Sample Psychology Personal Statement
I gained my first insight into the complexities of the human mind as a result of my friend suffering a range of psychological problems. Until that moment I had thought of health largely in physical terms, but her difficulties made me realise for the first time that so much of our wellbeing is based around how we think and how we feel. The fact that psychological difficulties very often do not manifest themselves in any visible form makes this fact all the more difficult to appreciate. As I helped to support my friend through her psychological difficulties as she underwent therapy, I became more and more strongly interested in the way the mind works, not just out of an intellectual curiosity but also because I came to realise that this field can help explain how we behave and also empower us as individuals and as a society.
Psychology is one of the key elements of the course in Health and Social Care that I am currently studying, and the content of the course has given fresh impetus to my enthusiasm for this area. I have found it really satisfying to discover and dissect the different psychological schools of thought, such as Freud’s belief in human behaviour being motivated by life instincts and death instincts. What I have found rewarding about learning about such ideas is the way that on closer inspection they seem to explain a great deal about some of the most pressing behavioural problems found in society, such as the tendency of relatively large sectors of the population to indulge in self-destructive behaviours. I am currently completing my extended project on Freudian theory, which I hope will give me a foretaste of the type of in-depth studies that I can look forward to at university. Indeed, I am particularly eager to be able during my university studies to complete a research project of my own that adds to the existing body of our knowledge of psychology.
I have also had the chance to observe mental health practitioner first-hand and understand the vital work that they carry out through completing various work placements. For example, I worked with a charity that helps young people with mental health problems. During the placement I helped care for younger children and assisted older youths by helping them to apply for jobs and get access to counselling for problems such as drug additions and domestic abuse. I additionally received some very helpful training sessions that gave me a further appreciation of the relevance of psychology to understanding many of society’s problems, such as a seminar session on the psychological effects of bullying on teenagers. The placement made me much more aware of the external factors that can have a negative impact on a person’s mental health. I also volunteered for a time at a home for the elderly, where I helped to keep residents mentally active through running a range of activities. Through observing life at the home I gained an understanding of the link between loneliness and depression and got a sense that depression is not simply a condition that affects people leading more active or stressful lifestyles. In both of these placements I enjoyed working as part of a team and being entrusted with completing tasks on my own, skills which also helped me when I worked part-time as a fundraiser for the British Heart Foundation and in my current waitressing job at an Italian restaurant.
I have an almost endless curiosity about other countries and cultures, which I am looking forward to being able to satisfy once I complete university. After I graduate I plan to complete a course in TESOL, before then spending a period of time living abroad and working as an English teacher. However, this ambition is about much more than experiencing life in other countries. Having enjoyed the challenges of working with and mentoring children, I would like the chance to be able to spend a period of time helping children in an educational setting before I then make professional use of my psychology degree.
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