Personal Statement:Psychology 41

Why do you want to study this course or subject?

The human brain: one organ with the same rudimentary design in every human being, yet able to give rise to virtually limitless variations in intelligence, personality, fears and habits. As a keen scientist, the idea that so many of the characteristics and behaviours that make up our identity can be pinned down to specific biological processes and their interaction with the environment, is what has inspired me to pursue psychology to a higher level.

Having studied GCSE Psychology at school, I started to develop a real intellectual curiosity for the subject when introduced to biological explanations of abnormality at AS level. Keen to explore the topic further, I sourced out various books expanding on the area. Particularly absorbing was Ridley's 'Nature via Nurture' due to the emphasis on genetic defects as a possible cause of various disorders, for instance a RELN gene fault resulting in faulty neuronal migration and a possible link to schizophrenia, depression and autism. I found it incredible that a minute molecular change could contribute so drastically to development, and was motivated to discover if similar explanations underlie day-to-day processes. A book I particularly enjoyed was LeDoux's 'Synaptic Self' due to his focus on the importance of synaptic activity in coordinating memory, learning, and the structure of the brain itself.

I have also expanded my academic interests through attending a psychology conference at UCL this summer, where we explored the development of language in young children by recreating a study designed to test our ability to learn new grammar concepts from a made-up language. Interestingly, whilst we performed poorly, the original results showed a significantly stronger performance from babies, which supports the idea of a critical period for language development and would explain why learning a language becomes increasingly difficult later in life. Eager to pursue critical periods further, I read a research paper by Hubel and Wiesel detailing the failure of formation of ocular dominance columns in kittens with eyes sutured for a specific period of time. After further research, it would seem that light is required to activate particular genes which coordinate neuronal development in the visual cortex; I thought this to be incredibly significant as it demonstrates precisely how nurture can interact with and influence nature through a biological mechanism.

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

My emphasis on science subjects at AS has complemented my study of psychology well. Alongside the experimental and numerical skills I have developed, Biology has fuelled my interest in the impact of genetics on behaviour, whilst Chemistry has been crucial to my understanding of psychobiology. I have also enjoyed applying the statistical techniques honed in Maths to studies conducted in A Level Psychology, and this will be of continued use when undertaking research at university level. I have also managed to benefit from the skills developed through the humanities, however, as my Extended Project explored the credibility of the existence of God by looking at both scientific and philosophical perspectives. This not only strengthened my skills of analysis, literary coherence and evaluation, but engaging with philosophical texts has increased my confidence in handling unfamiliar subject areas.

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

Beyond the classroom, I have developed strong interpersonal and communication skills through volunteer work at an animal sanctuary and helping out at several college open events. Participation in the Duke of Edinburgh Award scheme has built on my leadership, presentation skills and self-motivation, which are essential for university study. Beyond undergraduate level, my current aim is to pursue my love of science and remain in the field of biological psychology in the hope of eventually contributing to research myself.

Universities applied to:

• University of Oxford (Experimental Psychology)
• University of Bristol (Psychology)
• University of Birmingham (Psychology)
• University of Sheffield (Psychology)
• Cardiff University (Psychology with Placement Year)

Grades achieved:

• Biology A2 - A*
• Chemistry A2 - A
• Psychology A2 - A*
• Mathematics AS - A
• Extended Project Qualification (EPQ) - A*

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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