Why I Want To Pursue A Master Of Science Degree

If you sat down and looked at me, you would not think of me being driven, or an over achiever. You thought right, but that must change. I want to achieve my dream job, which is to be a software engineer and designer. I have always wanted to work in this field. From a very young age I’ve loved computers. They have always interested me, and that is why this is my Ithaca. This goal will take a lot of hard work to get to, though. Achieving my dream occupation will be difficult, but if I maintain focus, face my fears, and work hard, I believe I can do it.

To find a job that will allow me to accomplish any long term and short term goals, whatever they may be. However, to be honest, currently I feel that I lack the skills, knowledge, and attitude to become a professional. Even more, I have lost the motivation that have driven to set out on this path in becoming a Mechanical Engineer. I want to and will try to complete this program in the next 4-5 years in order to start my integration into the workforce and society by using the knowledge and skills I will have procured at this university in order to contribute to humanity. After that, I wish to advance in my field to take upon larger responsibilities over the course of my 40 year career. Such a plan can be said to be a goal, a systematically planned end with a mean, rather than meaningless dreams such as ruling the world. And here is where dreams and goals are both similar and different. The difference is that dreams themselves are not planned, though a plan can be dreamed, if they are not acted upon, or actualized, they remain a distant dream. This is in contrast to plans and goals, as they will be actualized, acted upon, the means used, and ends achieved. The mastery over planning and goals to solve problems within economical and time efficient parameters are key to project planning in every aspect of Engineering. As the service and product we dispense requires these skills to make the problems

Socrates was a classical Greek philosopher who lived from 470 BC to 399 BC. Today he is credited with many influential philosophical ideas and quotes, but one in particular “An unexamined life is not worth living”. What Socrates means by this quote is that a life without the pursuit of wisdom and knowledge is no life at all. Socrates reflects on this idea to his audience of jurors during his trial. The men of Athens felt threatened by Socrates, believing him spreading his philosophical ideas would disrupt their way of life and order in the city of Athens. During his trial Socrates pleads his ignorance about the world around him and that all he wishes to do is to explore his thought and attempt to gain as much knowledge as he can. Throughout his life Socrates has gained a number of enemies and critics just for being a curious person. He understands this and preaches it to his jurors at the trial explaining to them that he would venture around the city conversing with professionals of a certain craft, not for the purpose of exposing their ignorance of the world around them but to learn for himself along with attempting to teach them to think critically and on their own. Socrates uses the craftsmen as an example in his defense. He explains that he approaches the craftsmen to become more knowledgeable about their profession and that they would be wiser than he was about the subject, he goes on to say “the good craftsmen seemed to me to have the

Debate rages on about Socrates’ musing quote in Plato’s Apology “…an unexamined life is not worth living…" (Plato 38a) However, the debate is not about “is the unexamined life worth living?” but rather what constitutes an “unexamined life.” Works like Leo Tolstoy’s The Death of Ivan Ilych, and Stanley Milgram’s Behavioral Study of Obedience, both shed a unique perspective on society’s comfort with ignorance and aggressive unwillingness to dispel ignorance for the betterment of humanity, thus, illustrating how society accommodates leading an unexamined life. Therefore, defining an unexamined life as an oblivious one. I believe that an unexamined life is a life that fails to think beyond the box it inhabits via thinking about the bigger scheme of actions through reflection. Accordingly, I maintain that a life lived with intent to positively impact those and creating meaningful relationships with those around them is worth living, even if unexamined. Otherwise, an unexamined life is simply a siphon of valuable resources.

My overall goal is to contribute and revolutionizing how we live. As technological development is vital in the contemporary world. Engineering related jobs are rapidly increasing in demand as technology is quickly developing. Technology is the tool to assist the progression of

I constantly daydream about my future career and what I could expect with it, but sometimes I don’t realize that I wont know much about the job until I actually try it out. As my research on the SECME sponsors and my own personal experiences have shown, engineering extends beyond the lab. It's not hard to see how my future career can have profound effects on the lives of many others. For example, I could one day use new technology developed by engineers to make the process of saving someone’s life a lot easier and have better survival odds. Or possibly someday we could use robotic technology to help people walk again. Although I would not be making this new kind of technology myself, it would be amazing if I could use it to change someone’s life. It's mind-blowing how far a career in STEM can take me and others who are willing to pursue these kinds of

The purpose of my post-secondary education is to increase my knowledge and to continue to feed my insatiable desire to learn, while living up to my standard of personal, professional and moral excellence. Through challenging course work and world class research opportunities, I will fulfill that goal. The prospect of collaboration with U of A Professor, Dr. Jonathan Sprinkle, in one or more of his autonomous vehicle projects would be a dream come true.

