Personal statements - part two

By now, you probably already know that for 2026 entry, the personal statement is changing. You can read all about the new personal statement for 2026 entry on UCAS.

For now, if you’re an applicant due to start in 2025, here’s some additional advice on how to make your personal statement stand out from the crowd. Personal statements matter, and that’s why we've dedicated two weeks to help guide you through writing yours.

This is part two, where we'll be covering how to help you find the motivation to get writing your personal statement.

Time for a quick recap

You've probably already read our previous article, Make a statement with your personal statement (if not, give it a read!), which is full of useful hints and tips. Here are the highlights:

We sent you off to look at example statements and tips for writing:

• The Student Room - sample personal statements
• UCAS website
• Personal statement worksheet
• The Student Room - writing your personal statement

If you're coming to a Solent University open day, we have a helpful personal statement hub where you can get yours checked by our team.

Let's get started on part two

Now you’ve had a look at our advice for writing personal statements in part one, we’re going to help you find the motivation to get started, and some tips on how to ace it once you do.

Your personal statement is a bit like your CV. It gives you the opportunity to talk about yourself and how you're right for the course(s) you're applying to. You essentially have to brag about just how amazing you are and why your university should choose you.

Finding the motivation

We all love a bit of procrastination, but at some point we’ve just got to get down to the task at hand. With that in mind, here are some tips for motivating yourself:

• Create a good space - tidy up your work area and get everything looking neat, tidy and organised. Throw in a few things that make you feel good – flowers, music, quotes that uplift you.
• Be positive - having a positive attitude will help motivate you to write your statement. So, square those shoulders, sit up straight and know that you're going to smash this.
• Reward yourself - for every paragraph you write, allow yourself a little treat, and plan something fun for when you’ve finished the whole thing.
• Goal setting - tell yourself by 3pm you'll have written your opening paragraph, or by Tuesday you'll have the first draft ready. Setting goals will help break down the task into smaller, more manageable chunks.
• Be inspired - if you're going to be writing about how amazing you are, you need to feel inspired. Everyone has that little thing they do that gets them in the mood to do work.

Starting to write

Everyone has a different way of writing. Some of us like to sit down and plan everything out, while others prefer to sit at a screen and type.

But if you're struggling to write your personal statement, here are some handy articles about how to start:

• What Uni? How to write the best personal statement
• Crunchprep - 11 Tips for writing a powerful statement of purpose (this one is American though, so bear that in mind)
• Save the Student - How to write the perfect UCAS personal statement