Geography & Economics Personal Statement Example 2

It is the interdisciplinary nature of Geography that particularly appeals to me as it encompasses a variety of topics that are integral to understanding key societal issues.

The complexities of population change intrigue me as a geographer; I am keen to learn how food production technology and security systems adapt to this growth and how developed economies resolve issues associated with ageing populations.

Although I once considered myself to be a human geographer I now know that there are interrelationships between physical processes and their impacts on humans and vice versa.

Primary data collection has really made Geography come alive for me. Measuring the velocity and calculating the discharge in the Comeragh Mountains, using a Seba-flow meter, made theory a reality. I was able to compare the River Tay to Schumm's model whilst I also enjoyed interviewing local people on flood perception and their interpretation of magnitude and frequency.

Conducting a cost-benefit analysis of coastal management in a social, economic and political context in Christchurch Bay helped me think more holistically about decisions people make. In addition to developing research skills, Geography has taught me how to present data, detect bias and analyse critically.

I have learnt how to interpret graphs, tables and different forms of data which has developed my logical thinking skills.

I am constantly in awe of my natural surroundings and my experiences of breath taking landforms in Iceland such as Skogarfoss waterfall have made me want to explore more of the natural world. Learning about plate tectonics and seeing the mid-Atlantic ridge cemented my understanding of this process.

My love of Geography motivated me to apply for a place at Durham University summer school, which I was fortunate to secure. This was a rewarding and enjoyable opportunity that enabled me to experience university life. I investigated whether Durham City has its own microclimate as well as how, and to what extent gentrification has taken place in Durham.

Reading The Economist and The Geography Review develop my knowledge of the subject and I am aware of how Geography continually infiltrates news and current affairs.

Whilst completing an EPQ investigating the impacts of growing inequality within the 1% and the effect this has on the rest of the population, I was able to interview Danny Dorling. This was an invaluable resource which I was able to use within my project and further highlighted the importance of tackling this issue as I was able to learn from a leader in the field.

Oxfam's recent study states that the richest 8 people in the world own as much as the poorest 3.6 billion. Startling statistics like these have highlighted my concerns for the wealth of future generations.

I completed a short OU course ‘The lottery of Birth’ that looked at how life chances are influenced by your upbringing and place of birth geographically. I found this a rich source of information that has only heightened my interest in this subject.

My choices at A-level were to augment my desire to read geography at university. Business has enabled me to think critically whilst Philosophy & Ethics has improved my ability to research and extract relevant information from a variety of sources.

I am able to critically examine the work of scholars in order to strengthen my own arguments in my essay writing. I am privileged to be Deputy Head student at my school.

This responsibility has encouraged me to work co-operatively and productively with others as part of a team as well as requiring me to undertake roles independently such as addressing parents and students at a variety of events. This has improved my confidence in public speaking and has aided my ability to lead and manage others.

My commitment to my part-time job has given me a strong work ethic and taught me the importance of reliability. There is so much more I would like to learn and I would relish the opportunity to do so at University.