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Although Chinese woodblock printing has a tradition of 2000 years, Chinese print artists have been absent from the international art scene for decades. Over the last years a few exhibitions about modern Chinese printmaking took place outside China, but some major exhibitions at such renowned museums like the British Museum would probably lead to a breakthrough in the international art scene.

Taking into consideration the growing appreciation of Chinese culture and traditions, I am extremely interested in opportunity to expand my professional horizons to reinstate the well-deserved interest and approval of this ancient art. With this purpose, I was excited to learn about your university, well-known for its high expertise in the subjects of creativity; and your unique course, implementing a diverse range of subjects that contribute to an extensive list of skills. Therefore, I would very much like to be considered as a strong candidate for you postgraduate programme.

My fondness for art and aptitude for rational thinking determined my chose of and devotion to the complex discipline of Chinese Printmaking, which includes a number of different techniques and processes like design, carving of the block and printing. In comparison to Japanese, Chinese printmaking is rather composed from several wooden blocks and, in an exclusive technique, would employ only special Chinese water-soluble inks and thin rice paper to produce a print that looks like a watercolor or a traditional Chinese painting.

The success of such a technique entirely depends on the exact humidity of the paper, which is hard to achieve even for an experienced artist. During 4 years of intensive studies, I not only obtained knowledge in every aspect of this art but also learned about digital reproduction of such images, computerized approach to modeling and even web site design.

During my undergraduate studies I played an active role in the university's life by organizing miscellaneous events, parties, seminars and exhibition in as well as outside the institution. The 3rd China Art Academy Exhibition, Cultural Bridge Construction and Carrying Forward The Academic Arts - to name just a few events which included works of painting, calligraphy, design and photography. I personally was selecting a place and art works for expositions, which trained my eye and evaluation skills.

In addition, I was greatly involved in public relations of our university, predominantly by initiating and maintaining contact with sponsors, which significantly enriched my communication skills. Having been a Student Union president for three years, I enhanced my leadership qualities and gained valuable experience in legality, administration and budgeting of activities and exhibitions. As an event manager, I not only coordinated groups of students, working on different projects simultaneously, but also participated in their careful recruitment.

The University also gave me a great opportunity to study English Language as a part of my degree which, in particular, improved my grammar and writing skills. To develop my oral skills, I often interact with international exchange students who come to our university to study art of Chinese Printmaking. I also assisted professors in running their lectures for international students in English. In preparation for my studies in the UK, I familiarized myself with the Harvard referencing system, and, currently, I am trying to learn how to write an academic assay and dissertation.

In my spare time I enjoy swimming and reading biographical books about famous people like Bill Gates, Vincent van Gogh, Munk and others. As a creative person, I like to play with visual space of my room, drawing and painting on the walls and ceiling. My weakness is craftwork, therefore, my interior is decorated with various handmade objects, which I usually buy or make myself.

Your programme would greatly contribute to the weight of my undergraduate speciality in Chinese Printmaking, allowing me to bring the significance and beauty of this ancient art to the international level and effectively present it in the most innovative and creative way. Thus, the professional practice that lies in the grounds of your course provides the essential functional preparation for the career.

In addition, I am intrigued by the opportunity to learn about contentious issues and viewpoints in contemporary art and assess them in relation to the previously gained knowledge and experience. In combination with a strong critical focus that your course offers, collaborative discussions and analyses would provide an engaging approach to develop and apply my individual analytical skills. In particular, I am looking forward to the sessions that would not only enable me to communicate my ideas clearly but also to present information in appealing and captivating for audience way.

Taking into consideration my potentials and enthusiasm I believe I will make a full use of the opportunities afforded to me at your university.

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This personal statement was written by Elizabeth2 for application in 2009.

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It's a draft. Let me know what you think.

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Writing a pgce personal statement.

If you’re applying to train as a teacher you’ll be required to write a personal statement as part of your application.

Take your time writing your personal statement. It’s your first chance to make a good impression so it's well worth investing time to develop a clear structure and style of writing.

It’s a good idea to proofread your statement thoroughly and get others to read through and check for typos, grammatical errors, style, and tone.

What's the personal statement for?

The personal statement is crucial to your PGCE application; it is used primarily to decide whether to invite you for an interview. A poorly written personal statement could end your teaching career before it has started!

This is your chance to demonstrate what you have to offer as a teacher. You should also explain why you want to teach a particular subject or age range, and how your skills and experience will help you become a great teacher. It’s your chance to show your motivation, commitment and teaching potential and an opportunity to show your enthusiasm for teaching a particular subject or age group.

Remember, you only get one opportunity to write a personal statement for both cycles of applications, so it’s important to keep in mind that you should avoid creating tailored personal statements for each university.

How to write and structure your personal statement

The personal statement is split into two sections totalling a maximum of 1,000 words. It’s important to make sure you do not repeat yourself and to take time to ensure that each section is organised coherently. Divide your writing into paragraphs, each dealing with a particular aspect of the question.

Section 1: Why do you want to teach?

(Up to 600 words).

This is the place to talk about why you think you would make a great teacher. You can include:

what has led you to choose teacher training
your understanding of the demands and rewards of the PGCE course and of the teaching profession
the personal qualities that will make you a valuable asset to a school
details of any paid or unpaid experience you have of working with young people and what you learnt
details of any other experiences which you can bring to the teaching profession. Think about any ‘transferable skills’ or qualities which you have developed which may be relevant to teaching.
If you are a career-changer, what have you been doing and what are your reasons for the switch to teaching?
your thoughts on children’s wellbeing and the education system

Your personal statement should tell us why you want to teach, your skills and about any experience you might have of working with young people or in the education sector. If you are taking any exams or additional study before starting the course, particularly if this relates to your eligibility to join the course, we want to hear about it.

It should also show that you understand the education system, what challenges teachers face and that you’re engaged with issues around education.

If you’ve not taught before, think about any other things you’ve done that might demonstrate the skills you’ll need to be a teacher (your transferable skills).

Although it’s a good place to expand on your skills and experience, this shouldn’t be the main focus of your personal statement as the rest of the application will showcase this.

Section 2: Why are you suited to teach your subjects or age group?

Up to 400 words.

Remember to not repeat anything you have already said in section 1!

If you’re writing a personal statement for secondary teacher training, use this section to describe your knowledge and experience of the subjects you’ve chosen. Any work experience in the field will be of interest.

What universities are looking for

Universities want to see your passion for teaching and understand why you think teaching this subject or age group is the right career for you.

Your personal statement should be original and honest. Try and avoid clichés or writing what you think we want to hear. All we really want to hear are the real reasons you’re applying to study a PGCE and become a teacher.

If you’re writing a personal statement for primary teacher training, say why you’d like to teach this age group. If you are particularly interested in certain primary subjects or have relevant experience in them, you can talk about that here too.

You could talk about:

any relevant work or unpaid experience
your degree and degree modules
your other relevant qualifications, such as A levels
any relevant skills, interests or achievements
your understanding of the national curriculum

Questions your personal statement should answer

Why do you want to be a teacher?
Why do you want to teach a particular subject, Key Stage or age group?
What are your strengths?
What experience do you have and how has this influenced your desire to teach?
What skills do you have that would be useful for teaching

The finer details

Your personal statement should be:

no more than 1000 words
written in the first-person
grammatically correct - we suggest writing in a document before adding to your application
your own work, don’t copy from anywhere online
structured correctly with a clear introduction, evidenced paragraphs and a conclusion
proof-read before being submitted

And finally, be prepared to answer questions about what you’ve written in your personal statement at the interview stage!

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