I'm so happy to have found such a platform to review my statement of purpose. I've read some of the comments made and appreciate the strong positive criticism. I have no experience in preparing a SOP and this is my first draft. Much obliged if someone can look into it.
STATEMENT OF PURPOSE
I grew up in India in a setting that wasn't much urbanized. All through my childhood I had the good fortune to live, study and play in a place so blessed with natural beauty, fresh air and good water. I believe that this is what gives me an underlying desire to connect with and appreciate nature where ever I go. As a kid, I was very much interested in watching programs that related to environment protection and often I used to wonder where all these destructions happen, since in my skewed views, my immediate neighborhoods didn't seem to have any considerable negative effects. I strongly believed that industry is the only factor that harms environment and as years progressed I understood that it is not the industries or the automobiles but rather our ideas for growth, with no apparent concern for environment or future generations that is the real threat. My state, Kerala is called the "God's own country" by the visitors from all over the world due to its beautiful monsoons and enthralling landscape and since this region wasn't immediately affected like those in the programs I saw, the environmentalist in me stayed dormant.
When it was time for undergraduate studies, I opted for Bachelors in Technology with majors in Mechanical Engineering. The decision was the result of my fascination towards machines, an innate feeling of a need to improve things, processes and the prospects of helping people with the newly acquired knowledge. Later, upon completion, I was offered a Job at a modular fabrication facility in India. It is run by Larson & Toubro Limited and I worked in pre-fabrication planning to final box-up supervision of various decks and offshore bridges. The climate was hard and the job required long hours of work with cross functional teams. I must say that this experience was a test of my adaptability and persistence, and I am happy that I came out successful in all projects I was assigned to. I then worked in private civil projects, assisting estimation and execution teams. Easy availability of civil floor plans and elevations made me think about alternate designs that might've saved construction cost and energy. It was much later in 2011 that I realized my true area of interest. I had been offered a job in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. I had projects in eastern as well as western provinces and my job demanded cross country travel. These trips through the second largest subtropical desert were the real eye opener. The bus journeys through lifeless deserts made me ponder, that if we as a society progress following unsustainable ways in the ecologically green regions, we might as well have a future when we will be forced to follow sustainable ways in the desert. We need development, and I wish I could contribute towards a much more sustainable way to grow, develop future proof business models and processes with responsibility to the environment and this is what prompts me to study more in this regard.
I am also much interested in agriculture, and the rising food costs, the consequent raise in cost of living and the impact agriculture makes in the economic and social spheres of life makes me feel that there is a huge room for improvement in the field of agriculture in urban settings. On 14th of July, 2012 I met a delegate from the University of Saskatchewan in a delegate visit organized by Santa Monica, an overseas education consulting firm, and it is from there that I came to know about this program. As I skim through the fact sheet for Master of Sustainable Environment Management, in University of Saskatchewan, I find ENVS 802.3 - Human Dimensions of Environmental Change, ENVS 898.3 - Biodiversity Conservation and Sustainability and ENVS 898.3 - Environmental Economics and Policy Making, particularly interesting among others because I believe that these tools are very powerful in deriving plans to remediate our policies, processes and create plans that provokes thought for the future generation planners. This is the prime mover behind my decision to apply for my Masters Program at University of Saskatchewan. After gaining valuable insights and experience from my program, Masters in Sustainable Environmental Management, I would like to begin my career as an environmental consultant for an independent consulting firm or a local, state, or federal government agency, providing ideas that are environmentally sustainable. To my knowledge, I find The University of Saskatchewan as one among the top 10 Universities in Canada and is home to one of North America's most successful research parks and science facilities. The reputation and quality of education, affordable tuition and global recognition of degrees are what strengthens my decision to apply for the course in University of Saskatchewan.
I understand that by 2040 two in three people are expected to live in urban environments and this rate of urbanization gives us a wealth of new opportunities and huge challenges in sustaining our cities. My country consists of Mumbai, Delhi and Kolkata, which according to Forbes list of biggest cities (in terms of population projected to 2025) comes second, third and eighth in the world. I believe that by then I will be able to play an important role, with my knowledge and experience gained, to plan sustainable models for progress and that, is my long term goal. Further academic training in Sustainable Environmental Management would enable me to realize my potential and I hence look at your esteemed University to provide with an opportunity to pursue my graduate studies.
