Personal Statement:Physics And Aeronautical Engineering

Why do you want to study this course or subject?

It is my life’s ambition to go into space. Ever since I watched the documentary ‘Space Station’ in the Glasgow IMAX and a subsequent tour of the Science Centre I have been fascinated with the idea that man has so many opportunities within its grasp. It is these opportunities and possibilities which have made me so focused on learning about physics and indeed astrophysics. I have always been in awe when my teachers have explained theories and equations as they are the gateway for an understanding of life. After attending several open days in Glasgow and Strathclyde my interest and understanding of the physics courses deepened. I attended several lectures at Glasgow University on both Physics and Aeronautical Engineering and this gave me an insight on the layout and content of these courses.

I intend to study physics to quench my thirst for an understanding of our world and hope that by obtaining a physics degree it will open many doors for my future. I look forward to the challenge.

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

I maintain an interest in physics outside of school with the help of the internet. I have downloaded the Yale Astronomy Open Course booklet where I can browse through video lectures, course notes and books by the lecturer. I also keep up to date with NASA’s recent missions with help from their website and their iTunes app. The prospect that I could possibly be part of these missions one day is what drives me to seek the understanding of the laws of physics.

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

I was elected Class Council Representative in both S4 and S6. This gave me the opportunity to express pupil concerns within the school to deputy head teachers which helped strengthen my communication skills. I also took part in a school program where the sixth year pupils were to buddy the new S1’s. I was responsible for the settling in of the first year pupils into the school. During my S4 work experience I gained an understanding of working with children in a local primary school. This helped develop my communication skills especially with the younger children and also tested my team working skills. This experience has strengthened my teamwork and communication skills which will be vital in university.

Outside of school I have many interests and hobbies. My main hobby is playing football. I play every Sunday with my local team and also play with my school’s football team. We have been very successful over the years. We won the Scottish School’s Football Shield twice in my S2 and S3 years and won the British Schools Cup in Belfast in S3 as well as the Lanarkshire Cup in S3, S4 and S5. This success hinges on teamwork and hard work and has taught me the essence of discipline and time management as competing at a high level requires training but also getting good grades requires time and I hope to use these valuable assets in further education and work. I have many other hobbies and interests but my keenest is learning about the war. I have travelled to Germany on several occasions in order to see war artifacts and have visited concentration camps within Berlin and Munich. These visits have helped me gain a deeper understanding of the atrocities committed as well as seeing the development of aircraft and indeed physics in general with the use of nuclear weapons. The deep expansion of physics in the last century can also been seen through medicine and space exploration and this trend is why I want to be a part of physics. I want to be part of the next thing that changes our everyday lives.

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.