The five emotions of writing a personal statement

You're in class discussing your personal statements, and the eager beaver who sent off their application weeks ago sits with a smug, knowing grin. But you’ve been up all night with three cans of energy drinks, and only sheer panic and determination is getting you through to meet your draft deadline.

Whichever stage you're at with writing your personal statement, we’ve got some top tips from our students and experts to help get your personal statement done and dusted.

1. Denial

You are a cool cucumber. While everyone in your class is panicking, you’re sitting back, relaxing, thinking: “I’ve got this in the bag! I’ve got loads of time!” Although we do advise to be as relaxed as possible during this time, it’s also encouraged to realise the importance of your personal statement and make sure it's sent off in time. Make time to draft it and check and triple check your spelling, grammar and information. So the sooner you start, the better! See our advice on do's and dont's for personal statements.

2. Panic

“Ahhh! I have so much to do! I don’t even know where to begin!” All of your friends have already been accepted and you still haven’t even started your application… Sound familiar? Our top tip? Don't panic. Yes really! We have many online resources to help you and you still have until 30 June to send off your application. If you feel stressed and overwhelmed by your personal statement, confide in family, friends and teachers who are there to help you. Check out some advice from our course experts.

3. Confusion

“Erm okay, so where do I start? Is this like a CV? Can I just skip this part? Is this course even right for me?” You will inevitably have many questions when writing your personal statement - it’s a big decision to make and you want to be able to express yourself in the best way possible. Luckily for you we have plenty of advice from our first year students who have been there and done it to help make it as easy as possible. See our students' top tips.

4. Motivation

You’ve got this! You have finally plucked up the courage and motivation to get that personal statement done and dusted! Once you have the motivation that’s the perfect time to start scribbling down all of your great ideas and getting them in order. You would be surprised what a cup of tea and sheer determination can achieve! Download our free guide and get productive, you’re halfway there!

5. Completed it!

Woohoo congratulations! You have made your first step towards your future and you totally deserve to have smug face. We hope that our handy online resources have helped you on your way to securing that place on your dream course! Remember to stay positive and remember how hard you have worked to get to this point.

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