Personal Statement:Psychology 30 - The Student Room

Why do you want to study this course or subject?

All humans are inadvertent psychologists to a certain extent, analysing other peoples’ behaviours and responding accordingly. I am eager to delve into the mechanisms of this further and the study of psychology, particularly in an experimental capacity, will allow me to do so.

My interest in psychology was first sparked by my job working in the children’s department of a shoe shop. The way various children reacted differently to the same experiences intrigued me and I was prompted to discover attachment theory and Bowlby’s four-phase model. When I then began to study Psychology A-level, I was able to evaluate this model constructively and to realise how it, as well as other theories in psychology, may not apply across all cultures. For example, Bowlby focuses almost entirely on mother-infant interaction, disregarding the variations in other cultures where father-infant or other attachments are more common.

Psychology is a subject that is constantly developing, and it is this unique combination of breadth and depth offered by the degree that will make it captivating to study. I am committed to studying this subject and am excited by the prospect of spending three years- and possibly more!- dedicated to something that I believe is of particular importance to all of us, both as individuals and as communities.

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

As a studious and inquisitive individual who is skilled in both the sciences and the arts, psychology was a refreshing subject to study as it allowed for both scientific analysis and debate. I am currently studying biology, and this both aids me in the understanding of how to conduct a fair, scientific experiment, as well as enhancing my interest in genetics and evolutionary psychology. Announcements of discoveries such as a possible ‘IQ gene’ (Tang, 1999) demonstrate that genes may have a direct influence on human behaviour, and I find this research to be both important and influential as to how we as humans perceive ourselves- as animals governed by our need to retain our genes instead of as individuals.

I attended a Psychology Conference at Nottingham University and found the lecture on gambling and addictive behaviour to be particularly engrossing. The different theories formulated to explain addiction, such as opponent-process and genetic vulnerability, aim to explain the formation of an addiction and yet, as commonly found in many areas of psychology, not one theory encompasses all possible aspects.

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

My fervour for psychology extends outside of the classroom. As a subscriber to ‘The Psychologist’, I am able to keep up-to-date with new discoveries made in the field of psychology and to therefore re-evaluate previous theories and methods. My experiences of mentoring Year 9 pupils throughout Sixth Form has meant that I have developed my skills of communication, and my initiative in establishing a debate club in my Sixth Form has meant that I am particularly able in considering both sides of a discussion.

Earlier this year, I sailed around the Caribbean on a Tall Ship. Despite having no previous sailing experience, I found working on a ship with young people from all over the country invigorating and I was able to validate my leadership skills. In my gap year, as well as taking two more A-levels, I am also planning to travel to two countries and situations with completely different cultural backgrounds; an orphanage in Thailand and a city in America. I am also volunteering as a psychology assistant at my high school, organising lesson plans for current A-level students. In my spare time, I enjoy playing both the piano and the violin, as well as being a keen reader of classic literature.

Universities applied to:

• University of York
• University of Oxford
• University of Exeter
• Royal Holloway, University of London
• University of Warwick

Grades achieved:

• Psychology (A2) - A
• English Literature (A2) - A
• Biology (A2) - B
• Mathematics (A2) - B
• Latin (A2) - B
• General Studies (AS) - A
• Physics (AS) - C

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.