Social work personal statement

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Price: Free download
Published: 13th September 2019
Word count: 755 words
File format: Text

Over the years, I have been longing to study a degree abroad. My urge to explore cultures, relate with people, and offer solutions to sociological problems have been a star in my academic and social life. The academic and career life begun when I realised that I could counsel students and friends of similar and different age to avert problems and reinstate happiness. In my high school, I was in charge of peer counselling and later formed a club to offer guidance to children who were bereaved. The ability to guide and counsel friends to enable them to continue with studies regardless of poverty and other social challenges helped me to develop passion in Sociology and Child Development subjects offered in school. Besides, I was able to excel in social sciences that helped me to score a good grade that saw me through to an institution of higher learning where I pursued Bachelor of Science in Psychology.

I have grown in Dubai, but living in Australia as a student in my graduate academic journey is all I desire. Life in Dubai is not easy for people engulfed with poverty, divorce, and other social issues. I have had the calling to become one of the renowned case managers and psychiatric that can offer them guidance as a form of solace to give them hope for a better future. My career will be a reality if I take a graduate course in Social Work in Australia. A conducive learning environment, good research experience in social work, cultural diversity, and the quality of education in the Australian universities are some of the factors that give me a brilliant future if I become a student in Australian Universities.

An urge to pursue a post-graduate course comes with certain academic research and desires at heart. I am one of the residents of Dubai who loves embarking on research aspects that analyze humanity, common development, and administrative aspects. La Trobe captures my attention among the Australian institutions of higher learning. La Trobe embraces various aspects of social research, community works, social policies, administration, and organisational planning. Besides, they developed an educational and research curriculum that emphasizes on social justice ideas, and practicality.

The location of an institution matters a lot in shaping one’s career. La Trobe is strategic at the heart of Melbourne with a potential population that comprises of the natives and immigrants. This population has a diversity of cultures that can make me study both children and adults in different aspects of life and give them advice for a better life. Besides, this university enhances the accessibility of good experience in the fields of research in various aspects. First, one can gain experience from professionals of Social Work education who can expose one to diverse and challenging areas during the acquisition of experience. Secondly, I will be able to better my studies into families and children development. Moreover, I will acquire new ways to cater to people with challenges and approaches to foster a healthy growing generation free of problems of poverty and inadequacy of resources. It implies that La Trobe will enable me to gain proficient practical skills and the experience in the social and community environments.

I love and desire to study in La Trobe because of the expansion of education and administrative aspects that are important in my career. Australian institutions primarily La Trobe enable an individual to be exposed and ready to face challenges of the labour market. The field of Social Work is given a lot of emphasis in Australia, and it is booming as compared to other developed economies, and this makes me long to live and study in the country. The United Arab Emirates has not structured proper ways of enhancing the take-off of Social Work, and this makes it challenging for me to further my career. It is because of these aspects that Australia stands out as an economy that I most prefer as my destination to light my educational star.

Studying in Australia will increase my scope of securing a good job after education because here in UAE there are limited employment opportunities for an undergraduate and this might limit my desires to become of help to the society. My graduate studies in Australia will give me a hand to travel back and expand the field of Social Work to UAE and ensure that the area extends to meet the needs of people. Therefore, Australia is the place to study and become an expert in the field of Social Work.

11.12.2017

Why this example works — strengths and ways to improve

This postgraduate Social Work statement has a genuine motivational seed in your peer counselling and bereavement club, but most of the draft argues for Australia and La Trobe in general terms. Your psychology degree, practical learning and understanding of social work as a profession are barely evidenced, while repeated destination claims and loose phrasing weaken credibility. More reflection and precise course fit would help.

Subject motivation

formed a club to offer guidance to children who were bereaved

This is your most convincing motivation: an initiative you took, tied to grief and children. The later wish to become a case manager and psychiatric helper blurs it, because psychiatry is a different profession. Explain why social work specifically, rather than counselling or psychology, fits what you discovered.

Academic preparation

I pursued Bachelor of Science in Psychology

Your psychology degree is clearly relevant preparation for a Social Work master's, yet it appears only once. You do not name modules, research, a dissertation or theories that shaped your thinking. One or two specific academic examples would show your readiness for graduate study far better than saying you excelled in social sciences.

Evidence and reflection

to avert problems and reinstate happiness

This phrasing claims outcomes rather than reflecting on them. Counselling peers rarely solves problems so neatly. Describe a concrete situation, what you actually did, what was difficult, and what it taught you about boundaries, listening or referral. That kind of reflection would show maturity suited to professional practice.

Relevant experience

In my high school, I was in charge of peer counselling

Peer counselling is valid evidence, but it is your only experience and it dates from school. A postgraduate reader will look for anything since then: placements, volunteering, work, or psychology research involving people. If such experience exists, it belongs here. If it does not, reflect more deeply on the school work.

Credibility and voice

it is booming as compared to other developed economies

Unsupported generalisations like this, alongside wanting to be renowned and claiming La Trobe will make you an expert, sound inflated. Your voice is most credible when you describe your own actions. Replace broad claims about Australia and the UAE with specific, verifiable observations, such as particular course features or concrete gaps in local services.

Structure and format

Australia is the place to study and become an expert

The opening paragraph carries all of your personal evidence. The remaining four paragraphs repeatedly praise Australia and La Trobe in similar wording, and the ending restates the destination rather than your purpose. Shorter location sections and new content on your degree and experience would improve the balance. Grammar slips, such as 'begun', also need correcting.

What you’ve done well

The bereavement guidance club shows initiative and an early, specific concern for vulnerable children.
Your stated aim of developing Social Work services in the UAE gives the application a coherent long-term purpose.

How this draft could improve

Expand on your psychology degree with named modules, projects or research, and link them to the social work issues you mention, such as poverty and family breakdown.
Cut repeated praise of Australia and Melbourne's diversity, and replace it with one or two precise features of La Trobe's course that match your goals.
Reflect concretely on one counselling episode, covering what you did, what was hard and what you learned, instead of claiming you restored happiness.

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