Writing a personal statement is a tough thing to do for lots of people, at any stage of life. It’s not easy writing about yourself and many people find it hard to know what to say.
At Student Fingerprints, we are experts at helping students find effective content for their personal statement. We believe, 100%, that your son or daughter is the best person to research and write the first draft of their personal statement.
Once a first draft is in place then a student can use you or other people to proofread what they’ve written and get help to refine and polish their work.
How you can help
Your son or daughter is on the threshold of entering the adult world. Writing their UCAS Personal Statement is one of the many small steps along the path to adulthood.
However, it’s a tough time for many parents. Until now, you may have been used to running large, important aspects of your child’s life. Now, you may find it hard to start letting go. And yet your child needs to start moving on.
So here are some tips on how to help your son or daughter write their personal statement:
- Listen. Be available to listen to them, when they're ready to talk. Don't nag or keep asking how it's going.
- Take your lead from them. Your teenager will know what help they need. A good question to ask is 'How can I help you?' Be prepared to follow through; the answer might not be what you expect. 'Please can you make me a drink' or 'Leave me alone!' or 'No help needed yet'.
- Help them set their own goals. When will the first draft be ready? Who will proofread it? Ask them to think about the timetable, but do not impose yours.
- Give them space. This is their future, not yours. They must live by their decisions and accept the consequences.
- Be clear about the consequences. If they leave it too late, for example, they may not have enough time for other people to proofread their personal statement. Also be clear that the consequences are not yours but theirs.
- Set your own boundaries. For example, you might say that you won't look at anything after 10pm. or while you are cooking tea, or while Eastenders is on. Warn your teenager that they need to build time into their schedule to accommodate you (good practice for university deadlines).
- Remember there is no 'right way' to structure a personal statement. However, simple things like getting spelling and grammar right are important.
- Offer to help them check it. If they turn to someone else, take a deep breath and smile hard. If they ask for help, myPs helps them write a checklist of the most important things they need to cover in their personal statement. Ask to see this and use it when you read their statement to make sure that they have covered all the points on the personal statement effectively.
- Let it go. Your son or daughter may ask you for help in completing some of the modules. Listen carefully to what they're asking, give your honest opinion... and then let it go. They may or may not take on board what you say... and that is up to them. Try not to get upset!
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