College Admissions Essay: A Career As A Civil Engineer

I graduated high school and went off to college in the fall as do many high school graduates. I thought I knew exactly what I wanted to do with my life. I always loved drawing and took art classes in high school to further my abilities. I went to Auburn University and was accepted into their Architectural program. I chose Auburn because they are known nationwide, maybe even worldwide, for their program in Architecture. I thought this was what I wanted to do and was on my way to completing my dream. Architects make beautiful buildings and all kinds of amazing “works of art” for people to enjoy. Also some of the highest paid jobs are found in architecture and building. I figured I would be making great money, while doing something I loved.

There was a day that i was thinking of what i was going to do with the rest of my life outside of highschool and i came up blank. I tried to think of my skills and i could only think of two skills that would help me in life, and those skills are art and my great math mind. The professions that i could think of that need a good foundation of math and art is architecture. They need math so that they can tell how much weight the structure can take the angles that will help support the buildings and to get the exact size of the building. The art needed to become a architect is for the architect may make a layout of the building, to design a efficient building, and to design a building that will be pleasing to the design weather it be the coloring of the inside or the outside or the shape of the windows or the building in general.

In the first months of college, I wasn’t so sure if I wanted to pursue architecture, finance, or engineering; I was utterly lost, unlike many of my peers. Over the months, I pondered on what I wanted to do for the rest of my life. Then, I realized I was never interested in obtaining a job where I would sit at a desk and stare at some numbers on a computer screen for 9 hours every day. Through my daily routine and utilization of time, I realized I found less joy in the courses I applied least outside of the classroom, yet was intrigued that with the many hours I worked in the studio. I could work on a skill in which I could use in the career I wanted; a path in which I could leave a legacy through molding the world the way I wanted to see

I’ve loved art and graphic design for a long time, however, anything above simple crafts were not valued at my elementary or middle school. So, eager to be in an environment that supported my interests I auditioned and was accepted into Los Angeles County High School for the Arts (LACHSA). At LACHSA I explored many different types of art mediums, and discovered satisfaction from the problem solving that goes with designing and making sculptures. My interest in graphic design also was able to thrive in the environment, outside of class I able to make posters for school productions, which lead to design jobs outside of the school. While taking a communication design class I discovered my passion for product-based design: I enjoyed creating a

I was indecisive of my future career path. My mom would tell me the classic “You should be a lawyer” or “You should be a doctor.” I would go along with her idea for a couple weeks until I jumped off the bandwagon. I wasn’t passionate about either of those fields; I was interested in both math and science and as a young girl. As I got older, I became invested in technology due to my love of gaming, but I didn’t know that people devote their lives to technology until I interned.

Throughout my life, I’ve wanted to be many things. An astronaut, a princess, a doctor, a lawyer, and at one point in my life the president. Now that I am older and much more mature. I still haven’t decided what I wanted to be. When I first started my high school career, I was terrified. I didn’t know what I wanted to be. So I decided to try new things. I’ve been with choir ever since I was in the sixth grade, so I thought I would give it shot, and try something new. I started to take drama and art. I soon found out, that I wasn’t great at either of those things. I had stage fright and I sucked at drawing. But, I didn’t give up. I stayed with choir, drama, art, and basketball. Now that I am a senior and ready to graduate, I have found out I

Since my early years, I was pushed into engineering because I excelled in math and science. I took an interest in bioengineering but my heart was not there. It was just a placeholder but I was not truly passionate about it and to me that was unsatisfactory. I wanted to change my major, but to what I had not known. Going into my junior year, I was afraid my time was running out. My whole life changed when my counselor asked me,” Spanish 3 or AP Psychology?”. Having already taken two years of spanish, I opted to take the AP class. I was immediately intrigued in the subject. I went to class everyday eager to learn. I liked psychology so much because it was easily applicable to real life. I would identify things I had learned in class in and have

I Remember my freshman year like it was just yesterday, I wanted to be a welder just like my dad. I even went through all of Ms.Negal steps for success class finding all the information about a welding career and what it would take to become a welder, but I was also looking at career in business to I just wasn’t saving anything like the welding career. After my freshman year, my parents got separated. I decided to live with my mom. That was my first big step of not being like my dad. My next year of high school I didn’t really focus on any career in specific it was a debating period of what I want to become. When February finally rolled around I decided to sign up for a few classes in the business department instead of industrially tech classes.

As a child, I always thought that it was my assignment in life to become an attorney. At least that's what my parents said. But not me! I was always into the arts, singing; although I can't, dancing, producing mini shows, or whatever I could do to express myself creatively. Unfortunately my parents were not convinced that the arts would get me far in life, so they pushed me down the college track. Even the high school guidance counselors saw the leadership in me. Surely, she's going to college and becoming a lawyer. So I tried it. Although surrounded by the uncertainty, but these people have my best interest at heart so why not? Except when I got there, I was not passionate about it at all! There started this search of who am I and what is it

Cecilia Gaposchkin wrote an article over the movement of students who pick major that interest them more, rather than a practical job. Gaposchkin believes this opens their creativity and leads them to be a more critical thinker. I agree with her agreement, on more of a personal level since it relates to me. I chose to be a art major, for the fact of my interest and strengths. My parents on the other hand, think it’s not the best idea but i have no desire to change my major to please anyone. I’m not strong in other courses, and they do not interest me one bit so i feel the motivation is already lost. MY weakness will become my straights through my major though since i won’t be forced to improve my study skill through courses i don’t want to

I have always loved creating things as a kid and to me having math involved just really spiked my interest .I chose this occupation because of a survey I took after receiving my ASVAB test and it gave me a lot of engineering and architectural professions. I have always had a fancy for numbers which is a plausible reason on why I take advanced classes for anything that is math-related: such as all core math courses, architecture and engineering. I've taken two years of architecture and about two years of engineering and have come to realize that I have a strong obsession for the both of these classes and can't decide on which one I want to choose for an occupation in without having regrets for not choosing the other. I felt like I should choose one that was close to home so that I could keep in touch with

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

The scorching oil splashed across my father’s forearm as he worked in a frantic hurry, ignoring the searing heat that ate away his flesh. He absorbed the trauma, swallowed the pain, and continued frying the chicken wings for his upcoming customers. Whenever he came home after toiling twelve hours a day in the cramped, hot kitchen, all I noticed was that permanent scar and the dark bags under his eyes. Noticing how closely I was watching him, my father held my face with his rough hands and reassured me, “I will make sure you will have a better life than mine.”

So I just went with what I had done all my life, music. I loved music ever since my first piano lesson when I was eight but it soon turned into a chore. I began to hate playing but still I continued on. I often told myself that I would get better, but the more I thought about being a band director for the rest of my life the more I started to realize this was not for me. Then after a lot of thought I changed my major to business. My life seemed to be going know where. There was so many things that I knew I wanted to do I just did not know how to pursue them. I had always wanted to open up a small business so I thought maybe I will try this. Still I could not shake this feeling that I had no idea what I needed to do with my life. I prayed and prayed for God to show me a sign, anything. The sign did not come until my last semester at ICC, when someone suggested that I could study anthropology. At first I had no idea what it was or such major existed, so I did my research and found this to be the major I was looking for. I already had the University of Tennessee in mind and when I found out that Anthropology was offered I knew this was the right

My explanation somehow did not work well. I started struggling between my career and my father’s “career”. Before it was too late to decide my major, I gave a chance for myself and picked something related to my future career.