Sample Essay 2
The Engineering Student
A simple bridge truss was the first
structure I ever analyzed. The simple combination of beams that could hold cars, trains,
and trucks over long spans of water fascinated me. Having the tools to analyze the loads
on the truss further increased my interest in structures. I encountered the bridge in a
textbook for my first engineering class.
Knowing that the professor, Mr. John Doe, was a tough teacher, I asked him for the
textbook so I could study and get ready for the class over the summer. Just arrived from
Belize, I was determined to succeed. In class we learned about forces on simple members
and then we put the members together to form a simple truss. At this point I had almost
decided that structural engineering was the career for me. From there the class just took
off: We went on to frames, distributed loads, considered friction; basically we were
incorporating real world considerations into structural members. I loved the practical,
problem solving aspects of the field.
At UC my classes were even more advanced. In my analysis and design classes, I
especially enjoyed studying steel design because we not only learned the use of the load
resistance factor design but also applied that knowledge — I designed a four-story
building. The professor was a practicing engineer, and he always related the subject to
real life steel structures he had engineered, for example, the SB Medical Center, an all
steel building with a base isolated campus. This is the kind of project on which I would
like to work, designing the structure and considering how the building will respond to
ground motion. After two quarters of structural analysis, I had come as close as possible
to analyzing real world structures. Looking back I realize, I had learned great tools for
structural analysis, but my "tool box" was still inadequate. I lacked a very
important tool: finite element analysis. According to my professor, finite element
analysis has revolutionized structural analysis.
Although I liked my classes, my internship experiences really confirmed my interest in
structural engineering. While working at Caltrans as a student volunteer, I reviewed
computer grading output for streets under construction. The computer suggested numbers for
the road grading, and I had to plot the numbers and make sure there were no abrupt grade
changes so the water can drain off easily to the sides of the road. It was exciting to
know that I was the last checkpoint before the whole project went for approval. It was
enjoyable working on something real — Main Street — but I was somewhat
disappointed I did not have the chance to work on any structures.
At UC I volunteered through the Student Research Program to work in the geotechnical
library. I worked directly with a doctoral student and helped him to develop a
geotechnical data base for the local area. I interpreted the data Caltrans had collected
and recorded it in a form accessible to the computer and easy to read. It took hours to
finish the job, but I enjoyed the precision involved so I did not mind putting in the
time. My supervisor liked my work so much, he hired me to continue the project during the
summer. Working on this project also showed me the importance of soils in determining
buildings’ responses to earthquakes and awakened my interest in the response of
skyscrapers to seismic stress and movement.
At First Choice U, I plan to enroll in the structural engineering and geomechanics
program. In this program I hope to draw on my structural analysis and geotechnical
research background as a foundation for studying more advanced concepts. I am particularly
interested in researching the ties between the structural engineering, geomechanics, and
applied mechanics. I believe research is necessary to acquire data and formulate theories,
but it is just as important to know how to apply those theories and use that data in the
real world. I hope to be involved in some structurally related research at First Choice U.
I am particularly interested in two research facilities: The Structures and Composites
Laboratory and the Earthquake Engineering Center.
After completing my degree in engineering and working on engineering projects, I know I
want to design structures. That is what has fascinated me since I took Mr. Doe’s
class. I also know, however, that designing structures of a complexity that appeals to me
requires "more tools in my toolbox." Those I can acquire only by continuing my
education. To be competent and competitive I will need a masters degree. After completing
my degree, I would like to work for an American engineering consulting firm and engineer
complex structures and tall buildings, perhaps focusing on the problems surrounding
designing for earthquakes. My long-term goals are to return to Belize and found my own
engineering consulting firm there.
Structural engineering will allow me to pursue a career where I can be creatively
involved in problem-solving and design functional structures, like the simple truss bridge
that initially captivated me in Mr. Doe’s class. My classes, work at Caltrans, and
internship in geotechnical engineering have increased my knowledge of and interest in
structural engineering since I first looked at the textbook shortly after my arrival in
the U.S. A masters degree will give me the up-to-date tools and knowledge to be
competitive and competent.
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