Mechanical Engineering Personal Statement Example 15

I have always been an academic and studious person; it is my innovative and inquisitive nature however that compels me to study at university.

At a young age, whilst taking apart lawnmowers and old mopeds in the shed with my father, I discovered a natural understanding for mechanics.

Often I made simple Rube Goldberg machines around the house and although I dreamt of being a more successful inventor, my lack of scientific knowledge rendered my intuition and creativity unsuccessful! It was not until A levels that I really began to understand the physical world mathematically and apply some basic theories.

Although I achieved good grades, I find myself eager to understand topics that were not covered such as the mechanics of fluid.

My desire to understand how things work has also advanced to the laws of the universe. Although I was excited to learn of Newton's laws of motion, more counter-intuitive theories like those of Einstein's relativity fascinate me as they were derived from such basic principles.

Material like this improves my own skill in theoretical and mathematical deduction that may help me understand ideas necessary for an Engineering course. I have also acquired advanced skills in computing.

Combined with my enthusiasm for problem solving and statistics, this might be useful for modelling/CAD and data analysis. Recently I purchased two touch screen tills from a closing shop and converted one into a jukebox.

The other I made into a loop machine to aid my love of music composition and production. I have a keen interest in sports too, particularly sailing where I compete at European level.

This lets me experience a sense of achievement, team spirit and international friendships. I also believe that my instinct for the effects of wind and drag greatly improve my ability.

Throughout my schooling I have participated in many fund raising events and open days. At the age of 12 I organised a charity day with minimal assistance and was allocated part of the school budget to buy equipment.

I both enjoyed and took my responsibilities seriously and among my contributions to life at high school, I had an active role in the Council and the 'Listeners' (supporting victims of bullying). I also helped the headmaster write the School Travel Plan, took part in the Duke of Edinburgh Bronze Expedition and received a Silver Certificate in the UKMT Mathematics Challenge.

My experience working for Marks and Spencer as a sales assistant was valuable as the company required great communication skills. I was then taken on permanently in their Bureau de Change during my A levels. This required me to organise my time efficiently but also greatly improved my mental arithmetic.

During my work experience at ARUP, a prestigious London architecture company, I decided instead to pursue a career that involved some aspect of motion. The things I learnt working alongside civil engineers about structural analysis, materials and design however may still be applicable to my course.

During my gap year so far I have grown in both confidence and maturity. Currently in New Zealand, I have gained work experience with a hydraulic solutions company.

My interest in this area has grown greatly and helped consolidate and support my desire to study Mechanical Engineering at degree level. In 2008 I was excited to hear of Geoff Barnett's simple solution to congestion when Google invested in his 'Shweeb'.

During my time here I have visited the prototype track near Rotorua and was inspired by its efficiency. I am now more aware of the opportunities for improvements that exist in almost everything around us and look forward to expressing and developing my own ideas and designs to make those improvements.

Mechanical Engineering is something that I could really be passionate about as a career and studying its range of stimulating topics at a good university will give me the wealth of knowledge and skills that I need to achieve this.