Personal Statement

Phototoxin

Hi guys, I've decided to take the plunge/risk/w.e. to try and pursue a PhD. My only stumbling block at the minute is the personal statement... anything I find re: advice seems hyper Americanised and a bit irritating. I'm not quite sure what is expected. 'I really like science and think cancer research is interesting' A lot of the ones I've read seem quite 'back on a misty evening in my home on the moors I saw it rain an dramatised d began to wonder why...'

I have a paragraph on how I've always liked science and stuff. A bit on my motivation and another bit on technical similarities between what I do now and what the phd wants.

Just wondering if anyone has any ideas/hints/tips?

avalon68

Maybe add a bit about youe "path to choosing a PhD"....ie I really enjoyed Biology...Chemistry in school.....Decided to do XXX degree (if it is a gen science degree....stress the variety and the fact you now have a solid backround in the basic sciences). Say that you enjoyed your final year research project (assuming you had one) and that you would like to develop a deeper understanding of the chosen subject. Try to make it a bit personal as you want it to stand outfrom the others. Try to be honest but not to be too generic if that makes sense.....dont go the "I want to cure cancer route". Let them know that you understand the complexities of the disease and are keen to understand what happens at the cellular level. I guess from there on in it depends on the specifics of the project. Mention any lab skills/computer skills you have and how you think they can be applied to the project/benefit the lab.

El Siglo

Say what you're interested in, give examples of how you were able to do stuff (e.g. give tutorials or lab work etc...), keep referring back to the project, why you are doing it, what benefit everyone will have from the research you produce. Stay well clear of the bullshit americanised rubbish. Keep your statement in line with what you're doing all the time. You're really trying to sell yourself so literally, with you're research you will cure cancer or win a nobel prize or both.

avalon68

El Siglo wrote: »

You're really trying to sell yourself so literally, with you're research you will cure cancer or win a nobel prize or both.

You are trying to sell yourself - so keep your personal statement realistic - if I read one that proclaimed the writer was going to cure cancer during his/her PhD I would chuckle at the optimism for a while....then toss it in the reject pile as it shows a lack of realism/comprehension of the complexities involved in research. Read some of the papers published by the group you are applying to and understand what their research contributes to the world of cancer research and assess what meanigful contribution your research would add to the area. Also stress that you are organized, efficient, work well to deadlines, work well with others but can also work alone.

Cool Mo D

Try and make it personal and interesting - this is hard to do, but you want to avoid having a statement with lines like "I am interested in researching X because I see great opportunities for making X amount of progress, and I am talented at X".
I know if you're applying to IRCSET, they like a little bit of colour in their statement - referring to work or people that has inspired you, some special knowledge you have, maybe even a few topical quotes from someone important in the field you want.
Try and write a statement that differentiates you from someone else, who might be applying for a similar project. It is kinda a pain in the ass to do this, and it might seem like waffley nonsense, but it helps.

Alliandre

I'm in the same boat and I'm having a lot of trouble making it personal and trying to get my enthusiasm across. I don't have fantastic degree results, so I really need to impress them in the statement. Right now all I have is very generic things such as "I love research and I've always wanted to study in this area" etc etc. The only personal things I can think of seem pointless and irrelevant. For example, one reason I got into science was because of constant encouragement from a family member. And while it's important to me, I don't really see that kind of thing being important on a personal statement. Maybe I'm wrong.

lumpwood

A lot of this stuff has been discussed here before in relation to IRCSET personal statements, but thought I'd add a one more thing my supervisor advised me to throw into this type of thing:

There's a lot of pressure on Irish colleges to increase their output of peer-reviewed publications, which makes focusing on this area important for any potential supervisors/funding bodies. If you show an interest in having any potential work published it should read well, maybe name a few journals you would like to see your work in, conferences you could see yourself attending etc. (early days I know but showing you've made the effort to look into this kind of thing may impress). Have you ever entered any competitions that involve written submissions, Young Science Writer etc.

racheltbn

if this is for ircset its prob too late but sure here we go. just finished my personal statement and after consulting the research office they advised me to write it in the following format:
Background to your topic
your skills that pertain to your topic
your academics and achievements
why you chose your supervisor and any other support you have
why you chose the location
any other valuble skills you have
future aspirations.:cool: