Civil Engineering Personal Statement Example 14

Civil engineers shape and manage the world around us for the benefit of others and being able to use my skills in mathematics, physics and design to do such tasks would be a very exciting and rewarding experience.

I have always loved to design, create and test purposeful concepts and the idea of designing something that could solve a public need is what appeals to me most about civil engineering.

I am currently exploring my original engineering interests by basing my EPQ extended project qualification on the classic engineering topic of combustion engines. I took part in the Engineering Education Scheme (EES) with the defense company Selex Galileo.

I worked with a Selex engineer, together with 3 other students, on our team project entitled ‘Automatic Cover for Battlefield Radio Equipment’, and our design was highly accredited by the judges. This was a fantastic experience, and also enabled me to improve my team working and presentations skills.

Our team also received gold CREST awards for our project management skills. Furthermore, our project was also entered into the “Engineering and Technology competition” for the Chelmsford Engineering Society, coming second place overall in Essex.

I am currently basing my A2 product design course on the concept of post tensioning within structures, inspired from the construction of the Sydney opera house.

After 6 years of product design I have key knowledge in CAD modelling programs such as pro-desktop; 2D design and the recent Google sketch-up. I have experience in CAM machines, as I always like to model and test my designs before production. I have also completed a Ford-sponsored course on “Insight into Business Management”.

The reason for this is that I believe that to be a well-rounded engineer, it is important not just to understand the maths and physics behind a concept, but to also be able to consider the bigger picture. Having knowledge about the business and financial element involved in an engineering project can help to increase cost effectiveness, time management or even the ergonomic outcomes.

I have many hobbies including playing guitar, drums, snowboarding, and cycling. I often spend time servicing and maintaining my motorcycle which, although is not really a hobby, is something I am passionate about.

I play for my school rugby team and Brentwood rugby squad as a forward, which has taught me a great deal about organisation and how important it is to be organised to work well as a team.

I currently work in a restaurant kitchen with professional chef Keith Ross. This has helped teach me to work under stressful situations and to effectively work as a team member under time constraints. During the summer holidays I voluntarily worked at Brentwood borough Council where I presented assemblies and spoke to 850 children on waste management through the nationwide ‘Crucial Crew scheme’.

I would say what cemented my decision to pursue civil engineering was reading the book “Structures or how things don’t fall down” by J.E Gordon.

I began to look at structures such as bridges in a different way, realising their complexity of design and understanding more of the forces they undergo, and I felt very inspired in discovering how engineers had overcome such obstacles (such as using fluid dampeners in the millennium bridge to reduce its resonant frequencies).

I believe I will be able to contribute positively to a class at university by being highly motivated and being able to work effectively as both an individual and a team member. I look forward to civil engineering at university and to unleashing my full potential.