Staying safe on campus and out and about — See our latest COVID-19 guidance Close Nottingham College Show menu Show search controls News: Blog: Zoe's top tips and advice on writing your UCAS personal statement Home About us News Blog: Zoe's top tips and advice on writing your UCAS personal statement Your personal statement is your chance to demonstrate not only why you want to apply to a higher education course, but also what makes you a good candidate. If you’re struggling to finalise your statement, or to bring it together into a meaningful structure, don’t panic! Zoe, our specialist UCAS Adviser, has put together some top tips and a plan to help. Zoe’s 5-point plan: 1. Express your interest in the course and why you’ve chosen it Begin by addressing why you want to apply for the course. Refer to your course/subject area explicitly and show your interest. 2. Show your enthusiasm and why you’re suitable You can do this by discussing what you enjoy about your subject and by using examples of topics you have studied or, for example, something you have read in the news. 3. Relevant academic skills Include your academic skills and link to what you might need for the course e.g. critical thinking for English Literature. 4. Extra-curricular experience Keep it concise and recent e.g. within the last two years. Try to link part-time work, volunteering or hobbies to relevant key skills or benefits to your wellbeing. 5. Write a concluding statement This should be a sentence or two, wrapping up once more, why you’re applying. You may wish to refer to your future plans or what you’re looking forward to studying at university. Zoe's top two tips Avoid the clichés Try not to include clichés like you’re ‘passionate’ about your subject, to stand out from other applicants. I find using a thesaurus can help you to widen your vocabulary and even discover new words! Proofread Buddy up with a friend and swap your statement for proofreading. It’s easy to miss mistakes in your own work, especially when you’ve read through it so many times! Find out more Here’s some useful information from UCAS, including a short video and a Personal Statement Builder. Take a look You don't need to go to university to go far You can continue your HE studies with us! Take a look at our range of degree-level courses Published on: 1st December 2021 (12:02 PM) Share this news story Share this news story on Facebook Share this news story on Twitter Share this news story on LinkedIn Share this news story on Email Media enquiries If you are a journalist and would like to contact us about this news story, our PR and Communications team will be happy to assist you. Contact our PR team View more news stories EXPLORE EXPAND EXPLORE MENU Contact us Locations Commercial Services News Download a course guide LEGAL EXPAND LEGAL MENU Data Protection Freedom of Information Policies and reports Accessibility Disclaimer CORPORATE EXPAND CORPORATE MENU Vacancies Leadership Team Governors Subcontractors College Performance CONNECT WITH US Like us on Facebook Follow us on Twitter Follow us on Instagram Watch our videos on YouTube Follow our company page on LinkedIn JOIN OUR COLLEGE NEWSLETTER Submit STUDENTS AND STAFF Apps & resources Nottingham College © 2017 - 2021 Registered address: Adams Building, Stoney Street, Nottingham, NG1 1NG Made by We use cookies to improve the user experience on our website. By using our website you agree to the use of cookies outlined in our privacy policy. View our privacy policy. I accept Feedback