Writing personal statements and applying for university

From my experience, the university stages can be very challenging to go through especially when you are faced with all of the other challenges of coursework and completing your final years of college / sixth form. Over the summer I have had to do endless drafts of personal statements, as well as talk to friends about how they were coming along. I have found that we all have different ways of dealing with uni stress and any anxieties we have.


Firstly, when it comes to writing a personal statement you have to be certain on what you're saying. Getting started can be so hard, I found it easier to tackle it by starting in the middle and then doing a start and an end when they come to me naturally. Depending on your course, universities love to see character come through in a personal statement! ( I have a family member who used to read them, and she was giving me so many tips on how to make it great!) The best thing is to talk a lot about the great stuff about yourself because everyone has great stuff!! However not come across full of yourself despite the fact it's alright to be a little pretentious sometimes there's a thin line between the two and uni's won't want anyone who comes across as a "know-it-all." Include everything relevant and further write why you are good for that university with anything else you have done in life, remember: EVERYTHING COUNTS! Everyone's individual and you have to make sure that shines through. 


Secondly, applying and choosing uni's has been such a hard thing for me to do because college so far has been utterly amazing and leaving for uni is such an upsetting thought. The most important thing is to choose a university that you feel at home at, a place you'll flourish and make friends, the distance from home can play factor too depending on who you are. For me I want to be a little further away so I am going to open days to all the ones that appeal to me a little further. A good thing to remember is that the actual city/town and off campus facilities are never as important as the university itself!! Do not let your friends/families opinions of the uni's you like change your mind if they are negative, remember we are all different and will all have different experiences wherever we go in life, not everyone likes the same things!!


Lastly, although the whole process is very complicated and often tiring, it's all worth it and it all works out! Never be scared about not getting certain grades, a lot of uni's will look at other factors, a lot of my friends got in through clearing or went to the uni's they chose with a different course, or even other uni's and got along better there/are looking forward to it more! 


Work hard, stay happy and do your best!! 


Emie xoxo