Personal Statement:Philosophy and Psychology 1

Why do you want to study this course or subject?

I wish to read for a Joint Honours degree in Psychology and Philosophy, as these disciplines have attracted my interest long before I knew the formal terms for them! I have become increasingly aware that we are shaped by our mental processes as well as our external perceptions of our purpose and place in the world. I like the unpredictability of people, and the different ways that we interact, think and behave. I think that I could spend the rest of my lifetime formally studying life.

An area of psychology that I am particularly interested in exploring is the development of language and communication skills, as I see language and communication as an integral part of human life.

Difficulties with these, and also depression and personality disorders such as dissociative identity disorders strike me as being equally, if not more important and deserving of study and research than physical ailments, since these problems cause such suffering.

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

I feel that all of my A Level subjects contribute to my interest in my higher education options. I am especially stimulated by my Theology course, in which we examine elements of the philosophy, psychology and history of religion. My other courses have taught me good analytical and essay writing skills, and topics I have covered tend to lead me to read around my modules out of curiosity.

Philosophy is also an outside interest, and I have a particular interest in existentialism, especially the ideas of Jean Paul Sartre and the ideas conveyed by Kafka's works. 'The Metamorphosis' struck me as stunningly profound in portraying the helplessness of Gregor, a character shaped by his circumstances, and his final, odd empowerment in choosing the inevitable, to die. Despite existentialism's reputation as being a somewhat pessimistic outlook on life, I also find myself agreeing with Heraclitus, the philosopher of change, that 'all things flow'. The world of twenty-four hours ago is certainly not the same as todays! I enjoy reading in general, particularly poetry and Shakespeare, but usually I read a wide variety of books, as well as writing poems and short stories.

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

Within school, I am a member of the student run branch of 'Amnesty International', and I also spend some time each week with an older member of the community as part of the 'Sixty Plus' scheme, in which I learn from the life experiences of the people I work with.

Outside of school, as a member of the Editorial Board for the Junior Mensa magazine, 'Bright Sparks', I write articles and stories, and work with the Editor and the rest of the Board with the stressful but rewarding task of putting together the quarterly issue. Awareness of the readership and catering to different interests is one of the most challenging aspects of being on the Board. I became a member of Mensa in 1998 after sitting an IQ test, the result of which was a score of 176. Astonished as I am by this, and despite the awareness gained from my sociological studies that IQ only measures one particular dimension of ability, the society is a lot of fun and I enjoy socialising with the wide variety of other members.

For the past two summers, I have volunteered with 'Trojans', a South London playscheme for young people aged 5 to 11, and have gained valuable playworking experience as well as teaching the younger children the fiendishly difficult game of Hopscotch Trog! The process that I will undergo from being a person with so few answers to one who, hopefully as a clinical psychologist within the NHS, helps others to change their own inner world, will be a challenging one, and for me, university is an atmosphere that appeals to me on every level as a place in which I can participate in the social and intellectual stimulation of both myself and contemporaries of all disciplines.

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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