I plan to apply for the MS program in CS at USC, and below is my personal statement giving my preparation, my yearn and my goals in this field. Please take a look and your advice will be highly appreciated! Thank you very much in advance.
I took a deep dive into the field of Electronics Science and Technology when I entered XXX to pursue a bachelor's degree in 2015. My undergraduate curriculum included a broad array of rigorous and analytical lecture courses, such as Analog Electronics, Microcomputer System and Interface Technology, and Signals & Systems, giving me a solid foundation in computer hardware and signal processing. I have also acquired basic knowledge in Computer Science through courses like Advanced Language Programming Design, Digital System Design, Data structure, and Embedded System and its Application. Most of my core courses scored over 90. Due to my extraordinary performance during the years, I won the Academic Excellence Scholarship twice, which only reserves for top students.
During the third year, I seized the opportunity to participate in the exchange student program held by Taiwan National Central University in Communication Engineering. Thanks to this exchange program, I experienced the different education atmosphere and the idea of studying abroad sprouted up. This experience also strengthened my abilities both in communication and learning new things quickly. Because of my interest in CS, I had close communication with students majoring in it, which lasted until I returned to my school. It was what they told me about Professor C.-C. Jay Kuo's speech at NCU that made me more yearn for USC. The speech given by this prestigious professor from USC was about Convolutional Neural Network (CNN). Despite my limited knowledge about these theories, I was surprised by the leading and advancement of it. After listening to the primary content of his speech, I immediately went to the online class to learn about this novel theoretical knowledge. The field of Computer Vision and Deep Learning unfolds slowly in front of me like a brand new world. As I got to know more, I learned that what I learned about signal processing in my undergraduate course is advantageous to computer vision, giving me high confidence to change my major.
During my undergraduate period, I already have some programming experience. In the Digital System Design course, I was taught to use Verilog HDL codes to implement circuit design, which could be synthesized into a netlist describing the hardware. This method of circuit design avoids the tedious and complicated design process, saves time and dramatically improves the efficiency of circuit design. After I put it into practice and applied it to the Altera FPGA, I started to realize the compelling advantages of this hardware description language. Finally, I independently designed and implemented a traffic light control system based on VHDL finite state machine.
Out of interest in programming, I took a course in Embedded System and its Application, where I learned the basics of the Java and used it to design applications in the Android system. For the first time, I learned the code and implementation behind the commonly used mobile phone applications and found it very exciting. Under the teacher's step-by-step guidance and my exploration, I gradually became familiar with the Eclipse software and mastered two ways to generate modules on the interface by using the front-end graphical interface and back-end code input. I also learned to call the gravity induction statement to achieve the corresponding effect. At the end of the course, I chose to design a beautiful and practical calculator as a result of my study.
After realizing the popularity of Python, I taught it by myself and participated in a project to design a 2048 game. Thanks to the widespread use of Python, there are many learning resources available. Having learned C and a little Java, understanding and using Python is not very difficult, but there were still many difficulties in realizing the game function of doubling the number controlled by the keyboard. By consulting computer majors, I solved these problems and presented a 2048 game with a beautified interface. In the process of writing Python, I was shocked by the power of Python's libraries, such as Pygame when producing games and Matplotlib when visualizing data in my next Astro-informatics program, which I joined in my internship at Shanghai Observatory of Chinese Academy of Science. I learned some data visualization tools there, classified and presented the unknown location and size of the stars. Having mastered how to take advantage of GitHub to share and download useful code, I honed my programming skills in Python during this experience. I was surprised by the practical and extensive use of computer science there again - my colleagues devoted to using machine learning to find pulsars and keep optimizing those algorithms. Their reports on the principles and applications of machine learning benefited me a lot, strengthening my determination that computer science is a rewarding and stimulating discipline worth my life time's devotion.
My past academic and work experience opened my eyes to the endless possibilities promised by Computer Science. My short-term goal is to master the knowledge of this field and do interns in related areas to gain work experience and better prepare for employment. In graduate study, I will further refine my professional interests and career goals through in-depth research and learning. To have the necessary academic preparation before reaching my career goals, I would like to receive advanced training and I believe MSc Computer Science at USC will meet my educational needs with its perfect mix of first-rate faculty, diversified student community, and state-of-the-art resources. Given my limited experience in computer science, this program is especially suitable for me in setting up basic courses and giving students flexibility in choosing courses. What's more, the distinguished reputation and numerous alumni associations of USC are favorable for me to find a job. Therefore, the program in yours is the best choice for me. As a self-driven and capable person with a strong team spirit, I am convinced that I will become a great addition to your program. Your favorable consideration will be highly appreciated.
