Personal Statement（个人陈述）如何写？
对于计划申请英国硕士的同学来说，Personal Statement（个人陈述）是必不可少的一项文件，虽然相比英文论文它的内容并不算多，但对此前没有接触过的同学也是一个难点。
Personal Statement是什么？
Personal Statement直译过来很像是个人介绍，但两者的差距其实相当大。一般来说，Personal Statement主要是用来介绍自己的学术兴趣，告诉学校你为什么要选择申请这个课程、你为这个课程做过什么准备、你有什么申请课程相关的经历以及你申请课程的目标。
Personal Statement的写作目的是让学校觉得你和这个课程比较符合，从而接受申请，所以更加注重学术，而不是像个人介绍那样罗列相关信息。字数一般在500-1000词之间，不同学校有不同规定。
虽然Personal Statement没有固定的模版，但是它的组织结构比较清晰，一般可以分为三部分：用来说明学术兴趣的Introduction部分、说明动机和学术经历的Body部分以及说明目标及展望未来的Conclusion部分。
下面就来看看这三个部分该如何写作。
Introduction部分写作攻略
Introduction部分的内容主要是说明自己的学术兴趣，一般有两种方法来叙述。
01、描绘具体场景
描绘具体场景是一个比较常见的做法，你可以借由场景引申出兴趣的产生，一般可以从以下几个方面入手：改变你看法的一段经历、令人难忘的老师或者是学习经历、一次偶然的相遇。
注意场景不能是生硬的描述，要具有一定的吸引力，最好有足够的细节，而不是抽象的描述，比如这样：I feel I have always had a passion for this subject.
写作示例
Every day on the bus home from work, we pass by a row of abandoned houses. Their windows are boarded up, the paintwork on the front doors is faded and peeling, and the front yards are overgrown with weeds. It always seems faintly tragic to me: a lonely, desolate scene of wasted potential. I think of the people who must have lived in those houses once, and the people who still could if the right approach were taken.
02、描述学术动机
除了场景描绘，你还可以在这里描述学术动机，说明对申请学校的兴趣或者未来的职业生涯。这部分可以从这几个方面入手：对申请领域是长期热衷还是偶然发现、在未来会如何从事领域相关的工作、你认为它可以如何促进社会发展。
写作示例
The mind fascinates me: The way it develops, how it shapes reality, how the interactions of tiny cells in the brain shape the course of our whole lives. I have always taken an interest in what was going on inside other people’s heads, but as I’ve come to understand more about psychology, what fascinates me the most is how blind we can be to the dynamics playing out in our minds every day.
Body部分写作攻略
在Introduction部分简要介绍了学术兴趣之后，我们在这里要更加深入的阐述自己的学术经历，具体方法如下。
01、用时间线来构建故事
最简单的方法就是按照时间序列来讲述自己在申请领域的经历，比如让你对申请领域产生兴趣的经历、过往学习中在申请领域中学习的技能或者是学术成果、申请领域如何帮助你对未来的预期等等。
注意这里不需要按照时间线讲述所有的经历，你需要从中选出关键的几段经历，叙述也不需要太过具体。
写作示例
My interest in psychology was first sparked early in my high school career. Though somewhat scientifically inclined, I found that what interested me most was not the equations we learned about in physics and chemistry, but the motivations and perceptions of my fellow students, and the subtle social dynamics that I observed inside and outside the classroom. I wanted to learn how our identities, beliefs, and behaviours are shaped through our interactions with others, so I decided to major in Social Psychology. My undergraduate studies deepened my understanding of, and fascination with, the interplay between an individual mind and its social context.During my studies, I acquired a solid foundation of knowledge about concepts like social influence and group dynamics, but I also took classes on various topics not strictly related to my major. I was particularly interested in how other fields intersect with psychology—the classes I took on media studies, biology, and literature all enhanced my understanding of psychological concepts by providing different lenses through which to look at the issues involved.
