Computers and electronics have always captivated me, right from my early school days, when my inquisitive nature would lead me to find out how a remote control works and communicates with a TV, and question why all things are built as they are. As the years have passed, I find that my fascination with technology has only grown. With my insatiable appetite for learning, I am always looking for new ways to solve problems and simplify tasks with the power of computing science.
I have had a brilliant academic record throughout my schooling tenure during which I have consistently stood in the top 10% of my class. Apart from studies, I enthusiastically participated in various events and fests in school. Some of my extra-curricular achievements include first position in inter-school quizzes, chess tournaments and being on the school cricket team.
I was lucky to be introduced to the applications of computers as a part of my curriculum from a very early age. From the basics of using Microsoft Office to learning how to program in Qbasic and C, computer science opened up a whole new world of ideas to me and it soon became my favorite subject. Engineering thus came as a natural career choice for me.
After high school, I secured myself a seat at Manipal Institute of Technology, where I majored in Computer Science. The breadth of Manipal University's syllabi content gave me a solid foundation in the core areas of Computer Science. In addition, my course in Manipal also helped me grow as an individual as it was my first experience of life outside my hometown which meant that I had to learn to fend for myself. From the very first day of college, I felt the introvert in me breaking through its shell, and I soon found myself mixing with bright minds from all over the country.
I actively participated in both cultural and tech fests in college. I attended the Microlite workshop conducted by IEENC where I developed a game using an 8X8 LED matrix as the screen with the help of an ATMEGA 16 microcontroller. I was also a part of the Rotary Club in Manipal and as Event Co-ordinator, I organized workshops and various events such as sports tournaments and cultural functions whose proceeds went to charity.
My interest in electronics grew when I came across a magazine called MAKE magazine where creative and resourceful people post information about extra-ordinary projects that they undertake to create a variety of tools and gadgets using the most of technology and electronics at home. I have been an avid reader of the magazine throughout my college and something that really caught my attention in some of the projects was the use of microcontrollers. What really fascinated me about a microcontroller was the fact that it is something that bridges the gap between computer software and real world mechanical devices, which gives it the potential to sense the environment using the numerous sensors and take decisions based on that. After reading about it, I was extremely interested in using microcontrollers to create something of utility. I came across an open source platform Arduino, which helped me get started with the microcontrollers quickly and very soon i was doing all kinds of experiments with it.
I was looking for some real world projects based on my experience with Arduino and microcontrollers when I came across a firm called Water Cents whose business is related to devices meant to measure water consumption. I collaborated with the firm to develop a prototype for an apartment complex wherein each meter had a microcontroller attached that would send the readings to the co-coordinator wirelessly which would ultimately be stored in a cloud, displayed online and help the apartment in billing and monitoring consumption.
While in college, I also took up a wonderful opportunity to intern at BSNL, a premier telecom company in India. I got to know more about the theory behind antennas, the GSM technology and network planning. This being my first experience in a large firm, I was fascinated by the scale of operations and the cutting edge technology that I saw in use. I started out learning concepts and progressed to working on team based projects in the short duration of time I got to spend in BSNL.
My first real experience in the field of Computer Vision came while interning for a small startup called Mind Automation which focuses on enhancing methods for Computer Vision Recognition with the use of Scale Space Invariance. I played a significant role in developing the graphical user interface and writing code to enable the representation of scale space model of an image by using a 3D model. I also worked on the implementation of a novel algorithm intended to make processing faster by utilizing the GPU.
I explored the subject of Computer Vision further and chose to do my final semester project in Computer Vision - Hand Gesture Recognition Using Orientation Histogram. This project was acclaimed by my professors and I received an A-grade for it. The success and recognition of the project planted in my mind, the idea of some day pursuing research in Computer Vision.
Subsequently, I took up a job that I had been offered at IBM as an Associate System Engineer. My work at IBM was on Mainframe Systems and enjoyed the experience of working on real world systems that impact a huge number of people.
After studying in a reputed school and having worked at a couple of great organizations, I now wish to further pursue my interests in the field of Computer Vision. In addition I also understand that my strong points are a solid background of computer science fundamentals, good communication skills and willingness to be a part of and thrive in a team based environment. I am also convinced that I would need a Master's degree to acquire specialized skills in my area of interest, while also staking claims to positions with more responsibility in world-class companies.
The content in the __________ program at _______University has impressed me because it offers a good mix of courses which will help me in my goals of learning the practical application of ______ while also allowing me to specialize in __________. I am really fascinated by the work being done in the Wireless Networking and Communications Group (WNCG) at the university which accentuates more on Research and Innovation at the industry level. Additionally. I was really intrigued by the fact that WNCG works on the control, security, management and optimization of networks. I am convinced that a Master's degree from University of Texas, Austin would hold me in good stead in all my future endeavors and would assist me in my long term ambition to become an industry leading resource in the areas of Wireless and Telecommunication.
Sorry dude but truth is : NO
First three paras are all waste of space.
You are CS graduate and written all the stuff about electronics. That's not bad but you have taken too much space for it, also those are not related to your future goals.
"I explored the subject of Computer Vision further and chose to do my final semester project in Computer Vision - Hand Gesture Recognition Using Orientation Histogram. This project was acclaimed by my professors and I received an A-grade for it. The success and recognition of the project planted in my mind, the idea of some day pursuing research in Computer Vision."
why it was acclaimed?
what you did?
If I say to you that I have created a Mars land rover, will you believe me unless I give you concrete info. Like what are the challenges I faced during the development, what is the technology used and what are my learning etc.
I hope you got my point.
Best of luck.
Abhijeet
