Personal Statement:Psychology 39

Why do you want to study this course or subject?

Everyday life consists of continual interactions between different people. This causes a variety of reactions depending on the individual. Each person possesses a brain that has the same biological function, yet intricately unique. As I’ve grown, so has my curiosity. This has led me to explore the reasons as to why this is. From a young age I would always question the reasons behind someone’s logic and look deeper into their reasoning. As I have matured, I have developed this inquisitiveness and over the past four years, both academically and in my personal time, I have examined the numerous different theories that attempt to explain the reasons as to why people act, react and interact in the way that they do. Looking deeper into these psychological rationales has simply fuelled my interest further into this subject which started out as a childhood curiosity.

An area that is of particular interest to me is that of cognitive psychology, having looked into this whilst undertaking my biology study. The study I carried out was focussed on animal’s being able to perceive situations, enabling them to adapt their behaviour for survival. This then leads me to ask whether this is reflected in humans and whether we also evolve and adapt mentally to our circumstances as the world changes. It also initiated my interest in biological psychology as I compared different species of animals behaviour, learned physiology through hormone and brain function studies and inheritance. I would like to study biological psychology in more depth to learn what else may be inherited other than physical features and illness.

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

My higher in geography aided in development of my analytical, research and problem solving skills. I found it interesting how something such as the difference in environments can impact human behaviour, mood and how important the environment surrounding a workplace is so crucial for a healthy workforce. After discovering the environmental impact on human thought processes, I was led to look into how mentality also has an effect on social behaviour.

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

I did work experience at a nursing home hoping to learn firsthand how to interact differently with others, such as those suffering from mental illness. By doing this, I realized I was able to empathise with people better. This helped me to understand how the home was able to adapt to improve the residents happiness whilst improving my ability to work and cooperate with others.

Wanting to be confident of my next step, I decided to take a gap year. My volunteer work at St Andrews Hospice charity shop has improved my confidence and reassured me that university is the right next step for me. Furthermore, the social skills I developed during my gap year will be a valuable asset in life and especially at university.

My hobbies include crochet, the patience and concentration required by this has helped me in my academics whilst teaching me to enjoy challenges. Another hobby of mine is reading which has increased my interest in psychology, covering such titles as “A Dictionary of Dream Symbols” and “Energy Tapping”. This introduced me to dream analysis and energy psychology.

I am a determined, ambitious individual and I aim to succeed in everything that I put my mind to. Studying this degree will give me the perfect opportunity to develop my independence and to expand my knowledge and understanding of such a new and developing science. It will allow me to enhance my analytical skills and critical thinking and ultimately be the perfect stepping stone into a career within psychology.

Universities applied to:

• University of Stirling (Philosophy and Psychology)
• University of West of Scotland (Psychology)
• University of Glasgow Caledonian (Psychology with Interactive Entertainment)

Grades achieved:

• English (Higher) - A
• Geography (Higher) - A
• Maths (Higher) - D
• Art and Design (Higher) - C
• Biology (Higher) - 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.