02、克服困难经历
如果你在该领域的学习过程中恰好有什么障碍或者困难，你也可以将其扩展开来。在这里叙述你是如何克服困难的，同时这段经历会在以后的学习中如何帮助你，比如成绩没有达到预期、在社会或者文化背景在该领域是一个短板。
这里的描绘重点是你是如何克服困难的，其他负面因素可以适当省略。
写作示例
Growing up working class, urban decay becomes depressingly familiar. The sight of a row of abandoned houses does not surprise me, but it continues to bother me. Since high school, I have been determined to pursue a career in urban planning. While people of my background experience the consequences of urban planning decisions first-hand, we are underrepresented in the field itself. Ironically, given my motivation, my economic background has made my studies challenging. I was fortunate enough to be awarded a scholarship for my undergraduate studies, but after graduation I took jobs in unrelated fields to help support my parents. In the three years since, I have not lost my ambition. Now I am keen to resume my studies, and I believe I can bring an invaluable perspective to the table: that of the people most impacted by the decisions of urban planners.
03、描述学术经历
如果是申请研究型硕士或是博士，你可以在这里描述关于申请领域的学术经历或者是学术成就，表明对申请领域有着足够的了解。
比如回顾过往让你感兴趣的研究主题、跟随学术大牛的研究经历、发表在重要期刊上的该领域相关论文、你想要研究的该领域内的主题。
注意这里的学术经历或者学术成就一定要紧扣申请领域，无关申请领域的学术经历或者成就只会起到反作用。
写作示例
In applying for this research program, my intention is to build on the multidisciplinary approach I have taken in my studies so far, combining knowledge from disparate fields of study to better understand psychological concepts and issues. The Media Psychology program stands out to me as the perfect environment for this kind of research, given its researchers’ openness to collaboration across diverse fields. I am impressed by the department’s innovative interdisciplinary projects that focus on the shifting landscape of media and technology, and I hope that my own work can follow a similarly trailblazing approach. More specifically, I want to develop my understanding of the intersection of psychology and media studies, and explore how media psychology theories and methods might be applied to neurodivergent minds. I am interested not only in media psychology but also in psychological disorders, and how the two interact. This is something I touched on during my undergraduate studies and that I’m excited to delve into further.
04、描述未来规划
除了过往的学术经历，你还可以叙述未来规划以及申请课程将会如何帮助你实现目标。如果你已经有了从事该领域相关职业的经历，还可以叙述已经取得的成就，并说明申请课程如何能够帮助你在职业中进一步发展。
写作示例
One thing that fascinated me about the field during my undergraduate studies was the sheer number of different elements whose interactions constitute a person’s experience of an urban environment. Any number of factors could transform the scene I described at the beginning: What if there were no bus route? Better community outreach in the neighborhood? Worse law enforcement? More or fewer jobs available in the area? Some of these factors are out of the hands of an urban planner, but without taking them all into consideration, the planner has an incomplete picture of their task. Through further study I hope to develop my understanding of how these disparate elements combine and interact to create the urban environment. I am interested in the social, psychological and political effects our surroundings have on our lives. My studies will allow me to work on projects directly affecting the kinds of working-class urban communities I know well. I believe I can bring my own experiences, as well as my education, to bear upon the problem of improving infrastructure and quality of life in these communities.
Conclusion部分写作攻略
在最后的Conclusion部分，你需要把重点放在申请课程上，包括你希望通过这段学习达成什么，职业发展还是学术成就，同时说明什么该课程是你达成目标的最佳方法。
如果你想申请研究型硕士，你可以说明你希望学习到什么，为什么该院校是学习的最佳场所；如果你想申请侧重于专业培训的计划，你可以说明叙述将来的职业抱负，同时说明为什么选择该课程和学校。
写作示例
In the course of this research program and beyond, I hope to pursue research into the relationship between media consumption and conditions like ADHD and autism. The work of Bernard Luskin on media psychology has been a major influence on my own research interests and was what first drew my attention to the faculty; the prospect of working among researchers committed to interdisciplinarity is highly attractive to me. I believe that the novel methods being developed in this department are crucial in illuminating how our minds adapt to a world of mass media, and my ambition is to contribute to advancing knowledge in this field.
以上就是Personal Statement的写作攻略了，大家也要注意个人陈述都是与申请人密切相关的，所以在写作时不要照抄模板，要保证其中有你自己独一无二的元素。如果没有把握写好个人陈述，欢迎大家选择我们为您代写personal statement，我们的顾问老师会根据您的背景为您量身定制个人陈述，确保每一份个人陈述都是独一无二，同时以地道的native speaker风格为大家写出高水平个人陈述，帮助大家顺利拿到offer！
