academic--dreams-blog

[academic--dreams-blog]

TOP TIPS FOR YOUR PERSONAL STATEMENT

Hello! I’m about to start uni in a few weeks so I thought now would be a good time to share my top tips for writing a good personal statement. There is no ‘special formula’ for writing a good one but these are some tips I picked up from family, friends, online articles, teachers and universities themselves:

WHAT SHOULD I WRITE ABOUT?

you need to say why you want to study that course - how your interest developed, how you’ve pursued it (e.g. extracurricular activities), how you’ve drawn inspiration - basically demonstrate a lot of enthusiasm but be specific

give evidence that you’re right for the course - demonstrate with examples that you have researched it, understand what it entails and have the correct skills

say what you’ve done outside of the classroom - further reading and opinions (but try to be original - don’t talk about books that are really well-known in your subject)

explain why your experiences are relevant to the course and to a future career - reflect on experiences, don’t describe them!

give examples of transferable skills - teamwork, time management, problem solving, etc. and then expand on the most relevant skills - success in projects, how you grew from particular experiences, biggest challenges you’ve faced, etc.

also show you’re a critical thinker and mention long term plans

AN EXAMPLE:

as an example, here’s what I wrote about in my personal statement:

a public lecture I’d been to at a local university and how this inspired me (you could watch a TED talk online and discuss it)

how I was interested by the lab equipment and research I’d seen at a university when I went on a taster day

hobbies I have and how I was interested in my subject outside of school (books, magazines, podcasts I like and why)

a line about my EPQ and how this follows on from a podcast I listened to

how I’m finding my A level subjects (e.g. I enjoy science practicals)

how my AS levels helped me (e.g. AS history really helped me with essay writing)

what I learned from tutoring some GCSE students and volunteering at a charity shop

how I found shadowing a PhD student at a local university - how this inspired me and motivated me in my chosen subject

TRY TO INCLUDE:

paragraphs and GOOD GRAMMAR!!!!!

balance of academic and extra-curricular 

evidence you’ve done research

show genuine engagement 

lateral thinking - link to a more obscure theme that you find interesting 

honesty and a desire to study 

what you want from course 

positivity

CURIOSITY! 

make it interesting, thoughtful and personal - say what inspires you

DON’T INCLUDE:

academic achievements - unis know what qualifications you have and which grades you’re predicted so don’t waste your characters! 

quotes - this is YOUR personal statement, not Winston Churchill’s!! 

lists - you need detail and explanations 

clichés - you have not wanted to be a doctor for as long as you can remember! 

sweeping statements 

‘passion’ and other commonly-used words 

stilted vocabulary - use language that you actually use (but not slang)

exaggeration 

humour - it’s a dangerous move to use humour 

negativity 

irrelevant facts - it’s not a school essay!

OVERALL:

show not tell - “I’ve been able to develop my communication skills by tutoring three GCSE science students” is better than saying “I’m a good communicator” 

DRAFT!!!! you will not be able to write a good personal statement in one go - it took me months of regular drafting and re-writing to get mine even close to being finished! 

get help! ask friends, family, teachers, etc. to read it and give feedback

don’t be too precious about it - you will have to cut bits out, shorten sentences, lengthen sentences, delete words, re-arrange the structure, etc. so try to stay open minded!

one uni I visited on an open day suggested using the ABC formula: A is for Activity (say what you did), B is for Benefit (say the skills you gained from the activity) and then C is for Course (relate it to the course and say how it prepares you) - I didn’t use this myself but I have friends who found it useful!

be specific! don’t say “I love French” - say “I love how learning new languages helps me to understand the world around me….”

I hope this is helpful and good luck! Please feel free to ask me any questions you may have! :)

[academic--dreams-blog]

Small addition to task list:

-Communication things, including:

*Text E back

*Text K back

*Text Mom back 

*Email J about the official GSA things, text J about scheduling conflicts

I am tired this morning. 

