My Personal Statement

As Salamu Alaykum Wa Rahmatullahi Wa Barakatuhu World!

You can guess by the title what this post's about so hear it is:

Artificial intelligence, robotics, virtual reality: captivating areas that have interested me ever since I

was introduced to the fast moving discipline of computer science. Having initially idealised physics,

my fascination of computing began whilst attending a computing open day. Ever since then I have

marvelled at the exponential rate at which new programs and systems can be designed to transform

the industries of science, business and every other aspect of life. What is revolutionary today will be

ordinary tomorrow. Computers have provided these incredible possibilities ever since Alan Turing,

the father of modern computing, conceptualised algorithms and invented the Turing machine.

Being a member of the Royal Institution, I attend lectures on a regular basis exploring the

developments in computing, as well as a variety of areas in the natural sciences. I have also attended

computing lectures at UCL on an array of subjects, most notably a lecture on quantum computing

which I particularly enjoyed as it gave me an insight into the limits of computers at a deeper level

and how quantum computers can extend such restrictions.

I recently read a thought-provoking book called "Algorithmic Puzzles" by Anany and Maria Leviten. Not only has it been entertaining to read but it has also allowed me to develop new puzzle-solving skills. From comparatively small puzzles such as how to get from A to B in the fewest moves to more challenging problems such as constructing a proof that a puzzle may not even have a solution, Algorithmic Puzzles has enhanced my ability to think more logically and algorithmically.

Moreover, articles regarding future technological innovations truly encapsulate me as they

demonstrate the endless potential of computers. I often blog about them as it allows me to take an

active interest in the subject I relish and give my personal opinions on the latest technological

advancements in this digital age.

Despite my school not offering me AS Further Maths, my determination to study computing at

university drove me to take it upon myself to independently self-teach Further Maths in order to not

be at a disadvantage in my studies of computing at university. For my A2 studies, I moved to a school

where Further Maths was offered however, I have had to independently self-teach A2 Computer

Science due to exam board complications. Having individually studied 2 different yet challenging

disciplines myself has enabled me to develop a resolute independent work ethic and enhance my

time management skills, these are instrumental skills to have in order to succeed at university and

beyond.

In addition to teaching myself, I also tutor Year 11 maths students during my free periods and run

morning intervention sessions to aid them in gaining their GCSE Maths qualification. Moreover, I

convinced the new Head of ICT to run GCSE and A level Computing, a subject that was previously

unavailable at my school. I tutored GCSE Computing students, assisting them to learn how to code

and understand the theoretical side of computing not only consolidated my own knowledge, but

gave me an insight into the profession of teaching computing.

Having never done any programming prior to studying A level Computing, I started developing small

projects to improve my coding skills. From simple projects such as developing a calculator in Visual

Basic to more stimulating ones such as creating a Battleship game in Python. I frequently find myself

getting stuck into different tutorials and building my own programs. To supplement my

understanding concerning the world of programming in industry I shadowed a colleague's father at

IBM, this gave me a realistic insight in the field of the software engineering.

Having an unwavering desire to study computing at university ever since I went to a computer

science open day, I now genuinely believe I possess both the aptitude and zeal necessary to

flourish at your prestigious institution.

Hope this helps!