You might recall writing your first personal statement as a prospective undergraduate student applying for your programme. However, at the postgraduate level, the process of sending your personal statement directly to the university to which you are applying is not the same. Following this simple advice, you will discover that there are a few simple things you can do to ensure that the personal statement you submit is of the highest quality possible.

Start early: This advice may seem obvious, but it is essential. Starting early will significantly decrease the stress of drafting a personal statement.

Do some research: This is the first thing you should do before you start writing. Investigate the university to which you are applying and the course offerings. This is critical since it will help you to customize your personal statement to incorporate any unique interests you have in the course. You should not make the mistake of lying about your interest in staff members, as you will be discovered out if you obtain an interview. You will boost your chances of getting considered if you demonstrate that you have done some study and are knowledgeable about the department and its personnel.

Make it catchy: Your personal statement's first sentence should be out of this world. While it should be eye-catching and entice the reader to continue reading, it should also demonstrate your enthusiasm for the course. Avoid using generic phrases like 'I've always dreamed' or 'Ever since I was a child,' since they will send your personal statement straight to the trash.

Keep it structured: Although the first phrase is critical, if your personal statement's overall organization and layout are inadequate, you will substantially reduce your chances of receiving an offer. Following this basic check-list can help you simply overcome the problem of inadequate layout:

•          Ensure that the margins are the same;
•          Ensure that the font is consistent throughout;
•          Ensure that the font size is consistent throughout (excluding subheadings); and
•          Ensure that the spacing is consistent throughout.

You'll need to arrange the structure of your statement and make sure it flows — the best way to do this is to read it aloud several times.

Don't overuse words: When writing your postgraduate personal statement, it is important to avoid overusing any single word for two reasons. The first reason is to avoid boring the individual who is listening to your statement to death. The second reason is that your personal statement must demonstrate your ability to write. Also, keep in mind that your terminology and sentence structure should be varied throughout.

Include extra-curricular activities: The person reading your personal statement will be interested in activities you have participated in outside of class; nevertheless, while writing a postgraduate personal statement, the activities should primarily be scholarly. They'll want to hear how you went above and above in terms of extra reading, attending conferences, or writing for a course-related magazine. It's preferable to highlight things like independent work you did as an undergraduate student to demonstrate that you have a distinct advantage. It's also vital not to merely name drop: if you mention some further reading, you should demonstrate what you learned from it.

Get it proofread: Nothing is more frustrating than sending off your personal statement only to discover that it contains numerous spelling and grammatical problems. The best method to avoid this issue is to have your work proofread by several persons, as this considerably minimizes the likelihood of errors in your piece.

All of this advice is simple to follow and will assist you in writing the ideal personal statement for postgraduate education. Wishing you the best of luck in receiving an offer from the university where you want to study and work.