Personal statements - Economics

For several years I have been fascinated by what I thought of then as money, and the business world, so at A-Level, Economics seemed an obvious choice. Mathematics has always been of interest to me and this I find particularly enjoyable in the A-level Economics course. I look forward to further use of mathematics for Economics at degree level. Throughout the course I have enjoyed using models to analyse certain situations. I find it of great interest that because Economics is a social science, it is almost impossible to undertake actual experiments; therefore by creating theoretical models we can gain a greater understanding of the economy. However at university I am greatly looking forward to using mathematical methods to make these models more rigorous and scientific, as opposed to the more simplistic models used during the A-Level course.

At school I have recently been offered and assumed the role of Senior Prefect. This requires a lot of time and discipline, bestowing a great responsibility on my shoulders. This I find very motivating and it is a great honour to undertake such a duty. For me the more important tasks involve supervising prefects in charge of the third year group, presenting the school and its grounds to visitors, supervising school events and assisting teachers. I have also acquired an A.C.H.E (Advice, Care, Help and Empathy) qualification. This is a peer counselling scheme where sixth form students provide help and support to any pupils in younger years.

It is my intention to take a gap year between the completion of my A-Levels and the start of my university degree. During this time I intend to spend six months in the French Alps, firstly gaining a BASI (British Association of Ski Instructors) qualification which is a twelve week course. Then for the remaining three months I plan to teach children and adults alike on the slopes. This will be a great opportunity to improve my communication skills as well as interacting with different cultures and advancing my ability to converse in different languages, all of these becoming increasingly important in the world of commerce. For the majority of the remaining six months, I intend to gain further knowledge of some aspects of the financial world by working for a local finance company which will also, hopefully, allow me to save for university the following year.

Rugby is a great passion of mine. I have played scrum half since the age of five and have represented Cornwall for the past four years at the respective age levels. I have recently been appointed captain of the Truro school first fifteen, and am determined to lead the side towards a winning season. Through my rugby, I have been lucky enough to travel twice to South Africa, where I was able to experience a very different culture.I love sport of all kinds, both team and individual, and play as much as time allows. I am fortunate enough to live close to the coast and spent one summer working with a local scuba school where I gained my Open Water Diver PADI qualification. I am also a qualified pool lifeguard and have spent this summer vacation working at my local council swimming pool. Besides maintaining my physical fitness, I find sport is relaxing and requires a focus that takes me away from my academic studies and allows me to return to them with fresh enthusiasm. I also take pleasure in playing and listening to music, especially guitar both classical and acoustic, finding it is a great way to relax.

I am a very active person with enthusiasm and confidence in all I do, and am greatly looking forward to studying economics at degree level.