First and foremost, they are looking for students who fit into their course. Another question is - is it egostistical to want to share your experiences with others?

The answer is No one can truthfully say that, in my creative writing classes and courses, no work has given greater pleasure than those works of a personal nature.

Writing your UCAS personal statement is very important. In some cases students may find it difficult to deal with trauma or an event which has adversely effected your study: whether this resulted in poor grades or a change of subject direction.

Putting these in writing is often easier than going into an interview. The best way to start is to take a fresh look at your past.

After that you need to plan your UCAS personal statement and decide what to include and what areas need to be excluded. You may feel that you want to start to introduce yourself and also a significant person that helped you decide on the subject you wish to study. Or you might choose to divide your personal statement into sections such as: Family, illness, holiday's or realisation of your goals.

Think back to events and periods in your life that stand out clearly in your memory. They will undoubtly include major ones such as new jobs, the birth of a child, and so on. But don't forget to relate these areas in your life to your subject area.

Hot Tip: If you have kept a diary throughout your life you may need to take a look and even include some sections, if you wish. One of my students wrote about a really devestating time in her childhood - this really made her personal statement stand out!