.

Globalisation also intrigues me as it is interesting to try to understand how a trans-national corporation chooses where to locate taking account of the Geography and economic development of an area. In addition to this, I am very interested in population structures and how countries with the same level of economic development have similar characteristics within their populations. I hope to deepen my knowledge in these subjects as well as acquiring new knowledge on other features of Geography.

I believe that my sincere passion for Geography and the skills I have and am acquiring through my present studies make me well suited to studying Geography at university. Moreover, being a self-motivated and independent person who takes great pride in carrying out everything I do, I would like to think that studying for a degree in Geography will be most interesting and enjoyable and will be valuable whatever career I may eventually choose or progression into further study.

Finally, I would like to say that as neither of my parents had a university education I will be the first to benefit from going to university. I am sure that if I am accepted my family and I will be extremely proud of my success.

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

I am an active member of both my College Geographic Society and Economic Society. My participation in these is particularly useful in building on my own knowledge and allowing me to share my views and love for the subject with others. It also shows how I take responsibility for my own learning – an important skill for studying at university. Furthermore, I subscribe to the ‘Geography Review’ and ‘The Economist’. This is because I consider that these publications are invaluable in enabling me to keep up to date in these dynamic and ever evolving subjects.

Although my first love is for Human Geography, I have enjoyed taking part with my college in a Physical Geography field trip to the Blackwater River. This field trip enabled me to learn and develop useful skills such as data collection, analysis and interpretation, which can be applied in any type of geographical investigation. Having taken part in and enjoying fieldwork, I am really looking forward to the diverse fieldtrips available at university.

Grades Achieved:

• Geography A2 - A
• Economics A2 - A*
• History A2 - A
• Maths A2 - B
• General Studies A2 - A*

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

Outside of college I have volunteered to take part in a number of conservation activities, for example, tree felling in the Bracknell Forest area and collecting litter. Engaging in these activities has helped develop my knowledge of the sustainability of human development. They have also enabled me to see at firsthand the damage caused by humans in their drive to maximise output.

Playing team sports, such as rugby and football, have made me appreciate the importance of teamwork, effective communication and physical fitness – attributes which I am sure will prove useful in studying Geography at degree level.

Universities applied to:

• Nottingham
• Leeds
• Exeter
• Sussex
• Southampton

Grades achieved:

• Geography A2 - A
• Economics A2 - A*
• History A2 - A
• Maths A2 - B
• General Studies 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.

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