Intended Major and Interests - Personal Statement Example

College: Personal ment Intended Major and Personal Interests I am an international from Hong Kong and an alumnus of the city’s renowned St. Joseph's College. I am applying to your esteemed university for an opportunity to pursue a major in mechanical engineering. It is my belief that this unique field of study offers a significantly wide array of aspects to learn, especially for students with immense passion for the physical sciences and mathematics like me. Other than the passionate desire to study engineering, my environment thus far has extensively molded my aspirations and outlook in life. For instance, my college, St. Joseph’s, sparked an interest in me to study daily applications of engineering. As a result, I have gained a habit of being analytical; evaluating everything I encounter either in secondary information sources, like the Cuban Missile Crisis or in real life, like the basic operation mechanism of a refrigerator. This investigative tendency continues to spur my curiosity in mechanical engineering. I also recognize the fact that, mechanical engineering makes it possible for one to comprehend not only why gadgets work, but also their inherent working mechanism. My home city is also an inspiration, especially given its status as one of the world’s ports. The ability to coordinate all the ships that dock or leave port requires intensive mechanical engineering work and knowledge. Therefore, I acknowledge the importance of the discipline, having had the opportunity to observe it in practical applications. The cultural diversity of Hong Kong also equips me with a unique set of skills, that is, the ability to fit in and interact productively with members of different cultural backgrounds. As a St. Joseph’s graduate, I have had the opportunity to explore diverse activities and not just academics. I developed enthusiasm for cross-curricular activities, given the fact that the college encourages students to be all rounded. Other than representing my college in water polo and tennis, I pride myself in having been a leader of the school’s drama club. This gave me a unique chance to work with numerous schools in successful production of plays meant for the public. While I may not be an excellent dramatist or actor, I gained the position for my ability to direct a team and coordinate creation of functional stage props. The experience was rather exhilarating since I was able to combine my passion for engineering with artistry and attain an outcome that earned me respect and recognition. It was also intriguing to formulate solutions to deal with basic engineering problems like stability, which are often undermined and mostly studied theoretically. Although it was initially difficult to coordinate the team, it later became an exemplary experience to explore different scientific aspects in dealing with emerging engineering challenges. I learnt that although it is rewarding to get successful outcomes in the end, the teamwork and progress involved in the course of development are highly significant. The Joint Drama Club production also taught me a lot about being a responsible leader and about efficient time management. These are crucial aspects in balancing hobbies and academics, as well as, work in the future. Whenever I watch car rallies like NASCAR’s on television, or even pass by sports vehicle showrooms, I cannot help but imagine myself being actively involved in their manufacturing process. Studying a distinguished mechanical engineering program in an overseas university like yours will certainly be a step towards achieving this dream. Personal Qualities, Talent, Accomplishment and Contribution Growing up, I have discovered that communication is extremely important for an engineer. This aspect that is extremely crucial in recognizing success. Nevertheless, I have learnt that communication is not an easy aspect especially when dealing with many people. This needs a lot of self discipline and patience in order to be good in dealing with customers and colleagues. Patience is one of my strongest personal qualities. In order to communicate properly, somebody should be extremely patient and this will ensure that I do not compromise the work of my fellow engineers. Therefore, in order to have firsthand experience about communication and patience, I worked as a sales person in a clothing shop in Hong Kong. This gave me an experience in handling customers especially the ones that are impatient and disrespectful. Some of the customers would be very disrespectful especially when I made a mistake when folding their clothes. This experience assisted me to further practice my patience and become a better communicator especially with people who do not like to listen to others. This working experience has changed my attitude when communicating. This is because; one should not be embarrassed to ask for help especially in engineering. Everybody should make sure that they air their issues without fear of discrimination. Asking for help makes somebody free of any uncertainties in their work and in Engineering it is imperative to always do the right thing. This is because one can affect the company impression greatly if they make a mistake. This is the motivating factor in my life to always ask for assistance when necessary. This way I will avoid any mistakes and confrontations since I support team work. Patience makes me proud because I am able to interact with people freely and understand them. This is because in engineering, I represent more than a sig le person. This means that I am able to be a team player and understand different people. It is essential for an engineer to have patience since not all team members will respond positively to your contributions. This has encouraged me to be better in idea representation since I can be able to listen keenly and answer my colleagues with a lot of calm. This makes people want to work with me and also lead them when in projects. I am able to communicate all the needed ideas and compromise all ideas contributed by my work mates. Patience is a quality that has made me the person that I am today. Dealing with many people at the same time can be overwhelming for many people. However, for me I take it as a challenge to be the best in what I do and also deliver quality projects. Therefore, as an engineer, this trait is a huge contribution towards achieving excellence in my work. I am outspoken and this is something that needs a lot of discipline and control. This means that with patience as one of my qualities, I am able to control myself and tell people what they need to hear but with a lot of caution. If given a chance to study mechanical engineering in your esteemed organization, I will be able to lay a good foundation for my studies and later a career in the same discipline. I am looking forward to attend the course at your university as a critical and necessary step towards achieving my career goals. Read More