the endless possibilities of Computer Science
I took a deep dive into the field of Electronics Science and Technology when I entered XXX to pursue a bachelor's degree in 2015. My undergraduate curriculum included a broad array of rigorous and analytical lecture courses, such as Analog Electronics, Microcomputer System and Interface Technology, and Signals & Systems, giving me a solid foundation in computer hardware and signal processing. I have also acquired basic knowledge in Computer Science through courses like Advanced Language Programming Design, Digital System Design, Data structure, and Embedded System and its Application. Most of my core courses scored over 90. Due to my extraordinary performance during the years, I won the Academic Excellence Scholarship twice, which only reserves for top students.
During the third year, I seized the opportunity to participate in the exchange student program held by Taiwan National Central University in Communication Engineering. Thanks to this exchange program, I experienced the different education atmosphere and the idea of studying abroad sprouted up. This experience also strengthened my abilities both in communication and learning new things quickly. Because of my interest in CS, I had close communication with students majoring in it, which lasted until I returned to my school. It was what they told me about Professor C.-C. Jay Kuo's speech at NCU that made me more yearn for USC. The speech given by this prestigious professor from USC was about Convolutional Neural Network (CNN). Despite my limited knowledge about these theories, I was surprised by the leading and advancement of it. After listening to the primary content of his speech, I immediately went to the online class to learn about this novel theoretical knowledge. The field of Computer Vision and Deep Learning unfolds slowly in front of me like a brand new world. As I got to know more, I learned that what I learned about signal processing in my undergraduate course is advantageous to computer vision, giving me high confidence to change my major.
During my undergraduate period, I already have some programming experience. In the Digital System Design course, I was taught to use Verilog HDL codes to implement circuit design, which could be synthesized into a netlist describing the hardware. This method of circuit design avoids the tedious and complicated design process, saves time and dramatically improves the efficiency of circuit design. After I put it into practice and applied it to the Altera FPGA, I started to realize the compelling advantages of this hardware description language. Finally, I independently designed and implemented a traffic light control system based on VHDL finite state machine.
Out of interest in programming, I took a course in Embedded System and its Application, where I learned the basics of the Java and used it to design applications in the Android system. For the first time, I learned the code and implementation behind the commonly used mobile phone applications and found it very exciting. Under the teacher's step-by-step guidance and my exploration, I gradually became familiar with the Eclipse software and mastered two ways to generate modules on the interface by using the front-end graphical interface and back-end code input. I also learned to call the gravity induction statement to achieve the corresponding effect. At the end of the course, I chose to design a beautiful and practical calculator as a result of my study.
After realizing the popularity of Python, I taught it by myself and participated in a project to design a 2048 game. Thanks to the widespread use of Python, there are many learning resources available. Having learned C and a little Java, understanding and using Python is not very difficult, but there were still many difficulties in realizing the game function of doubling the number controlled by the keyboard. By consulting computer majors, I solved these problems and presented a 2048 game with a beautified interface. In the process of writing Python, I was shocked by the power of Python's libraries, such as Pygame when producing games and Matplotlib when visualizing data in my next Astro-informatics program, which I joined in my internship at Shanghai Observatory of Chinese Academy of Science. I learned some data visualization tools there, classified and presented the unknown location and size of the stars. Having mastered how to take advantage of GitHub to share and download useful code, I honed my programming skills in Python during this experience. I was surprised by the practical and extensive use of computer science there again - my colleagues devoted to using machine learning to find pulsars and keep optimizing those algorithms. Their reports on the principles and applications of machine learning benefited me a lot, strengthening my determination that computer science is a rewarding and stimulating discipline worth my life time's devotion.
My past academic and work experience opened my eyes to the endless possibilities promised by Computer Science. My short-term goal is to master the knowledge of this field and do interns in related areas to gain work experience and better prepare for employment. In graduate study, I will further refine my professional interests and career goals through in-depth research and learning. To have the necessary academic preparation before reaching my career goals, I would like to receive advanced training and I believe MSc Computer Science at USC will meet my educational needs with its perfect mix of first-rate faculty, diversified student community, and state-of-the-art resources. Given my limited experience in computer science, this program is especially suitable for me in setting up basic courses and giving students flexibility in choosing courses. What's more, the distinguished reputation and numerous alumni associations of USC are favorable for me to find a job. Therefore, the program in yours is the best choice for me. As a self-driven and capable person with a strong team spirit, I am convinced that I will become a great addition to your program. Your favorable consideration will be highly appreciated.