📚 Exercise Contents
💭 Group Discussion
🎯 Question 1
What university course would you like to do, and why?
💡 Question 2
What skills, achievements and interests could help you receive an offer to study your chosen course?
Answers: Students' own answers
🎧 Listening Comprehension
A personal statement …
a □ is necessary to apply for a place on a course at a UK university.
b □ is another name for a CV.
c □ is a formal piece of writing.
d □ says why you are excited about the subject you want to take.
e □ is organized like an interesting article.
f □ provides evidence of relevant skills and achievements.
g □ explains how these skills and achievements could help you.
Answers: Students tick sentences c, d, f and g.
📊 Text Analysis
Art. Music. Singing. Sport. Family. My younger brothers ask so many questions and I love answering them.
Volunteered at a summer activity camp for kids last year. Good for my confidence. Used my guitar playing. Also arts and crafts skills
Just passed my driving test – learn new skills easily
Work experience at local primary school. Helped with reading. Supervised at play time. Patience, discipline and preparation.
Eager to learn. Head teacher one day?
Love sport. Teamwork, power of hard work. Could run sports teams at school in future.
🎯 Question 1
What subject do you think she wants to study at university?
Answer: a teaching course/primary education
💡 Question 2
What relevant skills and experience does she have?
Answer: volunteered at a summer activity camp, musical and arts and crafts skills, work experience at a primary school, sports taught her teamwork
🚀 Question 3
What long-term ambitions does she have?
Answer: running a sports team at school, becoming a head teacher
Subject: Application for admission to Bachelor's of Primary Education 'A grown-up that cares.'
Dear Sir/Madam,
I am so excited about studying Primary Education. I want to help children create their own success stories.
I have two younger brothers who are very curious and always asking questions. I find it fulfilling when I can help them learn the answers. By studying Primary Education, I hope to make this satisfaction part of my professional life.
Last year I volunteered at a summer activity camp for eight- to ten-year-olds. I probably enjoyed it as much as the children! I used my guitar-playing skills, and my love of arts and crafts. By the end of the week, it was clear that the children liked working with me, and as a result I felt more confident.
During work experience at a primary school this past spring I helped children with reading, supervised at play time and learnt about running a classroom. This taught me that working with children is not only fun and rewarding, but also requires patience, discipline and preparation.
I am quite competitive and I enjoy sport. I play for a successful football team and, through my sporting achievements I have learnt the value of teamwork. In the future, I hope to run sports teams to help children learn that same life lesson.
I know that teaching is a challenging career choice, but I am hard-working, determined and eager to learn. I am confident that I have the patience and dedication to succeed. Ultimately, I would like to be a head teacher.
Yours faithfully, Mariam Allabban
Answer: She hasn't included singing or passing her driving test because they aren't relevant to the course she wants to study.
✍️ Writing Skills
📝 General Guidelines
• Be positive and don't be too modest
• Reflect on experience, don't just describe
• Do not include irrelevant information
• Write in a formal, concise style
🎯 Structure
• Opening: Catch attention + show interest
• Main body: Experience + skills + achievements
• Conclusion: Enthusiasm + long-term goals
📝 General Statements
1. After having lessons for years, I play the piano very well.
2. I volunteered to collect litter in the local community.
3. I update my blog twice a week, every week.
4. I play for the school hockey team and we won the league.
5. I really enjoy video gaming.
🔤 Justifications
a. Doing this made me realise that sometimes you have to solve problems that you didn't create yourself.
b. The process has shown me that to get good at something, you have to work hard and practise a lot.
c. The experience has taught me that success often comes through working closely with others.
d. Doing something so regularly takes dedication and has taught me to respect deadlines.
e. This hobby has taught me to think strategically and to concentrate for long periods of time.
Answers: 1 b 2 a 3 d 4 c 5 e
Student's own answer
Use the structure and examples provided to create your own compelling personal statement for university applications.
🔗 Reliable Sources and References
🌐 University Application Resources:
https://www.ucas.com - Official Personal Statement Guide
https://www.thecompleteuniversityguide.co.uk - Writing Tips
https://www.prospects.ac.uk - Career-focused Advice
