UCAS - Personal Statement

 

When applying for University, we have to produce a personal statement, which give the university their first glance at what sort of person you are. Here is what I wrote for mine..

 

For several years now I have had a keen interest in going into the Architecture profession especially involving more contemporary designs. I particularly like these sorts of designs as they are pushing the boundaries of physics, yet continue to be completely innovative and original. Like the majority of today’s society, social networking is an important aspect of my day to day life, and this is something I use to my benefit, keeping updated on contemporary designs. I have gained great inspiration and enthusiasm from contemporary architecture and interior design related pages I have 'liked' on Facebook which regularly post photos of architecture from around the world, also allowing me to keep up to date with current trends within the design world. Using social networks in this way has helped me to expand on my knowledge and as it is now integrated within my personal life I’m always analysing and looking at contemporary designs from around the world. Zaha Hadid’s work particularly stands out to me and I love how every design is different and creative; constantly pushing the boundaries of architecture as we know it, with an example being one of her most recent designs, the London Aquatics Centre.

During the second year of my Foundation Degree, I worked on a live project for a local primary school in which I had to redesign part of the school for the new headteacher. This project allowed me to experience working face to face with a client and enabled me to develop key skills and practices including client presentation, conducting site visits and the importance of accurate measurement. While studying for my Foundation Degree I also successfully completed a number of briefs based on Design & Art Directors student design competitions. This experience has given me invaluable experience as to what architecture/interior design will be like in the real world, working with clients and meeting demands and deadlines.

I believe I will bring an array of relevant skills to the course including creativity, confidence and design flair which along with my transferable skills, will stand me in good stead for university life, and subsequently in the professional world. I am currently the course representative; a leadership role in which I take responsibility for chairing meetings with the student group who communicate their concerns about the course, and through discussion a solution is reached, highlighting my problem solving skills. I have continued to improve these skills along with reliability, punctuality and communication, working at Next as a sales assistant where I’m interacting with members of the public and acting in a professional manner. Furthermore I have a great passion for sports; during my early years as a teenager I played for a local football team, which developed my cooperation and team work skills. I am also enthusiastic about a variety of sports including rugby league, cricket, tennis, F1 and more recently golf.

My goal of attending university is to become a qualified architect. Between starting my degree and being RIBA certified I am confident I will develop a variety of skills that will help improve my work and give me a more refined understanding and greater knowledge when creating a design. After completing my degree my aim is to find work in a professional practice either in the UK or Australia and following this, to have my own Architecture practice and also to build my own home, which is an ambition I have held for a long time and one I am keen to fulfil.