STATEMENT OF PURPOSE
I grew up in India in a setting that wasn't much urbanized. All through my childhood I had the good fortune to live, study and play in a place so blessed with natural beauty, fresh air and good water. I believe that this is what gives me an underlying desire to connect with and appreciate nature where ever I go. As a kid, I was very much interested in watching programs that related to environment protection and often I used to wonder where all these destructions happen, since in my skewed views, my immediate neighborhoods didn't seem to have any considerable negative effects. I strongly believed that industry is the only factor that harms environment and as years progressed I understood that it is not the industries or the automobiles but rather our ideas for growth, with no apparent concern for environment or future generations that is the real threat. My state, Kerala is called the "God's own country" by the visitors from all over the world due to its beautiful monsoons and enthralling landscape and since this region wasn't immediately affected like those in the programs I saw, the environmentalist in me stayed dormant.
When it was time for undergraduate studies, I opted for Bachelors in Technology with majors in Mechanical Engineering. The decision was the result of my fascination towards machines, an innate feeling of a need to improve things, processes and the prospects of helping people with the newly acquired knowledge. Later, upon completion, I was offered a Job at a modular fabrication facility in India. It is run by Larson & Toubro Limited and I worked in pre-fabrication planning to final box-up supervision of various decks and offshore bridges. The climate was hard and the job required long hours of work with cross functional teams. I must say that this experience was a test of my adaptability and persistence, and I am happy that I came out successful in all projects I was assigned to. I then worked in private civil projects, assisting estimation and execution teams. Easy availability of civil floor plans and elevations made me think about alternate designs that might've saved construction cost and energy. It was much later in 2011 that I realized my true area of interest. I had been offered a job in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. I had projects in eastern as well as western provinces and my job demanded cross country travel. These trips through the second largest subtropical desert were the real eye opener. The bus journeys through lifeless deserts made me ponder, that if we as a society progress following unsustainable ways in the ecologically green regions, we might as well have a future when we will be forced to follow sustainable ways in the desert. We need development, and I wish I could contribute towards a much more sustainable way to grow, develop future proof business models and processes with responsibility to the environment and this is what prompts me to study more in this regard.
I am also much interested in agriculture, and the rising food costs, the consequent raise in cost of living and the impact agriculture makes in the economic and social spheres of life makes me feel that there is a huge room for improvement in the field of agriculture in urban settings. On 14th of July, 2012 I met a delegate from the University of Saskatchewan in a delegate visit organized by Santa Monica, an overseas education consulting firm, and it is from there that I came to know about this program. As I skim through the fact sheet for Master of Sustainable Environment Management, in University of Saskatchewan, I find ENVS 802.3 - Human Dimensions of Environmental Change, ENVS 898.3 - Biodiversity Conservation and Sustainability and ENVS 898.3 - Environmental Economics and Policy Making, particularly interesting among others because I believe that these tools are very powerful in deriving plans to remediate our policies, processes and create plans that provokes thought for the future generation planners. This is the prime mover behind my decision to apply for my Masters Program at University of Saskatchewan. After gaining valuable insights and experience from my program, Masters in Sustainable Environmental Management, I would like to begin my career as an environmental consultant for an independent consulting firm or a local, state, or federal government agency, providing ideas that are environmentally sustainable. To my knowledge, I find The University of Saskatchewan as one among the top 10 Universities in Canada and is home to one of North America's most successful research parks and science facilities. The reputation and quality of education, affordable tuition and global recognition of degrees are what strengthens my decision to apply for the course in University of Saskatchewan.
I understand that by 2040 two in three people are expected to live in urban environments and this rate of urbanization gives us a wealth of new opportunities and huge challenges in sustaining our cities. My country consists of Mumbai, Delhi and Kolkata, which according to Forbes list of biggest cities (in terms of population projected to 2025) comes second, third and eighth in the world. I believe that by then I will be able to play an important role, with my knowledge and experience gained, to plan sustainable models for progress and that, is my long term goal. Further academic training in Sustainable Environmental Management would enable me to realize my potential and I hence look at your esteemed University to provide with an opportunity to pursue my graduate studies.