Biochemistry/Biomedical Sciences Personal Statement
Studying for an Access to Science course has revealed to me the endlessly fascinating strands of the pure and applied sciences, stimulating my enthusiasm to continue studying science at university level. If I were pushed to define my favourite aspects of studying sciences, I would pick the following three features. Firstly, I am drawn to the mutually reinforcing nature of the different scientific disciplines. To truly understand biology, it is essential to have a knowledge of chemical reactions; and to understand chemistry, a knowledge of the fundamentals of the laws of physics is essential. Indeed, it is the inter-relation of different scientific disciplines that draws me so strongly to biochemistry and biomedical sciences.
Secondly, I find carrying out laboratory work to be as engrossing as it is rewarding. I have truly enjoyed the experiments that I have carried out whilst completing my Access course, and have often taken a leading role when carrying out group work as a result of my drive and enthusiasm. The idea of regular, complex laboratory work greatly appeals to me. I am particularly looking forward to the possibilities of carrying out laboratory research work during the latter stages of my studies; to be involved with potential scientific breakthroughs would be for me both a greatly rewarding challenge and a profound honour.
Thirdly, I find that studying sciences helps to provide answers to the fundamental question of how and why the human body functions, which is an area that never fails to stimulate my intellectual curiosity. Given these underlying motivations for my interest in science, I believe that I am ideally suited to studying biochemistry or biomedical sciences at university.
I feel the Access course has also been an ideal preparation for university study as a result of the way in which the course has been based around a combination of classes, laboratory work, coursework and exams. As a consequence of this structuring, I feel that I am equipped to handle the demands of the course delivery and methods of assessment of a BSc.
A significant proportion of my time is devoted to voluntary work, which I find is both a rewarding release from the everyday demands of life and a method of contributing to society whilst improving my professional skills. For example, for a period of six months last year I was a volunteer support worker to disabled children at weekends. The bulk of my efforts in this role revolved around teaching basic IT and mathematics skills, though much of my time was also dedicated to looking after the welfare of the children. I found it exceptionally gratifying to be able to teach the children skills that are a fundamental part of everyday life and as a consequence help to give them a greater sense of independence. I enjoy holding positions of responsibility, and it is for this reason I became a class representative in 2010, a role that required me to liaise between students and college staff, reporting on any issues that were of concern to the students with the goal of seeking a solution that suited all those affected by the issues in question. I hope to be able to play a similarly active role in student life whilst studying at university.
Outside of completing my Access course and carrying out voluntary work, I like to pursue a diverse range of interests. In addition to completing the Edexcel Skills for Life course in English so that I can make the most of life in the UK, I also like to keep fit through playing basketball and tennis, and by going jogging with my father. I am also very much driven by a love of problem-solving, and as a consequence I like to immerse myself in any and every type of verbal or numerical puzzle that I can lay my hands on. I hope that life as an undergraduate will provide me with the opportunity to combine my love of testing myself mentally and intellectually with my strong enthusiasm for biomedical sciences.
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