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    Environmental and earth sciences 2026 personal statement guide

    Demonstrate your passion, concern, or curiosity about environmental issues in a clear and personal environmental and earth sciences personal statement.

    Whether you’ve volunteered for the Forestry Commission or you closely follow the COP (Conference of the Parties) climate meetings, tutors like to see your enthusiasm for the subject and your own voice come across. Add into the mix something about yourself and your achievements or experience, and you’ll have a statement that fits the bill.

    General advice about writing your personal statement

    What do admissions staff at universities and colleges want to see?

    Working out what to include in your personal statement can feel daunting, but we’ve got some tips to help get you started.
    1. 1

      Think about why you want to study the subject

      • Have you been inspired by someone, a news story, a documentary, or a podcast?
      • Do you have career aspirations in this area of study?
      • What interests you about the subject – be specific; rather than saying you enjoy it or are good at it, try to explain the ‘why’ behind your reasoning.
      • What do you already know about the subject and what are you looking forward to learning more about?
    2. 2

      What makes you suitable to study the subject?

      • Have you done projects or essays in this subject at school or college?
      • Think about who you are as a person; your personality, your strengths, your experiences in life – how do these make you suited to study the subject?
      • How have you shown an interest in the subject outside of school or college – have you done extra reading, online courses, been part of clubs or competitions?
      • Your current subjects and grades will be included elsewhere in your application, so try to think about specific things you’ve learned during your studies that relate to the subject, rather than listing your grades and subjects.
    3. 3

      Look at the bigger picture

      • Have you done any work experience, an internship or had a part-time job in this subject area or related? Most job or work experience will give you transferable skills, even if it’s in a different industry.
      • Do you have any hobbies you can mention that might relate to your chosen subject? Many hobbies show that you can be motivated outside of school to achieve and succeed in something you’re interested in.
      • Think about how your life and personal experiences have helped make you the person you are today, and how these challenges and experiences can support your application by evidencing essential qualities for certain subjects.
      • If you’ve got ambitions and goals for your life and career, can you express how this subject will help you reach these goals?
    Professor Pete Shaw, Environmental Science Admissions Tutor – University of Southampton

    Write about yourself in your own way! When it comes to environmental science, include a sentence or two to outline why you are interested in the environment, whether it was a TV series, a holiday, a college tutor, a relative, friend or something else that inspired you. If we have an idea of where your interests come from, university staff can give you some ideas about where an environmental science degree might lead to and how you might progress into a career.

    Guidance and examples you can use

    Question 1: Why do you want to study this course or subject?

    This is your opportunity to showcase your passion and knowledge of your chosen subject area and to demonstrate to universities and colleges why it’s a good fit for you and your future ambitions.

    Examples:

    • What interested you about environmental and earth sciences in the first place, and what does that also reveal about you as a person and what makes you tick? Mention people you follow on social media, like Greta Thunberg or Tori Tsui, or trips you’ve been on that sparked your interest.
    • Environmental and earth sciences divide into pathways which means you can specialise in topics that interest you while still gaining a broad overview. So, be clear about where your environmental interests lie if you have an idea already, whether that’s the climate, geology, volcanoes or the ocean, for example.
    • Talk about your future career aspirations if you’re clear about these goals, and where you hope your degree could take you. Explain why you want to work in conservation, energy solutions, engineering or horticulture, and how that relates to the course you’re applying for.

    Question 2: How have your qualifications and studies helped you to prepare for this course or subject?

    This is your chance to shout about the relevant or transferable skills you’ve gained from your formal education and highlight your understanding of how they will help you succeed in this subject area.

    Examples:

    • Admissions tutors will be interested to hear more about your personal scientific interests, based on your studies. Reflect on what you’ve enjoyed about physics, chemistry or biology, and things you’ve done in addition to schoolwork, such as visiting geological sites.
    • Think of the relevant skills you’ve picked up from studying things like maths, sciences or geography, such as field work, data analysis, lab work and project management. How will these help you study for this degree?
    • Have you done any online courses to boost your knowledge in the subject? For example, why not try Subject Spotlights or Virtual Work Experiences from Springpod to grow your skills and interest?

