What is the Important Thing in Your Life and What have You Done in Order to Achieve It - Admission/Application Essay Example

 I firmly believe that people who succeed in their profession exemplify a strong interest and passion in the chosen field of endeavor. I have always exhibited a fervent desire in finding out how different structures, engines, and machines are designed. There is a keen interest to determine the manner by which devices of varied types and kinds have been instrumentally made to perform expected functions and distinct purposes. More than identifying the origin and intricate processes that go into designs and procedures, I have pledged my commitment to be an instrumental part of current generation to build and innovate that which is possible through contemporary resources. As such, I would like to pursue a master’s degree in materials science and engineering, a field of study I am immensely enthusiastic in. I graduated with a bachelor’s degree in materials science and engineering at UCLA. I have acknowledged that the university was successful in inculcating the theoretical frameworks needed to firmly establish concepts for future work applications. The undergraduate degree had provided the building blocks for confirming the interest in materials science as a field of discipline. The courses taken included chemistry, mathematics, physics, as well as engineering sciences. I affirm that the conceptual frameworks provided the knowledge and skills set that assisted in preparing me to apply them in future endeavors. One of the noted activities that was undertaken was the creation of Facebook group for Koreans since there was no way to communicate with each other in 2011. The move was considered very effective in terms of enabling the sharing of personal, family, and relationship information over the course of time. Currently, over 2000 people joined the group. The initiative to come up with the design and process to make Facebook accessible to Koreans was acknowledged to be commendable; given the popularity of the social network site. However, cultural and language barriers make access to Facebook in its original English format was deemed to be intimidating to youngsters, who were identified to form majority portion of Facebook users. Therefore, enabling Facebook to be accessed in the native language with options to tap offered services and applications was considered timely then, and effective to achieve the purpose of social networking. Aside from the mentioned accomplishment, I am also interested in semiconductors and in thin film deposition. In contemporary settings where information technology have evolved to be firmly entrenched in the digital realm, semiconductors form a crucial part of the structure of a wide array of devices. As such, aside from traditional applications, I would like to be an instrumental contributor to the discovery of innovative applications where semiconductors are an integral part of. The use of silicon and diodes in semiconductor chips had actually stirred one’s interest in this endeavor. I intend to pursue advanced research on the subject to develop new devices and applications that would revolutionize future designs, processes, and structures of various materials. Concurrently, interest in thin film deposition was developed through exposure and immersion to the endeavor in one of the course modules taken in my degree program. As such, the stirred interest could be used as spin-offs to future research studies on the subject with the end goal of coming up with innovative applications. In retrospect, the important thing in one’s life is the accomplishment of having graduated with a bachelor’s degree in materials science and engineering from UCLA. I acknowledge that to achieve this requires determination, commitment, and personal discipline. As such, pursuing advanced or higher education is also considered relevant in my life so that I would be able to grow professionally and be able to assist family members and loved ones. I also believed that there are only a selected few whose interests focus on the field of materials science and engineering due to the specialized nature of the theoretical frameworks, as well as the skills that are to be developed in preparation for a lifetime profession. A quick assessment of the course modules needed to be undertaken in the program would reveal that students pursuing the program should be good in subjects that were above-noted (chemistry and biochemistry, civil and environmental engineering, computer science, mathematics, physics, and materials science engineering). The students are required to have keen acumen in quantitative analysis and structured solving. Thus, aside from focusing on meeting the academic requirements in each course module, students eventually develop skills such as time management, analytical skills, teambuilding, and leadership skills. In addition, effective communication skills are developed through the need to interact regularly with colleagues from various cultural orientation. Likewise, written communication skills are also improved through the need to put into writing conceptual ideas that need to be appropriately documented. Concurrently, the activity which enabled Koreans to access and participate in social networking through customizing the system and design in a structure that is more comprehensible to the audience is also acknowledged as one of the important things accomplished in my life. This endeavor affirmed that I was able to share and apply the knowledge gained in this field of endeavor where a greater number of people was able to benefit from the outcome. The endeavor confirmed that personal discipline, focus on details, putting into practice the theoretical frameworks gained, as well as incorporating the interests and welfare of others contributed to the achievement. From the experience, I realized that pursuing advanced education through the master’s degree in material science and engineering would facilitate fulfillment of personal and professional goals. I intend to revolutionize materials science through the discovery of innovative design and structures that would greatly enhance the quality of life of mankind – initially here in Korea and to expand to other international soils on a more global sphere. Through your work/efforts, what have you learned/achieved? Without question, through one’s gaining of the bachelor’s degree in material science and engineering from UCLA, I have opened the door to immense opportunities that could further be pursued