Mathematics is a subject that I have thoroughly enjoyed throughout my school years. The challenge of thinking and the process of logic always attract me to Mathematical problems, however difficult and regardless of the form in which they come.
I am enjoying my courses of A-Level Mathematics, Further Mathematics, Latin, General Studies and...
Maths Personal Statement Example 6
The idea of proof has always held a real fascination for me. The process of starting from a simple set of axioms and deriving almost any mathematical truth (putting Godel to one side) is what truly separates Mathematics from any other subject. It is the closest we can ever get to absolute truth, and therein lies its sheer beauty and the reason it is the only subject for me. Of course, it's also a good deal of fun.
I have tried to extend my Maths as much as possible beyond the classroom, and whenever I do so I uncover either some completely new and intriguing area of Mathematics or a very neat trick I hadn't thought of in more familiar territory.
One example of this is my attendance at weekly lectures given by the department of Mathematics at Bristol University, covering topics from the Mathematics of juggling to quantum mechanics, although some of my favourites have been those on the less exotic "inequalities", which taught me a lot about thinking about problems creatively.
I also attended a summer school run by the National Academy of Gifted and Talented Youth at the University of Durham, where I spent two weeks being introduced to various approachable first year undergraduate topics such as proof by induction, Markov chains and using Maple.
This experience not only allowed me to discover areas of Mathematics I would not otherwise have encountered, but also gave me a small taste of university life, as there was a large number of us living in one of the colleges.
I am also involved in the UKMT mentoring scheme, whereby each month I am given a sheet of questions in areas not touched on at A level, such as geometry and number theory, giving me a good opportunity to explore new mathematical ideas myself, and gain a much deeper appreciation of the interconnections within Mathematics and the creation of proofs.
I am a member of the school's Maths team and we are regularly successful in competing against teams from other schools in the area. I also attend STEP sessions at local schools when available, as I find the questions much more interesting than the standard A level ones, and thinking about how to solve them has greatly improved my rigour in approaching problems.
Among the mathematical books I have read, I enjoyed "Godel, Escher, Bach", which gives a good grounding in axiomatic reasoning and formal systems, whilst at the same time pointing out their major flaw. I also liked "To infinity and beyond" by Eli Maor, which deals with the concept of infinity, its implications and its paradoxes, both in Maths and elsewhere.
I particularly enjoy the pure side of the A level syllabus, especially trigonometry and calculus, as they involve a certain degree of proof and introduce new concepts.
I believe my other academic subjects all complement Mathematics as they are about finding ways of describing reality, be it through language in French or through equations and models in Physics and Chemistry. I find Critical Thinking especially relevant as it is about the construction of sound logical arguments, an art lying at the heart of Mathematics in proof. I have achieved an A grade in all modules across all my subjects.
In my spare time, I practise kickboxing, and have competed in various local competitions. As a volunteer, I am involved in a year seven Maths mentoring scheme and help at a homeless shelter.
I enjoy travelling, and will be going to Nicaragua for a month after my A levels to help in a small village, explore the local jungles and volcanoes and practise my Spanish. I lived in France from the ages of 9 to 12, and learnt to adapt to a new language and culture.
I very much look forward to exploring the new ideas of University level Mathematics, and playing a full part in University life.
Profile info
This personal statement was written by popa_dom for application in 2005.
popa_dom's university choices
Oxford University
The University of Durham
University College London
The University of Warwick
Imperial College London
The University of Edinburgh
Green: offer made
Red: no offer made
Degree
Maths at Oxford University
Ratings
Statement rating:
Comments
Thats one hell of a ps. yeah
Tue, 08/08/2006 - 00:00
Thats one hell of a ps. yeah u sound like a geek but ur applying to top unis...and got all offers so who cares??!!
Hey popa dom.could u possibly
Thu, 13/09/2007 - 16:58
Hey popa dom.could u possibly post ur email address so i can get in touch with u, as i need some help with my personal statement. i would be very grateful for ur help!
Hey popa_dom, could you
Sun, 30/09/2007 - 21:21
Hey popa_dom, could you please give me your email address because I think I am in love with you. <3
wow...
Thu, 04/10/2007 - 20:19
wow...
very nice
Thu, 15/11/2007 - 05:47
that's pretty impressive-you managed to seem genuinely interested in math and i alwasy wondered how people could convey that in a ps. In fact, I never understood how people could be so interested in math. congrats on the offers. Good luck.
guy above. he got in2 oxford
Fri, 17/10/2008 - 16:02
guy above. he got in2 oxford i think that might say something for the quality of the personal statement.....
need help
Thu, 06/11/2008 - 14:59
please cud i hav ur email address as i need help wiv my ps? thx
i reli need help do u mind
Sun, 16/11/2008 - 16:07
i reli need help do u mind givin me ur emaill addy? plz
thx
fantastic personal statement
Mon, 24/11/2008 - 20:29
fantastic personal statement ... one of the best on this site
French and Maths?
Thu, 09/07/2009 - 22:45
How would French complement Mathematics, I just dont get it.
French and Mathatics..!
Wed, 26/08/2009 - 23:25
This is to the comment regarding the "I dont get it".... Thats why your not going to oxford.. read the ps again.. and then if you still dont get it, well hell no hope for you son.. and the ps is great.. look forward in seeing at oxford
Fredrick Samuel Powl
OMG!
