Sample Geography Personal Statement
I have a consuming interest in Geography, and it has always been the school subject which has inspired me most and at which I have achieved the highest grades. The subject holds a great intellectual fascination for me, but it also seems to me to have an urgency and an extreme topical relevance in the modern world which, I believe, should figure in every responsible person’s thinking. It is the issue of sustainability that strikes me as one of the key concerns of our time, and I should like to follow a degree course that can lead me into an increasing understanding of the nature of current problems, and perhaps enable me to contribute to their possible solutions. All aspects of Geography interest me, and I am considering a career as a teacher of the subject after the completion of my degree course. Geographical and environmental knowledge is surely a central plank of any 21st century individual’s intellectual equipment, partly because our survival depends upon it. I would hope to use my training to guide others towards a responsible attitude to the physical world we inhabit.
The question of environmental sustainability seems increasingly important. I am aware of the way the environment is changing, and of the significance of natural disasters. Also the human implications of poverty are very striking, as is the gap between MDCs and LDCs. I would hope that a degree course would deal with the questions of what is sustainable development, how the environment is to be protected, the geopolitics of water usage, the management of carbon, how alternative fuels can be developed, recycling, climate change, and the uneasy relationship between trade, business and sustainability. The subject moves into the field of ethics, and of course politics. I would hope too to explore how ecosystems function, and how technology might be used in the service of conservation, and not simply regarded as its enemy. All of these issues seem to me to be of the first importance, and have inspired me to apply to study for a degree in Geography.
I follow Geographical topics whenever I can. In 2008 I went on a trip to Iceland, where I saw for myself the effects of pollution on glaciers, as well as being able to visit many sites fascinating to the true Geographer. It was extraordinary to visit a terrain that is so different from what I am used to. I have travelled quite widely, in Europe and America, and am always struck by the Geographical diversity of the world, and its implications for human habitation. I read newspaper articles on all Geographical subjects eagerly. I have attended a conference on the working of tectonic plates, and another on “Understanding Cities”. I have also attended a “Careers in Geography” day at the Royal Geographical Society in London.
My working experience has led me to believe that I should enjoy a teaching career. I worked briefly at a primary school in Wandsworth, carrying out a number of supervisory tasks, such as guiding and organising children’s play and work, taking part in the sports day and helping with school assemblies. The job calls for patience, good time management, and the confidence to make decisions. At my own school I hold a number of positions of responsibility, all of which have helped me to mature, both as a student and as a human being. I enjoy reading, and I am a runner, and have raised money for charity in several races.
I hope that these experiences and achievements show that I am a determined and committed individual, with a very sound academic record, who will make a thoroughly reliable, and, I believe, successful undergraduate. It might be of interest to note that I am the first member of my family to consider a university course. I am industrious and well organised, and I have a highly developed sense of social responsibility, which lies behind my inspiration to read for a Geography degree. I have a real curiosity about the world I live in, its environmental features as well as the people who inhabit it, and I look forward with much enthusiasm to the prospect of an advanced course and a working life centred on things Geographical. I hope you will consider my application.
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