UCAS statement for mature students

[elster]

I am trying to write my UCAS statement. As I will be a mature student there is a lot to go in it, but you don't get much space.

All the guides seem to be aimed at the younger people.

Does anyone have any advice for me? I'm not very good at writing, so this is very hard for me anyway.

Is there someone on here who has done this before, or could point me in the right direction.

[Jasandjules]

I did it a fair few years ago now. I just selected a few sentences about why I wanted to go to Uni rather than a huge essay.

[Vesuvius 996]

elster said:

I'm not very good at writing, so this is very hard for me anyway.

Erm, maybe University isn't for you?

[briSk]

You're old - they like that sort of thing. i shouldn't worry.

[Timmy35]

Vesuvius 996 said:

elster said:

I'm not very good at writing, so this is very hard for me anyway.

Erm, maybe University isn't for you?

I could barely write or spell and they still let me go.

[staceyb]

Don't blab but make sure everything you want to say is in there.

Make a bullet point list of your main points that you want to get across and say the most about you and why you want to go to uni as a mature student.

[elster]

Vesuvius 996 said:

elster said:

I'm not very good at writing, so this is very hard for me anyway.

Erm, maybe University isn't for you?

I'm a numbers person.

OK will do the bullet points thing. I'm just wondering how to reduce my life since school down to 4000 characters.

[bob1179]

Dear University people. I am looking forward to going to university and getting back into education. I want to do this to further my career prospects and I believe it will be an aid to my experiences in life and work so far. I want to be able to go to the university that suits my skills base the best. I also want to go to the one which has the best Student Union and the highest totty to male ratio, I also prefer my late teenage girls to be very easy and be willing to partake in sexual exploration. I have enclosed a large cheque to ensure you meet my needs. Kindest Regards...


PS. Do the kids these days still like Spandau Ballet and is weed still the 'in' thing with art students?

[PeterA]

When I applied (starting uni in less than two weeks), I just wrote down everything I could think of (ignoring all the advice about what to put in paragraph 1, then paragraph 2 etc.) in my own style (generally waffling on). Then I brought the word count down (I had written quite a lot), then that was it. Writing in my own way and writing how I wanted to write, ignoring all the advice about structure, sounds a bad idea - however, it worked very well for me.

Just 'be yourself'. Write everything you want to put in, then cut it down to size. I am brilliant at repeating myelf and including unnecessary statements (this response being quite a good example), so I just highlighted all the unnecessary parts of my personal statement, deleted them, and in the end it worked quite well.

Good luck to you.

Peter


Edited to make post a bit clearer...and for the odd typo. And also deleted 'What are you studying' after noticing: "I'm a numbers person."

Edited by PeterA on Wednesday 3rd September 15:43

[elster]

PeterA said:

When I applied (starting uni in less than two weeks), I just wrote down everything I could think of (ignoring all the advice about what to put in paragraph 1, then paragraph 2 etc.) in my own style (generally waffling on). Then I brought the word count down (I had written quite a lot), then that was it. Writing in my own way and writing how I wanted to write, ignoring all the advice about structure, sounds a bad idea - however, it worked very well for me.

Just 'be yourself'. Write everything you want to put in, then cut it down to size. I am brilliant at repeating myelf and including unnecessary statements (this response being quite a good example), so I just highlighted all the unnecessary parts of my personal statement, deleted them, and in the end it worked quite well.

Good luck to you.

Peter


Edited to make post a bit clearer...and for the odd typo. And also deleted 'What are you studying' after noticing: "I'm a numbers person."

Edited by PeterA on Wednesday 3rd September 15:43

Well I was thinking of going the finance route, but after a talk with my gran she has made me see sense. As I already am an electrical engineer and enjoy working with electronics. I am going to do an Electronics Engineering degree.

Think the waffle may be best for me, then just chop it down. Just trying writing bullet points and they are a bit long.

[Mikeyboy]

Timmy35 said:

Vesuvius 996 said:

elster said:

I'm not very good at writing, so this is very hard for me anyway.

Erm, maybe University isn't for you?

I could barely write or spell and they still let me go.

Yeah but didn't you do something to do with Maffs?

[EmmaP]

The statement is a sales piece. Why have you chosen to leave your current job to go to university? Why do you wish to study the course that you have applied for and what you hope to gain from it. State also what it is that attracts you to the course that you have applied for. If applying to one university state why you chose that university.

Discuss the skills that you have in relation to the course that you have applied for, eg a detailed knowledge and practical experience in the use of Autocad. Given that you are a mature student you can relate your knowledge and skills to the work place rather than college study, though if you have studied a relevant subject at college (night school) it would be useful to discuss the skills you gained here.

You should also highlight additional qualities that indicate that you are used to working to and meeting deadlines, working successfully on an independent basis or as part of a team.

Positions of responsibility could be detailed.

Also any real life experience in field related to course of study. Detail here skills and experience gained, work that was undertaken.

Describe any voluntary work that you do. If you represent a team in a sport or are part of a club mention that too. Shows you are well-rounded individual.

Discuss hobbies and interests.

Keep it concise, relevant and lively.

Layout, punctuation, spelling and grammar are important. Do use paragraphs and don't submit a random patchwork quilt of thoughts. Imagine having to read through hundreds of applications. Electronics is precise, efficient and logical so I would expect the statement to be clear, precise and ordered.

Edited by EmmaP on Wednesday 3rd September 16:22

[captainzep]

Or just try not to betray screaming mental health issues.

All the mature students I came into contact with were fecking nut clusters.

(Actually some were just n'th stage alcoholics trying to make something of their lives, so University was an ideal environment for their rehabilition)

HTH

[BoRED S2upid]

On a similar subject I was reading through a prospectus the other week and they talked about UCAS points. Anyone know what a point is and how you get one (Or several hundred as thats whats required to get in nowadays).

[EmmaP]

Points are awarded in relation to qualifications and grades obtained, eg BTEC ND distinction, A level grade A.

[absolutely]

Vesuvius 996 said:

elster said:

I'm not very good at writing, so this is very hard for me anyway.

Erm, maybe University isn't for you?

Large Hairy bks! I am useless at writing and always have been, I've done 2 UCAS forms and an internal uni one and I can hardly string a sentence together, I am dyslexic and failed Higher English but I still got a 2(i)!

[Shaolin]

absolutely said:

Vesuvius 996 said:

elster said:

I'm not very good at writing, so this is very hard for me anyway.

Erm, maybe University isn't for you?

Large Hairy bks! I am useless at writing and always have been, I've done 2 UCAS forms and an internal uni one and I can hardly string a sentence together, I am dyslexic and failed Higher English but I still got a 2(i)!

Does Masturbational Studies at Mother Goose University carry sufficient weight in todays economic climate though?

[marshalla]

90% of the time, we don't even get to see the personal statements these days - the decisions are made by bean-counters who look at the grades and little else. On the other 10% if most of the spelling is about right, we just breathe a sigh of relief and accept it anyway (it's very difficult to reject an application).

Dontcha just love guvmint targets ?

Edited by marshalla on Wednesday 3rd September 21:13

Edited by marshalla on Wednesday 3rd September 21:16

[marshalla]

BoRED S2upid said:

On a similar subject I was reading through a prospectus the other week and they talked about UCAS points. Anyone know what a point is and how you get one (Or several hundred as thats whats required to get in nowadays).

http://www.ucas.com/students/ucas_tariff/

[srebbe64]

Just been helping my son write his and I found this website quite helpful:

http://www.studential.com/personalstatements/