    Question 3: What else have you done to prepare outside of education, and why are these experiences useful?

    This is your chance to talk about any other activities you have undertaken outside of your formal education, or personal experiences which further demonstrate your suitability for the course. This section is likely to be highly personal to you and anything you do include should reflect on why you’re including it.

    Examples:

    • What field work or work experience have you done that’s inspired you to explore this subject further? Maybe you've visited National Trust properties or local landmarks with your family and it’s ignited a desire to work in conservation, or maybe you’ve been involved in a community dig project.
    • What part-time work do you do that involves communication and teamwork? Working in a cafe, shop or your local library all involve using these skills. 
    • What hobbies do you have that have helped with your writing and presentation skills? Perhaps you’re in the school debating club or you’ve spoken at a school or local event, or maybe you enjoy creative writing at school or in your spare time. 
    • Do you also volunteer for or donate to any charities which show your passion and dedication towards environmental and earth sciences?
    Subject tasters
    Subject Spotlights give you the chance to try a university course before you apply. Delivered by the lecturers themselves you will gain insight into what it’s like to study the course and give your personal statement a boost.
    Virtual Work Experiences
    Get stuck in with immersive and informative virtual work experiences with leading employers. Virtual Work Experiences give you a taste of what a career would look like through interactive, on-demand programmes.

    Dos

    • Do relate any examples back to the subject you’re applying to – make it relevant
    • Do make it personal – admissions staff want to get to know who you are
    • Do use a spell-checker and grammar-checker to ensure there are no errors
    • Do ask people for feedback, whether that’s family members or teachers
    • Do your research to find out what universities are looking for, and make sure you include evidence to show how you are suitable for the course

    Don'ts

    • Don’t just list out examples, subjects you study, or experiences you’ve had without any evidence
    • Don’t copy something you’ve seen online or use AI to write something for you
    • Don’t make things up just because you think they’ll make you look good on paper
    • Don’t leave it until the last minute – you need time for several drafts
    • Don’t worry about making each section the same length; as long as you hit the minimum character count, you can use the 4,000 characters across each answer in the way that suits you best

    How to set yourself apart

    The key to setting yourself apart in your application is to remember how important the ‘personal’ bit is to your personal statement. What makes you, you?

    Person canoeing in the sea

    Think about things you enjoy doing

    You may be surprised how well these fit in with this kind of degree, as well as telling admissions tutors something interesting about you. 

    Perhaps you’re into paddle boarding or canoeing and it's made you passionate about the rehabilitation and management of rivers, or you want to understand more about the impact of human activity.

    Maybe you’ve become a member of Surfers Against Sewage and you’d like to work on better solutions to waste management. Or maybe something you’ve seen or read in the news, or heard on The Life Scientific, has prompted you towards this degree.

    Mention other hobbies you have and how they might relate to this course – for example you may have learned a musical instrument or martial art over many years, which shows you’re a good independent learner, committed, and able to manage your time effectively.

    Professor Pete Shaw, Environmental Science Admissions Tutor – University of Southampton

    There are not usually specific subjects needed for environmental science degrees. Many universities ask for at least two A level sciences, but few specify which sciences, and other qualifications may be suitable as long as there is enough science content.

    Some more tips to consider

    1. Research the course: Why do you want to study environmental and earth sciences, what specific aspects of the course interest you. How does it relate to your academic studies and what additional reading or other activities have led you to apply? 
    2. Examples of your relevant skills: Can you describe situations where you’ve demonstrated skills such as problem-solving, using your initiative, attention to detail or project management?
    3. Making your work experience count: Reflect on any work experience you’ve had, whether with a local environmental group, charity or even garden centre. Make sure you spell out what you personally gained from it. 
    4. Transferable skills: Whether through extracurricular or supercurricular activities, work experience or a part-time job, you’ll have lots of skills that will be relevant to your course. Think laterally – ok, so you’re part of an amateur theatre group; can you explain how that has helped with your self-motivation and time management, alongside teamworking and communication skills?

    Find out more about environmental and earth sciences

    Environmental and earth sciences subject guide
    Careers in environmental conservation
    Agriculture, environmental, and animal care industry guide
    Students exploring courses in the UCAS search tool

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