Economics Personal Statement

Why do you want to study this course or subject?

Globally, 385 million children are living in extreme poverty. Economics is about how the choices we make, as consumers, can affect human behaviour and influence the economy. Particularly, how the choices we make have contributed to global inequality. Due to this real-world importance, I am passionate about continuing to study economics. Witnessing the comparison of economic development statistics in reality has enhanced my enthusiasm about studying Economics at university. Studying Economics at a degree level will hopefully stimulate my curiosity surrounding questions such as can a society be "flourishing and happy" when "greater part of the numbers are poor"? Achieving a degree in economics will be a worthwhile investment of my time, presenting me with many opportunities and a set of skills that will be an excellent foundation for success in the future. These aspects of the degree combined with its real-world importance are what make economics an appealing subject to study at university.

How have your qualifications and studies helped you to prepare for this course or subject?

To expand my knowledge of this topic, I read "The Worldly Philosophers by Robert L Heilbroner". The way Heilbroner describes and gives alternative views of economic issues fascinates me, further fuelling my interest in Economics. For example, he argues that "poverty is essential to the wealth of the nation" while others "saw in pauperism a social evil" and that "only the agricultural classes produced true 'wealth'" and that the secondary class "merely manipulated it in a sterile way". Moreover, completing the financial certificate and subscribing to the 'Economist' and the "Financial Times" has developed my current and topical knowledge on political and financial affairs and an awareness of global economic issues. During Secondary School, I took on many roles of responsibility such as being Sports Captain, organising a basketball tournament and working with other sports captains as a team. I was also a House Captain and a Prefect in my last year of school. These roles involved monitoring the halls, helping out at school events, giving guided information when required and representing my school with confidence and maturity, as well as being a role model for the younger students. This shows I will make the most of the opportunities University has to offer and make a valuable contribution to all aspects of your university.

What else have you done to prepare outside of education, and why are these experiences useful?

To develop my understanding of less economically developed economies, I volunteered in Nepal. I was inspired by the children in Barpak, which suffered from an earthquake in April 2015, and their positive attitudes despite living in absolute poverty. Nepal has a high happiness index of 4.962 while about one-quarter of its population is living below the poverty line. In my spare time, I take ice skating lessons, have a part-time job as an ice skating assistant and have performed in three ice skating shows. As part of my job role, I have the responsibility of leading children's ice skating parties for a group of young children aged between 4-13, teaching them to ice skate, keeping them safe and entertained. Being part of this community for over 8 years has helped me become a more dedicated and committed person as well as improved my interpersonal skills important for a degree. I completed a Level 2 and I am currently completing a Level 3 course in the Principles of Coaching, leading physical education lessons at a primary school once a week. This involves taking on the responsibility to organise and lead safe, fun and efficient sport lessons. I have volunteered at a special needs school, Columbus, to help organise their sports day and an art day and completed NCS, a 4-week programme, involving working in teams with new people and completing 60 hours of community work, including a week in a dementia unit at The Bupa care home. I found these experiences insightful and they have developed my patience, enthusiasm and a further sense of responsibility which will make me a capable economics student.