WRITING A PERSONAL STATEMENT
'Your personal statement should be very important to you, because it is considered an essential component of your application. The role of personal statements is to make candidates stand out from the other applicants. Countless applications list many of the same qualifications and experiences as well as similar goals.'- Essay Edge.com
Writing a personal statement was a challenge but has been proven to be one of the most difficult parts of applying to universities for all students. Personal statements are to make yourself stand out compared to others applying for the same course as you to heighten the chances of you being enrolled onto the course. When writing my own personal statement, I had to think of experiences and elements that I have had that others wouldn't of and would make me unique and interesting. I used the website that was provided to help schedule and plan out what I wanted to write by answering the questions in good detail. This helped out dramatically as it helps you understand what sections you need to cover and how many characters are needed in each section to make the statement an easy piece of paper to read and to stop you from repeating yourself.
When I wrote my own personal statement, I took writing it over several days to make sure that I was at my best when writing the statement to get the best elements across in my writing. I thought of the things I have done that have made me unique, such as an official released music video by an artist, and applied this into my personal statement in good enough detail that it can be understood by those reading it but also keeps them interested. I would advise getting your personal statement checked by an adult or tutor to make sure that your writing is at the best quality as possible and to help understand whether it expresses who you are as a person throughout the statement.
'The role of the personal statement is to provide the admissions committee a reason to offer you a seat in the class or degree program. If you can convince the committee of your great passion for the field or your longtime desire for this degree so that you can achieve your dreams, the personal statement will accomplish its purpose. The personal statement should include a specific story or anecdote which “shows” the reader your commitment and abilities, rather than just “telling” them.'- Essay Edge.com
My Personal Statement
I enjoy being able to provoke an emotion into the audience through the work I create, fascinated by the production process through to the finished product, seeing how it influences others and the different reactions given. I've always been fascinated to learn about the behind the scenes of film making and the amount of work that goes into them as it helps me appreciate their work to a better understanding. I am well organised and a conscientious individual with a keen interest in learning, being punctual and considerate of others as I believe these are important traits a person should hold, including a positive attitude towards their chosen career path. I am a hard worker, keen in my chosen path and always intrigued to learn more about media production.
By applying for courses based around media production I believe I will be able to demonstrate my extreme passion and creativity in what I consider to be my future career. This will allow me to express my creative side to an audience of viewers and my peers as I am keen to learn more about my studies. This will allow me to produce with a better knowledge and understanding, being able to apply my education into my work effectively.
In my life of education I took GCSE Media Studies, passing with a Distinction Star, and was where I gained an interest in my study and gained a passion for film making. I then continued into a Level 3 Diploma Certificate in TV and Film, myself having history and experience in similar studies to those that I have applied for and completed the first year of my extended diploma with a distinction.
I directed, filmed and edited an external music video for a Bristol based artist, Ria Timkin, for her new release 'Energy' which was used as the official music video and posted out on her website, being credited for my hard work. I produced my first photo shoot for a wedding in summer of 2017, this used as an opportunity to gain experience in this area. As a group I also have created a promotional video for the National Trust to promote Stourhead, visiting the location and interviewing employees. I have experience in camera operating and editing with good organisation skills, having good communication skills with others and an open mind to discuss changes and opportunities with others, being able to understand their views and opinions and put them into effect. Time management is also a skill I have gained over time, being punctual to college and work with the skills to also meet deadlines for my assignments.
I had the opportunity of being a Buddy and Prefect at secondary school then a student representative for my class for the first year of my study. I am modest, open minded and proficient with the use of computers and their software, being able to produce a strong product overall since having gained experience in Premiere Pro. Outside of my studies I have gained a level 3 in clarinet and a purple belt in Karate, helping me express myself in different and unique ways. I work under the employment of County Stores as a waitress and cashier to get money alongside my studies to support myself. I gained experience in my field of work through extracurricular, doing extra videos alongside my college studies to practice the techniques that I struggle with. Having done work for three clients, producing videos for each to promote themselves to their audience, has helped me gather more knowledge and skill in my chosen study, pushing me out of my comfort zone to capture the best footage available.
My aspirations for the future is that I can bring people happiness to someone through films and other sources of media with the skills and knowledge that I will gain through education and my film making. I wish to bring happiness to others that find comfort in films and to inspire them to follow their own dreams as all of us were influenced by films or characters we watched growing up, myself wanting to offer the same to the younger audience.
References
Ucasdigital.com. (2017). UCAS personal statment web app. [online] Available at: https://www.ucasdigital.com/widgets/personalstatement/index.html#/main [Accessed 23 Oct. 2017].
Essayedge.com. (2017). What Role Does Your Personal Statement Play?. [online] Available at: https://www.essayedge.com/personal-statement/role [Accessed 1 Nov. 2017].
