Chemistry

DEMONSTRATEYOUR AMBITIONFrom the Chemistry admissions tutor

â Make sure your subject choices meet the course requirements â Do not be afraid to aim high, and choose one university course with entry requirements above your predicted grades â You can include other qualifications not directly relevant to application (e.g. music qualifications) â Make sure all information is accurate – qualifications, education, contact details

Many people do not know what they want to do in the future. Many just know they like Chemistry and want to pursue it further. Some have wanted to pursue it since an early age, or have developed an interest in it recently.

Whichever best describes you, tell us, in your own words:

â In which areas of Chemistry you are interested and the topics that fascinate you

â What you hope to achieve through studying Chemistry and give an idea of where this might fit in with your longer-term aims

â What sparked your initial interest in Chemistry

â Why you chose this particular course â How you think Chemistry relates to the

real world – applications, research, global impact

The three most important things to demonstrate are:

â Passion â Motivation â Enthusiasm

Try to back up your passion and motivation with evidence. Explain why it fascinates you and what engages you. Discuss videos, podcasts and lectures you may have watched, or books you have read, work experience you have sought, or topics you have studied, which demonstrate this, and what you have learned these.

Relevant work experience is difficult to obtain and is not usually necessary for studying Chemistry at university. However you can also demonstrate valuable transferable skills and experience in many environments, be they in work, as part of a sports team, organising social activities or charity events, or personal achievements.

Other advice: â Tell us about your hobbies, interests and

other activities, including employment or voluntary work, which show you as a person, and demonstrate relevant skills

â Try not to use clichéd phrases, saturate your personal statement with superlatives, or try too hard to impress!

Be honest and true to yourself and your interests, then read it through and see if it is a true representation of you, and demonstrates your passion and motivation

â Tailor the statement to your chosen course. Generic and formulaic statements do not demonstrate you as an individual and your genuine interest. We want to see your voice coming through in the statement

â Example personal statements online may be useful for inspiration, but avoid plagiarising text from these. This is easy to check by UCAS and admissions tutors, and does not portray you in the best manner

â Take care with grammar, spelling and punctuation, and avoid writing in note form

â Remember, that all information in the personal statement may be drawn up on at interview, so be truthful about your knowledge, experience and motivations

ADVICE FOR THE CHEMISTRY APPLICANT

Personal Statement:

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www.southampton.ac.uk/chemistryUK and EU enquiriesugafnes@southampton.ac.uk+44 (0)23 8059 8310

International enquiries:global@southampton.ac.uk+44 (0)23 8059 9699

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