Mathematics Personal Statement

There are many ways to become a pilot; I have chosen a path (attending a University Air Squadron) that allows me to achieve that ambition whilst studying my dream subject: mathematics. Pilots need a mathematical brain for problem solving and tactical manoeuvres. This is the correct route for me, as I like mental stimulation and physical exercise.

At 6 I was taken from class to learn advanced maths and strategic board games. At 7 I was taught basic algebra due to my pure interest. By the end of primary school, I achieved 100% in my maths SAT exam. Lastly, at 12, I discovered a natural ability in nonverbal reasoning, placing me in the top 3% of the country. As a result I knew what I wanted to study from a young age!

I experimented with applications of maths by taking a Diploma in Engineering and attending Physics lectures. Whilst they were stimulating and relevant to pilot studies, I prefer core maths. Maths is even a stress relief; I do logic puzzles or read from 'Maths in Minutes'. This book includes 200 concepts from basic maths, to maths beyond my understanding, such as the Banach-Tarski paradox, however the explanations are brief; I hope to expand on them in my higher studies! I have also read 'Fermat's Last Theorem', an enjoyable read, and 'A Very Short Introduction to Maths'. Tim Gowers demystifies abstract maths and provides insight into what maths is like beyond school education and how mathematicians think. I plan to prepare my mind for HE by reading 'How to Study for a Mathematics Degree' by Alcock.

I have no preference within maths topics, as I enjoy it all. However I took a dislike to trigonometry, the excitement of these new functions was lost on me at first; it took years of discovering more uses before I became interested. It is only now when differentiating hyperbolics that I am in awe of the applications of trigonometry! I must mention the expression eix = cosx + isinx. It astounds me; the link between exponentials and trigonometry using imaginary numbers is a topic of mathematical gossip for years to come, such as the talk I attended on 'Euler's Exponentials', by Professor Flood. In particular ei? + 1 = 0 is wondrous as it links five of the most important constants.

I was approached by AS students requesting tutoring. This led me to privately tutor maths at all levels, which has been a vital experience due to the depth of understanding needed to explain concepts from scratch. My further maths course in OCR MEI, which has more rigorous maths content, has prepared me for HE as you have to extract the maths from text. Other notable experiences include achieving a Gold Intermediate and Silver Advanced UKMT award and being voted as the college's maths form course rep.

I am extremely active and busy, consequently I am adept at efficient time keeping. I have completed all grades in Modern Theatre and Tap dancing, finished my Bronze and Silver Duke of Edinburgh awards and have 100% attendance at college. This demonstrates my devotion to everything I apply myself to. At Air Cadets I completed 'First Aid at Work', went gliding, volunteered for charities and learnt discipline, leadership, teamwork and communication skills! I have a keen sense of justice and work on UNICEF projects at College, e.g. meeting Chinese principals about including education on rights and equality, writing to MPs to persuade them to fight for changes in the Modern Slavery Bill.

I worked for three years in a charity shop, using my logical brain to organise storage and fix electronics. Further work experience includes two weeks at SunChemical doing chemical engineering, two months as an accountant's assistant and three months with the Insolvency Practitioner's Association. All three emphasised the importance of maths in life.

Solving maths, as anyone who has faced a particularly arduous problem will appreciate, is one of the most rewarding and satisfying experiences. I hope to continue revelling in these moments by studying mathematics at your university.