Personal Statement:Psychology first draft

Why do you want to study this course or subject?

Not only does psychology fascinate me, it is a subject that I am passionate and enthusiastic about. Studying criminology as part of my A2 course led me to read We Need to Talk about Kevin, a book that challenged my thoughts and ideas about the nature nurture debate, an issue I find truly intriguing.

The past two years studying psychology have reinforced my determination to continue with this compelling field of study; a determination that I know will be an asset to your university. I look forward to hearing from you.

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

As well as psychology I am studying English language and French at A level. I found that the two have complemented my psychology course. I have learnt about developmental psychologists such as Skinner and Piaget in English whose works have been extremely influential in education.

Studying French has given me the freedom to go abroad on my own for up to five weeks and I have au paired for the same French family for the past three summers, not only allowing me to improve my spoken French but also to witness the development of their five year old and twenty month old daughters over the various stages of childhood. I introduced a token economy to try and improve the older daughter’s behaviour and we found that it worked extremely well. They are still using it today!

From my time in France I gained a sense of independence and I believe I matured considerably as I had to be relied upon to cook meals, change nappies and keep the children entertained and active.

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

My keen interest in psychology led me to volunteer at a local special needs school where I was given a placement every Wednesday afternoon in the nursery department. One particularly interesting case was a three year old boy who had extremely poor social skills and found comfort in counting. I used this as a vehicle to entice him into interacting with other children by playing number games on the computer and teaching him about turn taking in the process. The progress was slow at first but over the year he became a completely different child and now has substantially more confidence, leading to him talking more. Watching all of the children develop was an extremely rewarding experience confirming my desire to study Psychology in more depth at university and strengthening my resolve to continue volunteering at the school this year.

I have also babysat for an autistic boy who is considered ‘moderately to severely impaired with a learning difficulty’ and over the past ten years I have watched him develop skills that were never expected of him.

In addition, I am a member of the Psychology Society at my school and we have covered a variety of topics including The Jamie Bulger Case and looked at the case of Sybil whilst exploring dissociative identity disorder. I have also been a committed form liaison officer, giving me the chance to help younger students. I have helped several pupils on a one-to-one basis to help them improve their organisation and give their form teacher support.

Joining the Sea Cadets allowed me to meet new people as well as indulge my love of water sports. I had the opportunity to go windsurfing, sailing and kayaking at weekends and on courses, as well as being taught basic survival skills and first aid. During my three years there my confidence improved dramatically and with it my leadership skills. I represented the unit in many competitions including drill, kayaking and piping. I also represented the whole of the Sea Cadet Corps in the tri-service swimming competition making it through to the finals. I was a committed member for four years but decided at the start of sixth form that I needed to concentrate on my studies.

Another one of my passions is playing the piano, something I have found great comfort in since the tender age of seven.

Most people would describe me as dedicated and compassionate. It is these qualities that pushed me to run in the ‘race for life’ for breast cancer when I was only seven, a disease that is close to home. I have also helped organise numerous fundraising events for charities, including a sponsored silence that raised over £300 as well as cake sales and face painting.

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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