Psychology Personal Statement

Psychology Personal Statement Example Since studying Psychology at GCSE my interest in this subject has gained new impetus with every academic paper and publication I read. Because of my immense fascination in behavior and the mind, and my concurrent interest in science, Psychology is my chosen subject to take into further education. Building on my knowledge and learning as much as possible is highly important to me, and I am passionate about engrossing myself in this subject at university level.

Many areas of academic psychology appeal to me, currently the most significant being the debate of nature versus nurture. Reading Philip Zimbardo’s Lucifer Effect as a consequence of my interest in this argument has furthered my intrigue, and also guided me onto a new course of exploration into the subject. Environmental influences on human behavior, and the idea that the structure of our surroundings can alter how we treat the people around us is hugely captivating and I am enjoying exploring this with much enthusiasm. Cialdini’s principles of social influence are very engaging, and during my undergraduate degree I hope to be able to pursue research into this field of persuasion based behavioral studies.

Having weekend jobs whilst in education has been important to me, as I have widened my skill base and diversified the competences already learnt at school. Working in a Deli, with one other colleague, allowed me to develop my organizational and motivational skills; we ran the shop alone and hence had to cooperate well and work both as a team and alone whilst providing a high quality of customer service under pressure. Taking on the role of manager gave me confidence in my leadership abilities, and to also function well within our small team and to hit set targets, deal with customers and to assist my colleague when he was short-handed. The benefits of having these skills will invaluable whilst reading psychology – I feel prepared for large work loads, pressurized deadlines and projects involving both team and individual work, as an effort has been made on my part to equip myself for the demands of higher education.

Working as a credit controller for Harlands Services has developed my eye for detail and also permitted me to increase my analytical and statistical aptitude. Using the database to examine and investigate unpaid contracts, my critical and numerical skills have been greatly improved; I feel assured of my capabilities in this area and look forward to translating these skills when studying statistics. This position at Harlands has also been valuable – it has taught me persuasive tact when dealing with outstanding payments, and has illustrated the advantage of dealing patiently with sometimes abusive clients. These communication skills were developed from the basics I learnt whilst working in the community teaching skateboarding – communication is essential in the study of psychology and I look forward to utilizing this aptitude within practical seminars and in projects where interviews and verbal testing are necessary.

In the future my ambition is to continue my studies and progress towards a PhD, eventually leading to an academic career; the British prison environment and rehabilitation process are currently high on my agenda for postgraduate study, alongside the area of institutional aggression. I do of course realise that these interests can be developed, or indeed superceded, during my undergraduate education.

Over the past two years, whilst at school and working in jobs, I have attempted to academically prepare myself for my undergraduate course - I am a member of The British Psychological Society and immensely enjoy reading The Psychologist. The Economist also provides excellent insight into world news and opinion, and I appreciate having a subscription to this due to the informed writers and varied opinion it voices. I place great importance on having awareness of world events and issues - being lucky enough to have the chance to study at university offers us much opportunity to support others and to positively influence our environments.

My hard work and determination in relation to both my academic interest in psychology, and in gaining the essential skills necessary for succeeding at university, demonstrate well my motivation to study this subject.

This undergraduate degree will kick start my career and my anticipation and motivation is already high. Having studied psychology at both A Level and GCSE I feel prepared for the challenges that lie ahead, and very much look forward to tackling them with the skills I have learnt during my time at school and during work, and with those that I am yet to learn.

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