opinions please!

[beth]

okay so i left my original university (kent) to take care of my little sister as my parents were unable to, do you think i should mention it in my personal statement or just leave it?

i know that leaving university for any reason doesn't sound good, but being a young carer does kind of add strength to my character in a way? it shows i'm responsible and stuff like that?

opinions?!

[dirrty]

i'd definitely mention it. it paints a very good picture about yourself and the fact that you left uni to look after a relative, and now wishing to return to a university would probably help your application this time round.

[Rozi]

I'd mention it in passing but not focus on it

[Shar]

I'd mention it in passing but not focus on it
This just so they know your background and stuff

[buttons]

i'd leave it out. to be honest i think if you were to write it it'd look like you're tooting your own horn. i wouldn't explain why i had to leave unless they asked me. some places can actually be quite judgemental on personal circumstances unfortunately so i don't think they're going to look at it as a strength of your character but possibly think of it negatively like for example you might have to leave again to go back to caring. i'm sure you'll get it without having to explain why you left :)

well that's my opinion anyway.

[beth]

i'd definitely mention it. it paints a very good picture about yourself and the fact that you left uni to look after a relative, and now wishing to return to a university would probably help your application this time round.

i'm just worried they'll think i'm not showing commitment or whatever ha :(


I'd mention it in passing but not focus on it

i was basically gonna put it at the end when talking about what my interests are, because obv i don't really have many at the moment because i'm caring for my sister ha. i just don't want them to think lol she dropped out so she can't show commitment or whatever :(

---------- Post added 11-01-2012 at 05:58 PM ----------


i'd leave it out. to be honest i think if you were to write it it'd look like you're tooting your own horn. i wouldn't explain why i had to leave unless they asked me. some places can actually be quite judgemental on personal circumstances unfortunately so i don't think they're going to look at it as a strength of your character but possibly think of it negatively like for example you might have to leave again to go back to caring. i'm sure you'll get it without having to explain why you left :)

well that's my opinion anyway.

oh no i don't want it to come across like that ha :( it's just so they know i haven't spent the last 12 months sitting on my arse doing **** all and idk yeah.

[Shar]

what course are you applying for btw?

[Robbie]

i didn't mention that i dropped out of university in my personal statement. i'd just leave it. the unis you're applying to never have to know. were you in 1st year when you left?

[beth]

what course are you applying for btw?

kinda varies on the different uni's i'm applying for ha, um we have drama + performance, acting x 3(one's outside of ucas as it's a drama school so i have to pay separately to audition) and community + applied theatre x2 (one's a foundation degree + one's a full degree)

---------- Post added 11-01-2012 at 06:02 PM ----------


i didn't mention that i dropped out of university in my personal statement. i'd just leave it. the unis you're applying to never have to know. were you in 1st year when you left?

yeah i finished my first year with a 1st (though it means nothing now hahaha) and left.

[Shar]

kinda varies on the different uni's i'm applying for ha, um we have drama + performance, acting x 3(one's outside of ucas as it's a drama school so i have to pay separately to audition) and community + applied theatre x2 (one's a foundation degree + one's a full degree)

---------- Post added 11-01-2012 at 06:02 PM ----------



yeah i finished my first year with a 1st (though it means nothing now hahaha) and left.
oh cool :) someone's clever

[Robbie]

kinda varies on the different uni's i'm applying for ha, um we have drama + performance, acting x 3(one's outside of ucas as it's a drama school so i have to pay separately to audition) and community + applied theatre x2 (one's a foundation degree + one's a full degree)

---------- Post added 11-01-2012 at 06:02 PM ----------



yeah i finished my first year with a 1st (though it means nothing now hahaha) and left.

if your reference is from kent uni then i'd obv mention it, but if someone else is writing it i'd just leave it out.

[dirrty]

i was told when doing my personal statement to mention things that are/will be relevant to your application. the reason why you left your previous university/absent from education until applying for university now seems pretty relevant to me. it's just to add a sense of context to them so they have the full picture - because at the moment, you're just a dropout who wants to have a try at university again. but by telling them you left university to briefly be a young carer paints a different picture - that you had no choice but to leave university to look after a relative - something which you couldn't of done at university, and now you wish to resume your education.

if i was the person reading your personal statement, the latter reason above seems much better than the former imo. in regards to whether they feel that you'll be committed or not, without giving a reason to why you left university could show (depending on whose reading your personal statement) that you're not very committed, and that you could leave again. but by giving a reason to why you left, it removes that issue as they know the reason why.

[beth]

oh cool :) someone's clever

i think many people would argue with you that drama/acting is a soft course hahah ;)!!


if your reference is from kent uni then i'd obv mention it, but if someone else is writing it i'd just leave it out.

my college tutor is sending the same exact reference he sent back in 2010 for me, so it'll make no mention of kent at all. (i don't think ha)

i think i might leave it out and just say i care for my sister and mention it as idk a hobby LMAO.

[Shar]

i think many people would argue with you that drama/acting is a soft course hahah ;)!!



my college tutor is sending the same exact reference he sent back in 2010 for me, so it'll make no mention of kent at all. (i don't think ha)

i think i might leave it out and just say i care for my sister and mention it as idk a hobby LMAO.
thats just their opinion init, I bet not everyone gets a 1st in it ;)

[beth]

i was told when doing my personal statement to mention things that are/will be relevant to your application. the reason why you left your previous university/absent from education until applying for university now seems pretty relevant to me. it's just to add a sense of context to them so they have the full picture - because at the moment, you're just a dropout who wants to have a try at university again. but by telling them you left university to briefly be a young carer paints a different picture - that you had no choice but to leave university to look after a relative - something which you couldn't of done at university, and now you wish to resume your education.

if i was the person reading your personal statement, the latter reason above seems much better than the former imo. in regards to whether they feel that you'll be committed or not, without giving a reason to why you left university could show (depending on whose reading your personal statement) that you're not very committed, and that you could leave again. but by giving a reason to why you left, it removes that issue as they know the reason why.

see this is kinda what i thought. but then with so many people saying to leave it out i just don't know eurgh this is nicht gut.

[dirrty]

see this is kinda what i thought. but then with so many people saying to leave it out i just don't know eurgh this is nicht gut.
yeah because i wouldn't think it would need like a whole paragraph or anything - just like a sentence so they know the reason why you left. because i'm sure they would like to know that you're not flaky or anything lol

[Shar]

see this is kinda what i thought. but then with so many people saying to leave it out i just don't know eurgh this is nicht gut.
tbh your situation is different to others though, if you're unsure ask your old tutor for advice or a career adviser :)

[Inseriousity.]

I'd mention the young carer part and leave out the university dropout thing and then link it to how it'd help you on the course. as for tooting your own horn, it's a personal statement, you're meant to :P

[Chris]

I would certainly mention it if you think it's going to improve your chances and make you look good. :)

[beth]

basically, i mentioned that over the past 12 months i have been caring for a sibling and while this has limited me i have been able to research further into my art from a distance.

i didn't mention leaving uni or Kent at all, but obv if it comes up in interview then I'll be honest.

[Rozi]

sounds like a fab compromise bethie
good luck!

[beth]

sounds like a fab compromise bethie
good luck!

thank you hun xxx