Sample Science Personal Statement
The sciences have always been my principal interest at school, both for their pure intellectual complexity and for the way they translate into the miraculous technologies which can transform our lives and make things possible which once appeared to be beyond our reach. Microbiology excites me because of the prospect of working to make antibodies or culturing useful micro-organisms which might hold the keys to diseases or plant fertility or access to new resources, all of the greatest benefit to mankind. At the same time my interest in computer game technology is driven partly by the knowledge that sales of games have now overtaken those of music and film, so that they now constitute the most successful mass-market industry in the world, and also by the ways that games can go far beyond entertainment into the areas of rehabilitation, training, education and simulation. Both fields are full of possibilities for invention and research, and offer the prospect of a lifetime of intellectual and professional satisfaction and innovation. I come from a family in which academic success is expected, and a working life based on advanced knowledge is the norm.
My father has an M.Phil in engineering, my sister an MA in financial economics and my brother a BSc in aircraft engineering, which has made me ambitious and very serious in my aims. I should like to go on to complete a PhD after graduation, or make my career in a leading industrial company or even found my own.
Microbiology offers many exciting possibilities for future technologies, and I should like to be involved in this new world in which the interaction between microbes and higher organisms becomes better understood and diseases which cause enormous human suffering are brought under control. The world of bacteria, viruses, fungi and protozoa is only partly understood at present and the research potential is immense. I am also very interested in the systems that govern gene expression and metabolic pathways, and how these might be exploited to provide replacement material in the body or synthesise therapeutic drugs from the by-products of microbial metabolism. In computer game technology I should like to explore further my knowledge of programming and graphics, as well as developing the management and design skills necessary in the industry. I have always enjoyed creating programs, and believe that I have a good knowledge of most computer languages, including some of the basic Mirc script, and I know something of C++.
At school I participated in the Dare School Challenge in computing, which my team won, involving good experience in teamwork, time management and communication, and I attended a course in media design. I also hold a gold certificate for chemistry. I undertook some work experience in medicine, which included shadowing a doctor and so coming to a good understanding of the extent of his work and of the importance of a good rapport with his patients. I always find the BMJ interesting and have been to a lecture from Medic Insight, while at the same time working hard to master Java. In my spare time I am keen to maintain my own fitness, and enjoy swimming and football, and I hold a white belt in lochee free-style karate.
I am bi-lingual, with Arabic as my mother tongue and English as my second language, and I have good French. I believe that languages are an important asset in an increasingly international world. I am hard-working, meticulous with detail and academically able. I enjoy working with a team, but also have the confidence in my own judgement to be equally happy working on my own, and I learn quickly and manage my time efficiently. My real aim is to work in a discipline which will bring benefit to other people. I believe that I have the qualities to become a very successful undergraduate, and my commitment to my studies is total.
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