Personal Statement:Physics 29

Why do you want to study this course or subject?

I have always been intrigued by the world of physics. From everyday experiences to the most extreme boundaries of today's knowledge, I have always voraciously searched for answers to my questions. As I grew up, the elegance of mathematical demonstrations and of physical theorems fascinated me, and I have often dreamt of making contributions to the unification theory and of improving and simplifying the Navier-Stokes equations. For me, investigating the physical world, searching for the laws of nature and trying to seek out the secrets of the world are some of the highest peaks the human mind can reach.

In the future I hope to achieve a career in scientific research or university teaching after obtaining a PhD, possibly in Astrophysics, since my skills in communication, aptitude in finding new ideas and intuition would be of great help to reach this goal. My love and passion for knowledge of the physical world and of the laws of nature has brought me to seek admission in the UK for the great opportunities of personal improvement and contact with some of the best minds in physics.

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

I have undertaken my own studies in physics and mathematics, and after studying calculus I have investigated Maxwell's equations. The beauty of the divergence theorem and how it makes the passing from the integral to the differential form of Maxwell's equations possible made me realize the importance of mathematics in physics, and how abstract mathematical thinking could lead to very real physical considerations. I have loved studying the Taylor series and understand the importance of approximations in physics.

I have participated in the European meetings of a History of Science and Technology magazine, at which I have given more than 10 presentations. This helped me present new viewpoints or ideas, and will help me as a physicist in presenting results, theories or preparing talks about physics. I would also be prepared to explain my understanding of physics in exams.

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

After writing an article on Black Holes for a magazine about the History of Science and Technology, I joined the editorial board of this magazine. I am a member of my local amateur astronomy group and I enjoy participating in observation nights, giving explanations to people while they observe through my telescope. I have observed different events of the PHEMU09 campaign, for which I expect to be the author of an article in "Astronomy & Astrophysics" and I am currently working on an article about the modelling of an eclipsing binary stars system, to be published in IBVS magazine and based on some photometric observations.

I have presented several experiments in physics at my school, from an electromagnetic canon and electrostatic engine, to a functioning model of a solar power plant. These experiences gave me an insight into professional scientific research and on peer-reviewed articles publication, and they made me realize the importance of models and experiments to fully understand and explain scientific concepts.

I have been an AFS exchange student for one year in the USA, which has improved my English. Dealing with a new situation also made me more independent and increased my general knowledge, while improving my problem solving skills, as I learnt to observe the problems from a different perspective. I also learnt new approaches in studying, and I had an insight into university studying since the school system was more similar to university.

Beside my studies, I enjoy reading books, such as "Thirty years that shook physics", which is about the incredible first years of the twentieth century. I am a very easy-going, friendly person and I enjoy doing many sports such as rowing, volleyball, soccer, athletics and being part of a sport team. This helped me develop skills such as working in a team for a common goal and how to support a team-mate after a mistake. I also enjoy skiing and snowboarding, and I practise them on the Alps every winter season.

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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