in life. In addition, the program enabled the development of the mentioned skills set that categorized me as one of the professionals in the field of engineering. Yet, more than these, I have learned that the accomplishments are more appreciated when applications benefit other people. The endeavor of enabling Facebook to be accessed by Koreans way back in 2011 was already an exhilarating experience. The outcome confirmed that the efforts, time, and resources that were invested in the endeavor successfully paid off. From a macro-oriented perspective, the concepts learned from the degree program and interest in materials science significantly assisted in coming up with an outcome that benefitted a significant number of people. It was then that I realized that the reward in my profession is the improvement in the quality of life that my discovery or innovation in design, structure, and processes had generated. As such, one is adamant to discover other ways of revolutionizing contemporary materials and devices in manners that have not yet been thought of. Through previous works and efforts, I have learned to develop personal and professional discipline that is consistent and adhering to ethical, moral, and legal standards. I have recognized that whatever it is that I intend to develop or improve, using the knowledge gained in this field of discipline, should always be cognizant of universal ethical standards; meaning, that my discovery should not endanger or jeopardize the safety and health of people. Likewise, I would like to investigate different approaches on working with physical properties of materials and determine ways to innovate applications that would benefit current and future generation. In addition, aside from focusing on the intended goal (of coming up with innovative devices or designs) which is a noble objective, I should realize that the journey is also a learning experience. From past course modules, there were academic requirements that necessitated collaborative learning. The experiences of group work and team building enabled gaining skills in group development, leadership, communication, conflict-resolution, problem-solving, and decision-making. As such, it is recognized that these skills are essential for my future profession. I would always be working with a team of engineers within a department of a global organization or working alone in a specialized project. Therefore, it is important to assist in maintaining an atmosphere of cohesiveness and collaborative learning. If and when pressing issues and conflicting concerns are encountered, I learned that knowledge of conflict resolution and negotiation requires evaluating the origin of the conflict and to determine the conflict resolution styles and preferences that are exemplified by conflicting parties. These simple, yet relevant concerns could detract and derail accomplishment of any project’s goals. As such, even if one’s design or recommended process is deemed to be excellent, if I could not work collaborately with the members of the team; then, there would always be conflicts that would jeopardize attainment of the defined goals in the most efficient manner. Whatever the task is at hand, the discipline learned from previous group works assisted in affirming that I should adhere to time schedules, respect for others, being open to suggestions and comments, as well as opting for conflict resolution or negotiation approaches that would facilitate solving urgent and pressing concerns. In addition, I also learned the value of open communication – the need to express one’s insights and opinions across members within the organizational hierarchy. Also, since contemporary societies have increasingly become culturally diverse, there is a need to be culturally aware and adept of people who belong to other ethnic or cultural orientation. Knowledge of cultural tradition, beliefs, practices; as well as non-verbal communication modes, would assist in maintaining smooth interpersonal relationships in the work setting. Moreover, I appreciated that group works required assigning leaders. I became a leader in various group work settings and the experience assisted in focusing on tasks that are relevant: assigning roles and responsibilities for members, delegating tasks and activities, monitoring the progress of assigned tasks, as well as ensuring that group goals were appropriately achieved within the defined time frames. I affirm that similar experiences would be encountered in future work settings. As such, the experience have already enabled the imbuement of leadership skills, including application of motivational strategies to help fulfill explicitly defined goals. Concurrently, I learned to value work, discipline, time management, and respect for the philosophies and values of others. I also learned to focus on defined goals and to design strategies that facilitate their achievement in the most cost-efficient and effective manner. I recognized that the respect for the insights and contribution of others are equally important in every project or activity. The comments or suggestions of a team member could actually be a valuable input that could form an integral part of a design, process, or structure that is being developed. In addition, I also learned the value of accepting the comments and recommendations of improvement of an instructor, supervisor or person of authority. In sum, I have gained a lot of experience from the various course modules in my bachelor’s degree program. These experiences affirmed that I have successfully achieved the learning objectives in each course. As such, the pre-requisites for pursuing advanced education through the masteral program in materials science and engineering have been effectively met. In this token, I intend to apply at Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) which is acknowledged as one of the most prestigious universities in Korea offering the program. There are only a limited number of interested students who pursue the program attesting to the strict qualification requirements, as well as the stringent accreditation criteria needed for prospective applicants to comply. Instead of being discouraged, I am actually challenged to pursue the endeavor due to my fervent passion and desire in this field of specialization. I am confident that I would be an instrumental contributor to the advancement of the discipline through commitment in discovering innovative designs and structures that would revolutionize contemporary materials and devices. Read More