jaF893's personal statement
I have always enjoyed studying Maths, Physics and Chemistry,and I would like the opportunity to continue this study.Chemical Engineering appeals to me because of the challengesinvolved in the application of scientific theory to practical,real world problems such as how to deal with nuclear waste. Iparticularly look forward to studying fluid dynamics as I wasintroduced to this during the Engineering Education Scheme(EES). I am aware that in today’s world chemical engineeringhas an increasingly important role across a wide range ofindustries from pharmaceuticals to petrochemicals. The broadrange of career paths, and the opportunity to contribute tosociety through technological innovation, is for me, one ofthe main attractions of chemical engineering.
I have applied to take part in the Year In Industry schemeduring which I hope to gain practical experience, as well as greater maturity enabling me to go into my degree course withimproved skills and broader experience. I also hope to studye-learning courses on project management and presentationskills run by the IChemE. In Year 12 I took part in the EES,which improved my understanding and skills in team working,time management, and report writing, as well as visual andoral presentation. Throughout the course of the project theteam had to frequently correspond with mentors in industry andacademia and this experience has broadened my appreciation ofpractice and application in a real life situation. In July Iattended a week-long ‘Into Engineering’ seminar run by REACTEngineering. Working in two teams, we were given a designexercise based upon a typical decommissioning project. I alsoattended a Headstart course at Newcastle University, which Ithoroughly enjoyed. One of the main activities was to design,manufacture and test a small crane. I found both of theseexperiences very challenging, as we were given only limitedtime so we had to prioritise our tasks and carefully plan ourwork.This year a fellow student and I were awarded £500 by the European Scholarship Prize to fund a visit to Prague to doresearch for our A-level History coursework. I gained an understanding of the city’s culture and history and furtherdeveloped my independence. During the summer I represented myschool on a Connexions review of a government white paper on14-19 education. I gained an insight into the government’sproposals and learned a lot about working with differentgroups of people. Last year I was part of the editorial teamfor the school magazine. I wrote a number of articles and Iwas responsible for ensuring that staff contributions wereready for the deadline. I also enjoy participating in a rangeof sports and have represented the school at football andcricket, which has further enhanced my team working skills.Inmy spare time I am working towards my Duke of Edinburgh Gold Award. In September I completed a 4-day expedition in the LakeDistrict, which tested my endurance but gave me a great senseof achievement. As part of the award I have been helping atthe local youth café once a week, which I am really enjoyingas it gives me the chance to meet new people. I also enjoyreading, particularly books on physics and Russian history. Iam really interested in computers and I am currently trying toconfigure a Linux based file and print server for my homenetwork.
