Natural Sciences Personal Statement Example 1

As a child that loved dinosaurs, encyclopaedias and the out doors, I was always interested in a broad range of subjects, never choosing one as a favourite. This reluctance to specialise allowed me to be more receptive to a large range of information from many subject areas and open minded about different angles to consider in certain subjects, traits which I still possess today. With this approach as a learner I have found that knowledge in one area can help not only in other subjects but also in the understanding of the bigger picture, an approach that I have taken readily with my study of Biology, Psychology, Maths and Chemistry as part of the IB program.

With the mix of natural sciences I take as part of the IB diploma supplemented with language and English, and my experiences living in Brunei at an international school, I can take a more worldly view in class debates and topical discussions. For example in a recent class trip to a biology research centre to look at poly chain reaction techniques, when taking part in the ethical debate of genetic engineering and patenting drugs, I was able to suggest alternative solutions covering other areas than solely biology which I would not have been able to do without such variation in my studies. Maths enhances my comprehension of chemistry, chemistry aids my understanding of biology and biology benefits my understanding of psychology at IB level, even my study of GCSE PE has complemented my learning of other physiological science topics. I enjoy this cross-disciplinary learning and therefore would like to continue it in my higher education studies. So far I have supplemented my science orientated subjects further by continuing art as a hobby after dropping it at GCSE, a practice of which encourages creativity and abstract thinking which aids both in further research and topical discussions.

I have been a part of and captained numerous school sports teams as well as taken part in duke of Edinburgh Gold, Silver and Bronze which have helped me develop as a learner and part of the student community. I enjoyed the challenges that being a leader presented both physically and mentally, and such activities have allowed me to develop my people skills further as well as gain an appreciation of the complexity of the human body and its functions a few of which I have studied and hope to study further. I have also been an active part of the community taking part in numerous student councils, being house captain and gone on a leadership camp with other council members, to develop team and leadership skills which are useful both inside and outside the classroom. Living in South East Asia in a Muslim country, I have experienced some of the different social and economic inequalities that exist. On a school organised trip to visit and aid the impoverished Penan tribe of Sarawak I was inspired by their practice of ‘molong’ where they only take what is necessary from the jungle so as not to upset the equilibrium of nature.

Having been to a school with over 51 different nationalities I have gained a real appreciation of diversity and have learnt skills that will help me cope with university life and embrace the opportunities it presents. Having been a day student at a Scottish state school, a weekly boarder at an international school in Brunei and a fulltime boarder at a private school in England, I can see that natural sciences do not change, however human sciences do. This has inspired my to write my theory of knowledge essay based on the question “to what extent do disagreements aid the pursuit of knowledge in both the human and natural sciences.” In my essay I explore how the human sciences affect and are affected by natural sciences and how the disagreement between researchers and theories has in most cases lead them to further study and a better understanding of their subject. I look forward to studying multiple subjects at university as well as the challenges that university will present.