Personal Statement:Physics and Philosophy 3

Why do you want to study this course or subject?

Natural passionate inquisitiveness and curiosity have led me to a long held fascination with the inner workings of the universe. I seek to understand and I have discovered that Physics is the discipline that focusses absolutely on this fundamental desire. More than anything else, I want to further our understanding of reality and the universe we find ourselves in. I feel that Physics, and the Philosophy of Physics, is a subject that facilitates and gives the most potential to the realisation of these giddy ideals – ideals which I am certain, as far as an 18 year old can be, that I want to spend my life pursuing.

The beauty of subjects such as Quantum Mechanics and String Theory, as well as Einstein’s theory of Relativity, have gripped me. On my first understanding of the very basic principles of general and special relativity I felt my universe expand – the implications to my younger mind were incredible, and lead me to expand my voracious literary appetite to encompass a range of scientific texts.

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

My first true Physics book was “Alpha and Omega” by Charles Seife, and once again opened to me a new way of thinking about reality. It taught me about Heisenberg’s uncertainty principle, about quantum mechanics and the standard model. Since then I have read Brian Greens’s “The Fabric of the Cosmos”, amongst many others, such as “A Drunkard’s Walk”, on probability, “The Elegant Universe” on string theory, and “Physics of the Impossible”. I read New Scientist and American Scientist articles on Physics and the Philosophy thereof whenever possible, supplementing them with the wide variety of fresh internet articles. Moreover, I have attended and been selected for talks and lectures on Physics at the RSA and Birmingham university. One of these involved me spending months searching the sky for supernovae with Liverpool University’s telescope, and then analysing and submitting the results using image processing software.

My enthusiasm for the subjects broached in “The Fabric of the Cosmos” has led me to further explore the basic mathematics behind objects such as black holes in my own time, as well as base my EPQ on a rational view of space travel and colonisation. I have also read “A Philosophy of Science: A Contemporary Introduction” which gave a brilliant account of the Philosophy of Science, causing me to become enamoured with the link between Physics and Philosophy. I want to one day be able to really contribute towards such wide-sweeping questions as “What is time?” or, “What is reality?”, as well the most challenging queries on M-theory, or current problems with, say, nuclear fusion.

To lay the foundation towards these intellectual heights I have taken an extra A-level in Further Maths. Being taught during only one lunch time a week this has allowed me to develop a strong independent work ethic, one which I believe will be invaluable in university and the Physics world beyond.

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

In addition to pursuing Physics and Philosophy, and studying for my A levels, I play a range of sport. I have trained in Tae-Kwon-Do for the past eight years, achieving the rank of Black Belt, played Rugby for the school’s 1st XV every year as well as played sports such as hockey and badminton, and cycle and run for general pleasure and fitness. This has required large amounts of discipline, perseverance and time management. I feel I am also very technologically proficient, able to use a wide variety of software, and adapting readily to unfamiliar ones.

On the completion of my course, I want to go into research, and possibly lecturing. My passion for understanding will, I am sure, propel me into uncharted scientific territory, and my love for the subject and perseverance will allow me to help advance modern physics through exploration and analysis of these areas. I am certain that I have the creativity, aptitude and determination to excel in these upcoming years and beyond.

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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