Mon, 07/09/2009 - 00:09
Talk about intimidating! This personal statement puts my achievements to shame...academically and extra-curricular stuff!
Although, looking at the uni offers..it obviously makes a difference...am quite worried now though...=S...
Well Done anyway!
by the way what were ur exam
Sat, 03/10/2009 - 23:46
by the way what were ur exam results like?
What was the interview like
Sun, 04/10/2009 - 12:28
What was the interview like for getting into Oxford?
WOAHHHHHHHH AINT DIS TOO LONG
Wed, 21/10/2009 - 16:50
WOAHHHHHHHH AINT DIS TOO LONG
649 words ??
Thu, 12/11/2009 - 21:51
Hey isn't limit 400 words ? So how did you get away with this personal statement which has almost 650 words?
I am asking this because I am quite desperate to get my shortened as it is 520 words and I have already cut out a lot of things that I would really like to keep in it. And I still have to cut it more!
In reply to the previous commenter
Sun, 22/11/2009 - 16:09
This statement has 3,749 characters(with spaces) and 43 lines.
The maximum is 4000 characters(with spaces, i think) or 47 lines. Whichever comes first.
Use your word count, and maybe you could add some of those removed words back in.
It tells you the limits on the UCAS website.
amazing!!, but please can you help me !!
Mon, 08/02/2010 - 23:30
i went to oxford today, and personally from what i have seen, i would do anything to get in!! At the moment, i have done duke of Edinburgh bronze award, i won a u15 chess championship in my county, i do volunteering for y10's at my school, im gonna get 4 A's at A level, i did the Marathon duo 5000m for charity, i really need help in what else to do, im in y12 btw, if you suggest reading math books could you clarify which books, im also hoping to do a open university course in maths
WOW!
Wed, 18/08/2010 - 10:33
That is BRILLIANT! im not surprised you got offers from all of 'em! What you said about geekiness is ok, cos thats what they are after :)!
6?
Sun, 12/09/2010 - 11:27
how did you apply to 6 unis when ucas only permits 5 applications?
6 unis
Fri, 01/10/2010 - 15:40
I think sime time ago UCAS allowed to apply for 6 universities...
This ps is seriously good. I
Thu, 07/10/2010 - 22:03
This ps is seriously good. I don't really understand why some people thought it merited negative comments but I think it's pretty great. I mean, you got your interest in the subject across and it wasn't your typical, 'I have done all these things' oxbridge application either.
:)
That's the best personal
Fri, 15/10/2010 - 15:13
That's the best personal statement i've read! Seriously, all that extra work and stuff! Bloody amazing.
WOW! Did you make your oxford
Tue, 17/05/2011 - 20:47
WOW! Did you make your oxford offer? I hope so - you sound brilliant!
I'm going to rate you
Fri, 01/07/2011 - 13:53
I'm going to rate you
3|45(4+2i) stars
Why was 6 afraid of 7?
Thu, 22/09/2011 - 15:43
Why was 6 afraid of 7? Because 7, 8, 9.
Q: What do you get if you
Thu, 22/09/2011 - 15:45
Q: What do you get if you divide the cirucmference of a jack-o-lantern by its diameter?
A: Pumpkin Pi!
Q: Why do you rarely find
Thu, 22/09/2011 - 15:45
Q: Why do you rarely find mathematicians spending time at the beach?
A: Because they have sine and cosine to get a tan and don't need the sun!
An infinite crowd of
Thu, 22/09/2011 - 15:47
An infinite crowd of mathematicians enters a bar.
The first one orders a pint, the second one a half pint, the third one a quarter pint...
"I understand", says the bartender - and pours two pints.
mathematics
Tue, 10/04/2012 - 10:49
its gorgeous you know!
AMAZING
Wed, 27/06/2012 - 12:24
AMAZING
EMAIL ADDRESS!!!
Thu, 12/07/2012 - 10:32
the one you put up there is really not working... i keep getting error replies. have you changed your email id?
I think I'm in love with you.
Wed, 26/12/2012 - 16:43
I think I'm in love with you. Seriously.
The beginning is brilliant!
Tue, 09/07/2013 - 19:39
The beginning is brilliant! how did you think of such a punchy opening?
PRACTICE, NOT PRACTISE
Mon, 23/09/2013 - 08:42
PRACTICE, NOT PRACTISE
wow... Packed all the lovely
Mon, 07/10/2013 - 03:40
wow... Packed all the lovely information neatly. Power of maths? hahaha. and catchy opening :)
No wonder why you got into
Thu, 17/10/2013 - 09:28
No wonder why you got into Oxford! :O :O
...I wanted to ask something. After getting an offer from all of these universities, were you invited for an interview? If you were, what kind of questions did they ask? Were they A level course related questions, outside the syllabus questions or personal choice interests questions and nothing related to the syllabus?
Many Thanks :)
not stereotyping
Thu, 20/03/2014 - 14:48
I don't know why I'm reading this in an indian accent.
Wow... just wow. I do not
Thu, 10/07/2014 - 10:40
Wow... just wow. I do not know what to say. This is the best personal statement that I have read.
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