faizan_abid
Dec 26, 2008
Undergraduate / Personal statement for NUS: The big day [8]
This section is an opportunity for you to elaborate on the information you have provided earlier. You may wish to discuss a special talent, a personal experience or an activity that you have been involved in that is of relevance to the course that you are applying for at the university.
As there is only limited space (2000 characters), you are encouraged to present your ideas in focused and thoughtful manner.
I've tried to write it in a different manner, please give your feedback regarding it and suggest any improvement. I will also be thankful if anyone could help me shorten it a bit.
In the centre of one end of the Physics lab, lays my science project - a silver dome mounted on a white pipe standing in a wooden frame. It still reminds me that dreams can come true if you work hard enough for them. I dreamt of constructing a Van de Graaff generator since my O-Level days and got the perfect opportunity for it in the "Bloomfield Hall Science Fair 2008".
I had a week to complete the project. The first task was to calculate the dimensions of the wooden frame and dome and I did it relatively easily as I am good with numbers. Next, I needed to get the right material for the belt, rollers and dome.
In the second task I realized that even if you have all the knowledge regarding a machine, building it requires much more than that. I had to carefully manage the budget and know the right place to get the right items. In an attempt to manage the budget, I travelled in publics vans congested with people and brought used items wherever I could. However, I could not find the right items and this was unarguably because of living in an underdeveloped city.
Consequently, I had to look for alternatives which proved to be a bottleneck. Just three days before the Science fair, as my anxiety increased, I had the brainwave to use metal rollers covered with Teflon tape and tire's nylon tube for the belt. Using two steel bowls joined together were just perfect for the dome.
It was worth explaining to the worker in the wood working shop about my design when the Van de Graaff took its shape the next day. Then I mounted the belt which was a gruelling task and required several attempts. After placing the steel bowls, my heart pounded with excitement as I switched it on.
At that moment, the sound of the motor was as pleasant as soft music and the spark from the dome sent a smile to my face rather than pain.
On the big day, my project stood apart in its "Frankensteinish" look. I was glad the judge started from the other end of the line which gave me time to plan what to say. When my turn came, I gave every detail about the project; I tried my best to show how important that project was for me and how much effort I had put into it.
My efforts bore fruit when I won the first prize, however, the joy was not as great as it was when I completed the project a day earlier. Perhaps this was why I had won: I worked for the fulfillment of my own dream rather than winning a prize.
Faizan Abid
This section is an opportunity for you to elaborate on the information you have provided earlier. You may wish to discuss a special talent, a personal experience or an activity that you have been involved in that is of relevance to the course that you are applying for at the university.
As there is only limited space (2000 characters), you are encouraged to present your ideas in focused and thoughtful manner.
I've tried to write it in a different manner, please give your feedback regarding it and suggest any improvement. I will also be thankful if anyone could help me shorten it a bit.
In the centre of one end of the Physics lab, lays my science project - a silver dome mounted on a white pipe standing in a wooden frame. It still reminds me that dreams can come true if you work hard enough for them. I dreamt of constructing a Van de Graaff generator since my O-Level days and got the perfect opportunity for it in the "Bloomfield Hall Science Fair 2008".
I had a week to complete the project. The first task was to calculate the dimensions of the wooden frame and dome and I did it relatively easily as I am good with numbers. Next, I needed to get the right material for the belt, rollers and dome.
In the second task I realized that even if you have all the knowledge regarding a machine, building it requires much more than that. I had to carefully manage the budget and know the right place to get the right items. In an attempt to manage the budget, I travelled in publics vans congested with people and brought used items wherever I could. However, I could not find the right items and this was unarguably because of living in an underdeveloped city.
Consequently, I had to look for alternatives which proved to be a bottleneck. Just three days before the Science fair, as my anxiety increased, I had the brainwave to use metal rollers covered with Teflon tape and tire's nylon tube for the belt. Using two steel bowls joined together were just perfect for the dome.
It was worth explaining to the worker in the wood working shop about my design when the Van de Graaff took its shape the next day. Then I mounted the belt which was a gruelling task and required several attempts. After placing the steel bowls, my heart pounded with excitement as I switched it on.
At that moment, the sound of the motor was as pleasant as soft music and the spark from the dome sent a smile to my face rather than pain.
On the big day, my project stood apart in its "Frankensteinish" look. I was glad the judge started from the other end of the line which gave me time to plan what to say. When my turn came, I gave every detail about the project; I tried my best to show how important that project was for me and how much effort I had put into it.
My efforts bore fruit when I won the first prize, however, the joy was not as great as it was when I completed the project a day earlier. Perhaps this was why I had won: I worked for the fulfillment of my own dream rather than winning a prize.
Faizan Abid