How do I start writing my Personal Statement?

The Personal Statement can seem daunting and the hardest part is actually getting started!A good way to go about it is to just put pen to paper- write a few headings like Course Subject, A Level Subjects and Extra-Curriculars (this includes work experience, sports, hobbies, voluntary work or societies that you’ve been involved in).First off, try and fill in a couple of things under each heading. Under your Course Subject, try and write down a few reasons why you’ve chosen that particular subject, a topic that particularly interests you and any extra reading you’ve done around the subject with a comment/opinion on the content of the reading (this helps to show that your interest extends beyond the classroom).With your A level subjects, mark down a couple of skills you’ve gained or things you’ve learnt from studying that subject (e.g. Maths- handling data, problem solving or History- analytical thinking). The same applies to your extra-curriculars although the skills that you’ve gained will probably be a little different (e.g. leadership, teamwork, awareness of other cultures etc..).The point of all this is to be able to show that, not only are you passionate and interested in your chosen course, but you also have these skills which are applicable to your subject. And, overall, demonstrate what a good candidate you are.Hopefully, by this point, you’ll have gathered enough material to use and can start shaping it into a cohesive and captivating Personal Statement!