My father was a mechanical engineer who loved what he did. He would come home with hard drives in his hand and tinker with them as he tried to find ways to make them more efficient. He would show me the miniscule parts that he designed and how they worked. These experiences were not lost on me, as they led me to grow an interest in the sciences and in engineering. Although the interest was there, the motivation was usually absent. His passing lit a fire in me. Rather than giving up, I used his love, and my interest, to pursue my own career in engineering. My renewed love for the sciences and math gave me a new purpose. I focused more on school, especially in Chemistry, Physics, and Math, and worked harder to improve my grades. My goal of acquiring a chemical engineering degree allowed me to shift my focus from my father to my future. Looking back, I realize now that had it not been for my love of engineering, I never would have been able to overcome the obstacle of my father’s death, and I never would have found my true

Money and fame do not motivate my goals. Engineering in all forms is a field of innovation and invention. Aspirations of any great engineer should be to introduce to the world a new idea, product, or service that will make people happier and the environment safer. Success in these challenges is a reward greater than any dollar amount or public recognition. Engineers bring societies to new levels of civilization through their advancements in technology and discovery. The challenge to provide people with ever-increasing standards while at the same time feeding the population with ideas of what could be attracts my imagination, intelligence, and curiosity far more

When I was young, my friend and I would search tree trunks for caterpillars and insects. Bug-hunting was a fascinating activity and in our minds, we were heroic explorers, always on the look-out for new species. A caterpillar on that tree, an ant pile by the end of the sidewalk, or a beetle crawling on the window of the family car. It was childish, but I think that it instilled in me an appreciation for the outdoors. Although I eventually chose chemical engineering as my major, that love for bug-hunting, and science, has never really left me.

As cliché as it might sound, every Saturday I wake up early in the morning to help my father landscape other people's yards as a stereotypical Mexican. This is my drive to pursue a higher-level education. Even though my life is not yet planned out I do have an idea on what I want to study and become in a nearby future. I am accepted at Arizona State University and am admitted in their criminal justice program. To have a major in criminal justice and earn my Bachelor's degree is my educational goal. There are two possible career paths that attract my attention to seek after gaining my degree. The first career path is a lawyer, ever since I was young I always found a strong passion in justice and fighting for what is fair. With my boldness as

My new found enthusiasm motivated me to read about inspirational individuals, Nelson Mandela being my favorite. Nelson Mandela is really one of a kind, and a true hero to me. He once said, “Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure”. That’s a quote that will be with me forever for it opened my eyes to realize I could do anything I wanted to do. I decided to delve in Electrical Engineering as I felt it will give me an endless opportunity to be creative, practical and intellectual. I also realized that all my life I had radiated this negative energy, telling myself I could not get the best out of life because I wasn’t good enough and then I began to be cognizant of the fact that I could get the best out of life if I wanted to.

"An unexamined life is not worth living."  (Plato, trans. 1871, pa.68)   As Socrates stands against the court, on his final moments, he stands against his firm beliefs, and his insubordinate teachings.  He feels that it is his mission, by God, and his purpose, to seek for this truth within both himself, and other men.  It is often asked what makes life worth living?  In the eyes of Socrates, this 'unexamined life' is one who lives with ignorance, and is not willing to live through experiences, and constantly searches for the truth.  Both self-reflective and self-critical, they walk on a path that seeks for answers to the bigger (and sometimes smaller) questions.  The thirst for knowledge and, through examining his own life, encouraging and reflecting on others' lives, and being critical of those who do not examine their own, Socrates drew to the assumption that an unexamined life is certainly just not worth living.

John Dewey once said “Education is not preparation for life; Education is life itself." Meaning that learning is an active process that should occur to enhance one 's living and understanding thereof. When one only views education as a temporary thing they miss the big picture , and fail to grasp the what life truly is. Paulo Freire believes in having the opportunity to discover for oneself all that the world has to offer with the slight guidance from a teacher. He also says that “Education must begin with the solution of the teacher-student contradiction, by recoiling the poles of the contradiction so that both are simultaneously teachers and students.” Freire introduces the idea that we can and should all learn from each other, that no one person is ever higher in the world of education. We all have a unique perspective and take on things, and teachers should allow us to discover and interpret for ourselves.

I am in pursuit of a life where the education I choose lets me explore the wealth of knowledge and wisdom. I strongly recognize that manufacturing engineering is the domain where my purpose and passion mingle. It is my earnest belief that the education in manufacturing engineering that I have received until now has helped me to grasp the fundamental principles of the subject. This knowledge, when coupled with dedicated master’s study would be the ideal preparation for a career in applied research or academics in the manufacturing industry, a vast field of science from developing new materials to manufacture an aircraft. After giving a visit to an Aero India Show last year in Bangalore has, developed a curiosity in me to know the manufacturing world of an aerospace industry. It is for this reason that I wish to pursue a Masters course in Aerospace Engineering in the “Aerospace Structures and Materials track” from Delft University of Technology.