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Yes it's that time of year again when 6th form minds have to focus on the dreaded UCAS Personal Statement. Here are some of the top dos and don'ts to help you :
Do Plan Ahead. Writing a good personal statement takes a lot more time and effort than most people imagine. It is essential to think about what you are going to include and why, long before you make your first draft. Keep a notebook to hand so you can jot down ideas as they come to mind. Take some time to think about what you have done in the past - activities, hobbies, sports, school studies - and what you have learned from them about the world or, just as importantly, about yourself.
Do Write Clearly. Nothing looks worse than a personal statement that is full of grammatical and spelling mistakes. Even the most outstanding content will count for little if your personal statement is poorly written. At best mistakes indicate a lack of care and attention to detail, denoting that you do not consider the statement worth bothering about. At worst they will be taken as indicating ignorance of the language.
Be Motivated. One of the key elements that Admissions Staff are looking for in candidates is enthusiasm about their chosen subject. Make sure that anyone reading your personal statement really gets a sense of how much you want to study your chosen course.
Do Get Advice. Although your statement must be personal to you, do seek help and advice from people you trust. Ask them to read your drafts and be open to their comments. Remember that the way that you think something reads may not be the way other people understand it !
Do Redraft. I don't believe any good personal statement has ever been written in just one attempt. Expect to write and then re-write. Be critical each time you redraft, satisfying yourself that you know why each sentence and idea is included. However be careful to avoid "wordsmithing" it to death. Use simple language and structure - it's the overall clarity which will play a large part in making it persuasive.
Which brings us to the Don'ts !
Don't Lie. You will be caught out either at the interview, where interviewers have an uncanny sixth sense for lie detection, or beforehand. Remember schools are often contacted and may well be asked to confirm claims made in a personal statement.
Don't Copy. There are many examples of Personal Statements to be found on the internet and elsewhere. By all means read these and use them for ideas but under no circumstances copy any part of them. First of all they may not be good personal statements and secondly many Admission Departments use sophisticated software to detect plagiarism.
Don't use Humour. Humour is a very personal taste. What is hilarious to one person may be offensive to another. You do not know anything about the people who will read your personal statement so avoid any risk and leave the jokes out!
Finally Don't Forget Your Studies ! Yes the personal statement is important and I hope you have realised from this short article that it will take quite some time to produce a great one. However whilst working on it you cannot afford to negect your studies. My suggestion is to set yourself a realistic timeframe to complete your statement and stick to it. If not it can end up taking over your life until midnight on the day before the UCAS submission deadline!