I let myself sleep a little longer, but I am still feeling groggy/hazy, and it’s making it hard to be mindful and present in today. When I’m busy, that mindfulness piece is crucial, as it’s usually what keeps me excited and motivated. 

I did a little yoga, but my practice was all in all pretty distracted, so in an effort to Get Moving, here is an accountability task list for the day:

-do the math tutor things

-clean up my final large dataset for my summer research assistantship

-finish up the details tab for said dataset

-drop by to see my mom, who’s briefly in town with a friend; bring her a save-the-date

-pack for Richmond

-prepare home to leave for Richmond; do the last of the dishes, take out the trash, etc. 

In other news, I’m excited for this weekend! I get to see Baltimore and Richmond for the first time. It will be a fast-paced travel weekend, but in the midst of the flights and drives, I’m hoping to do a little GRE review. I don’t have any plans to push myself much harder than that this weekend, and I think it will be Refreshing. 

Have a great day, everybody <3

P.S. If you’re reading this, and if you know literally anything about Baltimore/Richomond, shoot recommendations my way!

[academic--dreams-blog]

I am tired this morning. 

I let myself sleep a little longer, but I am still feeling groggy/hazy, and it’s making it hard to be mindful and present in today. When I’m busy, that mindfulness piece is crucial, as it’s usually what keeps me excited and motivated. 

I did a little yoga, but my practice was all in all pretty distracted, so in an effort to Get Moving, here is an accountability task list for the day:

-do the math tutor things

-clean up my final large dataset for my summer research assistantship

-finish up the details tab for said dataset

-drop by to see my mom, who’s briefly in town with a friend; bring her a save-the-date

-pack for Richmond

-prepare home to leave for Richmond; do the last of the dishes, take out the trash, etc. 

In other news, I’m excited for this weekend! I get to see Baltimore and Richmond for the first time. It will be a fast-paced travel weekend, but in the midst of the flights and drives, I’m hoping to do a little GRE review. I don’t have any plans to push myself much harder than that this weekend, and I think it will be Refreshing. 

Have a great day, everybody <3

P.S. If you’re reading this, and if you know literally anything about Baltimore/Richomond, shoot recommendations my way!

#gradblr #mindfullness #tasklist #math #baltimore #richmond #gre

[academic--dreams-blog]

Anybody else terrible about trucking right along through research until you make a mistake? And then it’s like.... uh, I’m done for right now. 

Was hyper-focused for an hour, made a small, fixable mistake, and now I’ve gone on a small stroll, eaten a bag of chips, and bribed myself to get off Twitter. 

Hooray for curveballs!!!! 

#studyblr #gradblr #academics #research #procrastination #chips

[academic--dreams-blog]

reblog if you’re a studyblr✨✨

if you’re an active studyblr, reblog so i can follow you !! and feel free to tag me in posts with #studyred so i can reblog/queue them !!!

[academic--dreams-blog]

Just currently very excited about everything I'm working on!! Including this (new to me) data visualization tool. I've had such a hard time focusing on this research recently, so it feels very nice to be out of the rut for the time being.

#gradblr #research #academic #data science

[academic--dreams-blog]

Hi, Studyblr world! I am brand new here, but this is something I’ve wanted to do for a long time. I’ve dreamed of working towards a PhD for quite awhile, and it’s now hopefully (fingers crossed) becoming a reality. A few things about me:

-My name is Kristan (pronounced like Kristen or Kristin or any other variation of the spelling). I’m 25. 

-Currently working towards an MBA with a concentration in Data Analytics, but I will be applying to PhD programs in Educational Leadership programs next month. I hope to use data to improve our system.

-I have two cats, and I love them dearly.

-I have a fiance- I love him as well.

-I rock climb, and I’m a little obsessed. 

-I’m a Research Assistant, Teaching Assistant, tutor, and climbing gym staff member. I work a lot, and I’m trying to learn to love that. 

-I fundamentally do not understand olives or why anyone likes them. 

#studyblr #academics #mba #educational leadership #phd