Mathematics Personal Statement Example

To say that I have always been sure about my path in life would be a lie. In saying that, I don't mean that I am not a passionate worker devoted to my academics but more that through my academic career up until the beginning of year 12, when I moved to a new school for sixth form, I did not receive the proper support to let me excel in any field of work. Despite this, Mathematics has always been the underlying explanation behind my thought processes and behaviour. I think logically and solve problems aptly using skills I have honed through my studies. Mathematics to me, is an addictive subject, the euphoric feeling of finally completing a seemingly impossible question is enough to push me through even the hardest of challenges. Since the beginning of my academic journey in mathematics, I have felt my ability and understanding flourish and grow. By studying mathematics at university I plan to continue this journey and nurture my love and understanding of the subject.

I am currently studying Mathematics, Further Mathematics, and Psychology, which will set me up perfectly for an undergraduate degree in Mathematics. My study of Psychology, despite not explicitly related to mathematics, helps me understand further applications of mathematics in research methods and statistical tests.

In October, I will be taking part in the UKMT senior maths challenge. This challenge will give me the experience of completing non-conventional maths problems and strengthening my problem-solving abilities, which will be crucial for studying mathematics at the degree level. It will also give me the competitive experience to perform well under pressure, just as my Debate Competition success has done in the past. I represented the academy as a debate team captain in many competitions travelling to other academies such as Franklin Academy Sixth form where we joined 4 other schools to debate topics such as TV licensing, Private Education and Kanye West's removal from social media.

I watched the film 'The Imitation Game' when I was 13 years old. The idea that messages could be encoded in such a way that the deciphering of them was near impossible without years of work was intriguing to me, and I have been interested in cryptography ever since. I have recently been reading ' A Course in Cryptography', a book written by Rafael Pass and Abhi Shelat to greater understand the broad subject of encoding and cryptography and comprehend the varied uses of it in today's society.

Over the past year, in my free time, I have been working as a mathematics tutor of pupils aged 11-15, including tutoring students in preparation for their GCSE higher mathematics examinations. This has helped those students feel more confident and prepared for their examinations and strengthened my ability to explain thought processes and solidify past learning. Similarly, I have been working with cover teachers in mathematics lessons to support students to ensure that necessary lesson time isn't missed even when qualified mathematics teachers are unavailable. This has increased my confidence in both the subject and public speaking roles, which has prepared me for working in groups in a university setting.

In February of 2023, I completed a week of work experience at the University of Lincoln in the Psychology department, where I contributed to research run by Professors of the subject. Despite this not being directly linked to mathematics, I found that the experience of attending lectures, speaking to students and conducting research has given me a taste of the university experience and what is expected of students, readying me for my own journey in the study of mathematics.

In the early stages of year 12 I was elected by the headmaster of Sir Robert Pattinson Academy as Deputy Head Girl, the role has so far entailed; leadership of a group of hardworking driven student leadership team members, public speaking at a range of events including to crowds of around 400 people, supporting with the running of transition events, interviewing alumni of the academy, and much more.