Geography Personal Statement Example 19

I could say that my love of Geography started in school, but in fact holidays to foreign lands have had a more significant impact on me. From the volcanic badlands of Lanzarote's Timanfaya, to the unique beauty of Ngorongoro crater in Tanzania, Geography and its impact on nature and human development have awed me. Throughout my life, I have asked questions about our planet and its impact on humans around the world. GCSE and AP level Geography provided me with the best opportunity to find answers. I now wish to study Geography to have a positive impact on the world for future generations to see and be inspired by. My fascination with Geography emerged from childhood interest in History. Fossil hunting near Charmouth encouraged me to ask questions about plate tectonics. I learned that while the physical surface of the world seems to be still in a human's lifetime, or the lifetime of humanity itself, in fact, in the time between that fossilized creature's life and mine, much has changed.

I have studied several subjects in school which will benefit me when studying Geography at university. In Business Studies, I learned of the link between location and success. Environmental Science studies interactions between humanity and the natural world. It showed me ways in which people hinder and help the environment. I studied global issues such as the resources paradox and desertification resulting from industrial agriculture. These aspects of Geography will affect the world in the future. Government & Politics showed me how corporations, governments, and NGO's interact in reaction to events like global warming, retreating permafrost and ice caps, and the search for limited fossil fuels. I have won several achievement prizes, including Most Improved in Business studies, Art, and English, and Personal Determination trophies in years 7-9. Last year, I gained an overall Outstanding Effort award and an Outstanding Achievement award for Environmental Science. Living in UK for 9 years, France for 8 and Switzerland for 1 year has shown me how cultures react to environmental differences, giving me versatility and adaptability that will contribute to and benefit my university life.

In my free time, I am a member of the school ski team, a qualified diver and enjoy outdoor pursuits. I gained the Silver International Award and am part of an NGO aiding development in Ghana and Lebanon. After short volunteer assignments in Iceland and Italy, in summer 2012 I spent a month working as a volunteer in Krabi province, Thailand. I was involved in coral reef surveys, reef clean-ups, beach clean-ups, and reforestation efforts. These activities really gave me an idea of the environmental and cultural impact of development upon a region and its people. It taught me how tourism, a major aspect of development in the region, was being advantageously used by the locals to curb the negative effects of development, and pressure Government to develop laws with positive impacts. I saw many ecosystem types, including rainforests, tropical islands, urban centres, and marine environments. I learned how they interact with each other and us. The experience really moulded me as a person and showed me both the negative impacts of human development and the way that society reacts to them.

I am excited by the prospect of learning more in a Degree level Geography course.After studying Geography at University, I would love to be able to use what I have learned to aid developing nations. The development of these countries and their environments in the modern world is fascinating. Throughout my life the natural world has fascinated and inspired me, and I hope to contribute to its conservation and to help create a stable foundation upon which developing countries can use their resources sustainably. These countries will develop, but how it happens will depend on people working together to provide effective solutions. I would like to be part of those solutions.

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This personal statement was written by djmlock for application in 2013.

djmlock's university choices
The University of Durham
University of Leeds

Green: offer made
Red: no offer made

djmlock's Comments

This took me a couple of months to complete but i feel i acheived what i wanted to

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