Sometimes You Need To Do The Hard Thing. Study For Your Test Even If It’s Boring And You Want To Avoid

How to write a bomb ass personal statement

I’ve had a few asks about how to write - as one of you put it - a bomb ass personal statement. I’m a bit reluctant to write this, seeing as I haven’t actually got an interview/offer yet! But I guess it might be helpful to those of you applying around now :)

HOW TO START

Bullet point what you want to include - I suggest listing out what you want to include. It’s a good idea to do this at the beginning, to make sure you don’t leave anything out; and it can help form the basic structure of your statement.

Do not start at the start - this is one of the most important things I learnt when writing mine. It is so hard to write that first sentence - so just leave it until the end, and begin writing with the actual content, something you’re more comfortable writing about.

When you do get down to writing that first sentence - do not start with a cheesy quote or the typical “I have always bee passionate about…” as these are things that can immediately put off an admissions tutor. Try and be original, or just simple: “I want to study X because…”

THE CONTENT

Just keep writing - don’t worry about the 4,000 character and 47 line limits. Literally just write, and keep going, even if you think what you’re writing is bad - just get all your ideas out there, and put down everything you would want to include. It’s so much easier to take things out rather than adding things in. My personal statement was around 8,000 characters at one point!`

Get the balance right - different unis want different things from personal statements, so check their websites to make sure you’re getting in what they want. You need to get the balance of intellectual curiosity/passion for the subject with your personal qualities and extra-curriculars. 

Back up everything with evidence - don’t just say you are great at working in a team, give examples that demonstrate that you have worked well in successful teams in the past.What to include?

WHAT TO INCLUDE

Why you want to study that particular course

Why you are the right person to study the course

Extra things you have done to show commitment or interest about the course - volunteering, subscriptions to journals, further reading etc.

Any relevant work experience

Any relevant awards you’ve won (e.g. maths challenge or physics olympiad) or responsibilities within the school (e.g. prefect or house captain)

Demonstrate desirable skills for your course - problem solving, teamwork, leadership etc.

WHAT NOT TO INCLUDE

Cliches - like “Ever since I was born I have wanted to study…”

Quotes - this is a personal statement, so don’t start quoting other people! Plus way too many people do this to make it original.

Jokes - it may be that the person reading your statement has a very different sense of humour than you do.

Really long sentences - you want your personal statement to be as easy as possible to read, and long confusing sentences won’t help that.

Repetition - it’s such a short document, you don’t have space for this. Plus it gets boring!

Names of unis - the unis you apply to have no idea where else you have applied, so don’t name any of them in your statement.

THE ENDING

Do not end on a cheesy quote or joke. Just sum up why you’d be a great candidate and reinforce what you have told them throughout the main body of the statement - that you’re fabulous!

Once you have finished a draft you can start trying to cut down on the word count. Maybe ask a teacher to look at your spelling/grammar, and you can always get your friends’ opinions too, on what should come out, and what should be kept in. Make sure you don’t let other people have too much influence - it has to be a personal statement!

Taking the edge off

Just today I realised that swimming is a huge stress reliever for me. I had no idea that I was even stressed! It made me think about all the other stuff that I could do which might give me the same relief. This is what I came up with. 1. A nice nature walk 2. Hot cup of milk and a book 3. Running 4. Dancing (this one is kinda my favourite) 5. Taking a long shower/bath 6. Watching a comedy movie 7.Catching up on your favourite TV show 8. Writing 9. Photography 10.Working out There are so many other things that you can do. Singing! Or even sketching. Take your pick.

August 22, 2018. Wednesday.

Just to let you all know just how tired I am, I fell asleep watching a video over evolution around 11:30 last night with my laptop on my lap and my glasses on, surrounded by my pencils and books. I did not wake up to get those things off and to climb into bed until 3 in the morning. I wanted to get up at 5:30 so I could go on a run, but I didn’t get up until 7. I’m now getting to school early so I can figure out financial aid and try to do my readings before class starts.

Xoxo. Omi

We never know what paths and hardships brought a person to where they are now. The best we can do is try to be kind and understand that everyone has a different journey. 🌱 Featuring a mango chibird!

Pre-order Loading Penguin Hugs | Instagram | Patreon

the miracle of being here

invitation, mary oliver// @arthoesunshine // when death comes, mary oliver//to be alive, gregory ott// the dead poets society(1989), quote: walden, henry david thoreau// joseph campbell// the aeneid, virgil// @babyangel-jpg // @rawjoy //sweet, charles bukowski// that it will never come again, emily dickinson// bjenny montero// ? // ? // moments, mary oliver// madness a bipolar life, marya hornbacher// wild geese, mary oliver// letters to a young poet, rainer maria rilke// on earth we're briefly gorgeous, ocean voung// @ashstfu // i thought on his desire for three days, linda gregg

I hope you wake up early enough to put on your favorite outfit and make your favorite breakfast. I hope you find your skin clear and hair healthy. I hope you’re content with the way your body looks. I hope you get good grade on that exam you’ve been anxious about, and that presentation you have passes smoothly. I hope you find happiness in small things today. I hope that, even with your ups and downs, you are content with yourself.

If you get tired, learn to rest, not to quit.

unknown (via love-inspire-universally)