To have 'writers block' when I only have to write...

[Prettyfilou]

a personal statement of about 500 words? I am applying for a postgraduate course and am so thrilled to have found a subject that I feel passionate about and for which I have transferable skills. I believe i stand a fair chance to get a place but cannot for the life of me write a decent statement. It's all over the place. In my head I can connect all the dots i.e. my various work experiences and previous education etc. but I have no idea where to start with this blasted personal statement. [Grrr]

Obviously Iabu but what how do I overcome this?

Have you tried putting down bullet points about what you want to say and then building around that?

Yep, I have indeed. Whilst writing the bullet points I am feeling really inspired and think, oh yeah, this is really relevant.... but I can't write it up nicely, there is no 'story'. I have no idea where to start. [worried emoticon].

brian eno oblique strategies
good luck

Had to look that up coventgarden. Looks interesting, never heard of it.

I am usually ok at writing essays but I find personal statements soooooo hard. I don't want to sound full of myself but not meek either. I don't know.

You need to sound full of yourself. That is why you are finding it hard. Write the most ott doc about how fabulous you are and edit down

Put your sentence about being thrilled to have found the subject ...

Then bullet point your transferable skills.

The maybe mention the skills you look forward to learning.

Then a short statement about where you hope the course will take you/ what it will help you achieve.

Then fluff out.

Does it need to be 500 words or up to 500 words.

Excuse my typos. My iPhone hates me.

I don't think I should sound full of myself, just competent and interesting -small feat

curiosity, thanks that sounds encouraging, I will try that. Still feels like a huge mountain right now. Not sure why. I have written cover letters before and not half bad either. This is different though somehow. Maybe because I am perpetually tired from dc teething?

I find it helps to imagine I am writing about my best friend when I write my appraisal or a cover letter or ps. Much easier to sell oneself in an non braggy way if one does I find!

I always try to use statements like 'I really enjoyed facing x challenge and overcoming it using the skills of a,b and c and this inspired my interest in z subject.' so you aren't really bragging, just talking about your achievement in terms of your interest in the subject.

Use powerful words, no adjectives, strong verbs and be forceful. No conditional tenses: I would like to, I look forward to, I have experience of, I feel committed to...

I am, I do, I like, I understand, my experience is, I want, I will.

Also for a post grad you should talk about where it will take you - what will be the result - tailored to the uni's overall objectives.

I work at a uni and this is the structure we would recommend for PG statements:
Why that uni? Why that course? How do your previous experiences (work and education) relate to the course? What else can you bring to the course- skills, experience? What are your career plans after?
Good luck :)

It's normal to feel this way. I write professionally and you would not believe how disjointed my first drafts are. Just write words on a page without worrying abut structure for now. Then take a break, print the text out, sit down with a brew and read it again with a pen in your hand.

Repeat (several times in my case). A structure will begin to form. Then you will identify the red thread, the way to link all the parts of what you want to say. That's when you begin the refinement of what you've written.

(Best of luck with the application.)

I run a postgrad course and concur with what Gwladgwlad says. No need for a long, discursive life history or reiteration of what's in your cv, but if there's anything that you want us to pay attention to in particular (like relevant experience), here's the place to flag it.

It's particularly important to state why this specific course attracts you. Does it match your interests in some special way? Does it fill a gap you've identified in your knowledge that you hope will lead you on to new directions?

If your first degree is not an obvious match to the postgrad course, make it clear why you're switching gear and indeed, why you think your prior studies and work experience will build your knowledge in some special way. So, say (plucking example that doesn't out me): your first degree was in archaeology and you've been working in the field for a couple of years; this is a museums postgrad course. You could say that post graduation you hope that this will allow you to go into a direction that takes advantage of your prior knowledge and experience. Be sensible though. Don't say you want to work for English Heritage, when its suffering from cuts. The reviewing team want to see that you've done your homework. Equally, you can be entirely comfortable with saying that you've worked (e.g.) in archaeology for a few years now and now feel it's time to deepen your intellectual understanding of the field and to use the year out to reflect on where you'd like to go next.

Do say if the research area of the teaching team and/or the course content is of interest to you. Have you read up on any of their work? Is that what led you to look up the course? Or, was a it meeting a graduate of the course that led you to think it suits you? (Both equally valid reasons).

...and please, don't tell us you're 'passionate' about the subject .

I had to do something similar recently. I wrote it in the third person eg greathunt did x/y/z, she is amazing etc etc.

That was much easier and it came out okay!

Oh, lovely, a lot of helpful really ideas, thank you all!

I'll post with an update once I have a draft I a happy with.

Sorry, one more question:

Use powerful words, no adjectives, strong verbs and be forceful. No conditional tenses: I would like to, I look forward to, I have experience of, I feel committed to...

Why is this?

Because it's weak and it wastes words. 'I have experience of managing people' is 6 words, 'An experienced manager' is 3. And you are creating an open clause to expand upon: 'An experienced manager, this course will develop my conflict management skills...'

And adjectives and qualifiers are just fluff: I really want this exciting opportunity - I want this.

Thank you wilson!

All the supportive and useful posts above helped me get cracking with the statement. I am ready to submit now and wanted to say a heartfelt thanks to everyone on this thread. x

Good luck!

to everyone on this thread! Your advice was needed and brilliant. I received news today that I have been offered a place to study. I wrote the statement with all the tips upthread in mind and was very pleased with the outcome. Thank you!