Biology Personal Statement Example 4

I think snorkelling in the Great Barrier Reef is the closest thing to magic I’ll ever have the fortune to experience. The fragile coral beneath the majestic manta rays cannot help but provoke massive curiosity into the complex ecosystems and inspire endless wonder for the natural world.

This awe drove me towards a desire to study biology at a more in depth level, where questions I’d never even considered could be answered and others left a current mystery, until future research.

This awe prompted me to read ‘Coral: A Pessimist in Paradise’ by Steve Jones, in an endeavour to discover more about the relevance of such ecosystems from a human perspective. I was particularly fascinated by the theoretical immunity to age of some cnidarians due to their use of stem cells for regeneration and repair.

I was intrigued by the possibility of using these animals to learn more about the use of stem cells in human medicine, but also made aware of the issues that have been found during current research.

During my AS level biology course topics regarding speciation and evolution have become a great fascination to me, inspiring me to consider the impact, of a constantly changing population of species, on society and the environment, and as a result I decided to read ‘What On Earth Evolved? 100 Species That Changed The World’ by Christopher Lloyd.

This book challenged my perceptions of influential species and forced me to look further into the impact of less obvious species, such as the earthworm.

The impact of such a creature was one I initially dismissed as insignificant, but in fact, it’s resilience in the face of mass species extinctions is utterly remarkable, yet pales in comparison to its integral role in sustaining human populations, as its soil fertilising abilities have provided human societies with a source of food for thousands of years, making it a hugely important species from the perspective of human survival.

In 2010 I spent a placement week with a reception class at Seaton Infant School. During this work experience I had the opportunity to work one to one with less able children to help aid their mathematical skills and improve their problem solving abilities.

Coming up with new approaches to try and convey information and ideas in a fashion that would keep their interest, whilst encouraging them to think around problems logically proved to be a challenging yet rewarding experience, as it provided a valuable insight into different learning methods and techniques.

I have also participated in my school’s debating society, which I feel has greatly developed my public speaking abilities and increased my confidence, whilst allowing me to discuss issues important to me in a constructive and structured manner.

I feel completing the Duke of Edinburgh Bronze Award had drastically improved my cooperation and communication skills, allowing me to work well within a group and play an integral role in task completion.

It also demonstrated the importance of not only self motivation but also group motivation when faced with difficulties within a strenuous task.

Learning how to approach issues in an effective and efficient manner whilst maintaining consideration for conflicting ideas has vastly increased both my interpersonal skills and my problem solving abilities, better equipping me for life.

To be able to study a subject that can explain life itself from both a microscopic level and an encompassing perspective is one that I find thoroughly exciting. I would love the opportunity to discover and explore the plethora of biology available to me at university, and have no doubts as to the level of dedication I could bring to the course.