It is that time of year when the stress of applying to university and thinking of your future plans seems to hit you out of nowhere. Don’t worry. Every uni student has been through it and before long it will be history.

So to help you a bit with the process, here are some top tips to think about when writing your personal statement and what the university will be looking out for!

1. Try to have a creative opening line

Having something that instantly captures the reader’s attention is always something to strive for, for obvious reasons. However, be careful of crossing the line between captivating and cringe worthy.

2. Have good structure and use paragraphs

This will not only make it look better but will also make it far more readable.

3.Why, What, How

Why do you want to do the course? What have you done that makes you suitable for it? How are you going to contribute to the university and the course itself?

4. Make sure to get across what you are like as a person

The university will already be well aware of the grades that you are predicted and so this is your opportunity to show off your skills and talk about your hobby. Many courses do not require an interview so this is the only time the uni will be able to get a sense of what you are about. Don’t forget, your extra-curricular interests may also demonstrate that you have other relevant skills to your course. What hobbies do you have and what transferable skills do they give you that are relevant to your course and might make you a stronger candidate? Eg if you play a sport or work part-time, you could reference this to demonstrate communication/ team working skills which may be of specific use in public facing courses etc.

5. Be proud of your achievements

This is your time to shine so make your achievements known. If you don’t tell no-one will ever know!

6. Don’t waffle!

We’ve all been there when we have got so in the flow of writing that we just can’t seem to stop and before long you realise you have wandered so far off the track that you have forgotten what you were even meant to be writing in the first place! Well stop right there. Make sure you are remaining focused and are conveying your strengths, passions and why you are worthy of a place at university.

7. Read it aloud

The way you are speaking in your head is not always the way your writing translates into speech so make sure you read it aloud to yourself or even a friend/family member to make sure it all flows nicely.

8. Don’t plagiarise and be original

UCAS has software to detect this and you do not want to be caught out!

9. Check, check and check again

The last thing you want is for your personal statement to be littered with grammatical and spelling mistakes as it does not really show much care or attention to detail.

So that’s it! The last thing I have to say is don’t worry – you’ve got this. If you have any further questions or seek any other advice, feel free to get in touch with me by commenting below. I will be happy to help.

It is that time of year when the stress of applying to university and thinking of your future plans seems to hit you out of nowhere. Don’t worry. Every uni student has been through it and before long it will be history.

So to help you a bit with the process, here are some top tips to think about when writing your personal statement and what the university will be looking out for!

1. Try to have a creative opening line

Having something that instantly captures the reader’s attention is always something to strive for, for obvious reasons. However, be careful of crossing the line between captivating and cringe worthy.

2. Have good structure and use paragraphs

This will not only make it look better but will also make it far more readable.

3.Why, What, How

Why do you want to do the course? What have you done that makes you suitable for it? How are you going to contribute to the university and the course itself?

4. Make sure to get across what you are like as a person

The university will already be well aware of the grades that you are predicted and so this is your opportunity to show off your skills and talk about your hobby. Many courses do not require an interview so this is the only time the uni will be able to get a sense of what you are about. Don’t forget, your extra-curricular interests may also demonstrate that you have other relevant skills to your course. What hobbies do you have and what transferable skills do they give you that are relevant to your course and might make you a stronger candidate? Eg if you play a sport or work part-time, you could reference this to demonstrate communication/ team working skills which may be of specific use in public facing courses etc.

5. Be proud of your achievements

This is your time to shine so make your achievements known. If you don’t tell no-one will ever know!

6. Don’t waffle!

We’ve all been there when we have got so in the flow of writing that we just can’t seem to stop and before long you realise you have wandered so far off the track that you have forgotten what you were even meant to be writing in the first place! Well stop right there. Make sure you are remaining focused and are conveying your strengths, passions and why you are worthy of a place at university.

7. Read it aloud

The way you are speaking in your head is not always the way your writing translates into speech so make sure you read it aloud to yourself or even a friend/family member to make sure it all flows nicely.

8. Don’t plagiarise and be original

UCAS has software to detect this and you do not want to be caught out!

9. Check, check and check again

The last thing you want is for your personal statement to be littered with grammatical and spelling mistakes as it does not really show much care or attention to detail.

So that’s it! The last thing I have to say is don’t worry – you’ve got this. If you have any further questions or seek any other advice, feel free to get in touch with me by commenting below. I will be happy to help.