Geography Personal Statement Example 32

Though it is to rainforests that we give the label of the most diverse places in the world, I believe it should really belong to cities. It only takes a short walk around London to realise how many differences exist within such narrow boundaries. As we are all going to face the future where the majority of population lives in urban areas, I explored the topic of urbanisation when studying World Cities and this encouraged me to undertake further research. Using a variety of sources, from lifestyle blogs to business-oriented websites, I learned about innovative solutions such as tiny houses and the lean urbanism movement. In addition, taking part in the Online UWC Sustainability course introduced me to new geographical tools, for example the Gapminder chart creator, which enabled me to visualise statistical links in a simple and approachable form. In geography I am also developing my essay writing skills.
Travelling and experiencing different places is an important addition to my academic work. I had the opportunity to visit Berlin and Copenhagen and observe the practical outcome of their innovations in sustainable policies, such as shared mobility or urban farming. It was intriguing to visit the Olympic Park in East London and see how environment-led regeneration increased the social attainability of the area. However, I am exceptionally interested in South American states, where rapid growth created large contrasts within cities and endangered their precious rainforests. My desire to research them more in depth encouraged me to undertake an intensive Spanish language course last summer.
Early in life I showed an aptitude in mathematics and my successes in numerous competitions helped me to achieve a scholarship to continue my education in England. Mathematics complements geography perfectly, as it involves performing statistical calculations to underpin the analysis and to prove hypotheses. It also enhanced my problem solving skills, which I find crucial in every field of study. The topics that have recently caught my attention in biology are global warming, nutrient cycles and the mutual dependency of organisms within ecosystems.
Over my 9-year experience in scouting I have been involved in various works for charity and taught younger girls navigation and map skills as a patrol leader. This developed my strong love of the outdoors and inspired me to undertake the Gold Duke of Edinburgh award. Volunteering in a local National Trust centre required broadening my knowledge of wildlife conservation, as it involves guiding visitors and providing reliable information. Enhancing my communication skills is also essential in my role of a Senior Prefect and the editor of the weekly school newsletter. The latter improved my ability to work under pressure to meet a deadline and manage a large team of students. Organising my volunteer placement in Surrey independently proved that I can take responsibility for myself. I had the chance to meet new people from other interesting backgrounds while helping to renovate a youth hostel.
Participating in a wide range of activities requires good time management and dedication, but also brings me great satisfaction. I enjoy playing hockey for the First Team as well as regularly attending badminton club and running. Healthy living and nutrition are important issues to me and I am especially interested in the social and environmental impacts of the Western and vegan diets.
Through my degree course I am keen to thoroughly explore the nature of human settlements and examine their potential for sustainable growth and development. I would love to apply my knowledge in a future career in a non-governmental organisation, working in the field of conservation and the environment. Studying geography is an exciting challenge and I think that my willingness to step outside of my comfort zone to pursue the understanding of the modern world makes me a strong candidate to read it at university level.