This is a temporary place to edit a personal statement for JD's application to ic.ac.uk for a MSc in Advanced Compuer Science. Please feel free to edit things as you feel neccessary. You may want to look at [http://www.davidpashley.com/resume.html my CV].

The Question says:

Supplementary Personal Statement - Describe your academic interests and reasons for applying. Include details of work experience you consider relevant to your proposed study, careers objectives and relevant non-academic achievements. Expand on a separate sheet if required.

The Notes also have this to say: Use this space to tell us why you are interested in the subject for which you have applied. Describe your academic interests and reasons for applying to Imperial College. Selectors place particular importance on the personal statement.

• PhD:

  • ooh that looks scary when written down

• Computers:

  • okay need to mention a few things here

  • Compilers, source code checking, clint
  • debian
  • general interest? tinkering? list programming etc.
  • many programming languages mentioned in CV
    • -done any fixing for local people? -degree? dissertation?
• jobs:
  • Cranfield - skills?
  • Leeds Uni Summer programming job, teaching lower years. shows good communication and an understanding of your subject.
  • PGL - skills? relevance???
• Parish council, law, music: juggling?
  • Skills: Parish council - skills?
    • Juggling, photography - skills? badminton, music - relevant? if so - variety? anything else?

draft 1

[edit as appropriate for your own interests] I have had an interest in computing for many years; particularly enjoying .... I enjoying applying my mind to the solving of problems, usually showing persistence in persuading something to work. I also particularly enjoy the satisfaction of a well 'shaped' piece of code or a 'neat' proof. This leads me to a specific interest in <blah> areas of CS.... Other subjects which appeal to me are ... for similar reasons.

The MSc at Imperial appeals to those interests, in particular the modules on ... . I want to do an MSc as the first step towards further academic study; blurgh blurgh. <need more>

Outside of paid or academic study I am usually working on some personal computer-related project. These include <debian developer: blurgh blurgh>, etc, etc. I have therefore honed my skills in <wibble, blah> and <demonstrated that I am really interested in this stuff and would work!>

I have a broad range of extra-curricular interests including <wibble, blah, blugh, [through which I <developed teamwork skills>], [which requires patience and persistence], [often working late into the night to fix blug]>. I [travel, help, wobble]. In the past I have [taken computer related jobs, eg leeds thing. say?]

how many words? don't you think you should be at least attempting to draft this? when should it be done by?