Graduate / "Hello World" - SOP FOR BRANCH CHANGE - MECHANICAL TO COMPUTER SCIENCE [2]

"Hello World"- My first C program. Of course, many programmers start their basic computer learning by printing those words. But, those two words meant more to me than just learning a language.

I was in 8th standard when C-language was first taught to us in my school. My friends were failing in their attempts to comprehend what the teacher was trying to elucidate. That made me pay extra heed to what was being taught because an average student like me wasn't likely to grasp it after just one explanation. But, I hardly found any difficulty and clearly understood the C-codes to perform basic operations viz. Addition, Subtraction, Product etc. which were taught on the very first day. The teacher later during the class gave us an assignment and asked us to complete the programs before the class finishes. I was astonished to see that I was the only one who came up with solutions to those codes. I was specially commended by the teacher that day and that was cardinal component which sparked my interest in studies and gave me the confidence necessary to strive. From that day, I transpired not only in C-language but in other courses as well. I, that day, firmly decided to pursue my career in Computer Science however difficult the situations prevail.

My academic performances got better and better from then. I secured 100 % in Mathematics in my X Grade Board Exams (2006) conducted by State Board of Secondary Education, Andhra Pradesh and 99% in XII Grade Board Exams (2008) conducted by Board of Intermediate Education, Andhra Pradesh. I was placed among the top 1% of the candidates who appeared throughout India for the Joint Entrance Examination - IITJEE. This examination is conducted by IITs, the prestigious engineering institutions of India.

May 31st 2008 stands as the most excruciating day of my life. It was the day on which, the results of IITJEE came out and I missed a Computer Science undergraduate admit by whiskers. The difference of 3 ranks was so minute that even until today I carry the agony.

After I had started my undergraduate career in Mechanical Engineering in IIT, I had the opportunity to enhance my skills in coding when I studied courses namely "Introduction to Computing" and "Object Oriented Programming and Data Structures" in my first year. In both the courses I earned a decent grade, especially in object oriented programming course where I extensively learned JAVA. In the former course, the topics involved were: C-language data types, expressions, control structures, functions, arrays and pointers, files, standard library functions etc. In the latter course, topics covered included: OOP concepts using C++, performance of algorithms, linked lists, arrays, stacks, queues, binary trees, tree traversals, lists, heaps, hashing, search trees, algorithms for sorting and searching like bubble-sort & quicksort etc.

It was during the 3rd semester in my college that I took the initiative to exalt my coding skills and approached one of my Mechanical Engineering department professors and explicated my interests in coding. He facilitated me in exploring the branch of "Computational Fluid Dynamics" which he was working on. CFD is a branch of fluid mechanics that uses numerical methods and algorithms to solve and analyze problems that involve fluid flows. Different CFD software operating in today's world extensively contain complex algorithms which are essential for solving equally intricate flow physics. However, many a time, a user is required to input self-developed code or algorithm for solving problems which are out of bounds of the software.

The very importance of coding and developing algorithms for solving physical flow problems fascinated me. From that day, with the help of my professor, I vividly understood the present day algorithms involved in different CFD codes. I developed my own code several times during my learning stage with the help of my professor. For instance, I was required to input a parabolic velocity profile at the Inlet Boundary of a pipe, which was very much a realistic problem considering the effect of boundary layer. But, this was not readily available even in today's advanced CFD software. I used a C-code to develop this velocity profile and successfully compiled it and got realistic and validated results. As I learned and developed more and more complicated algorithms, my interest in coding grew along with it. I successfully implemented "SIMPLE" algorithm using Matlab, in a 2-D computational domain, which is the essence of any CFD software. I solved substantial amount of problems in CFD involving the use of C-codes to write User Defined Functions (UDFs) to post process the results obtained after simulating the fluid flow.

My internship at IIT Guwahati during summer 2010 was another programming accomplishment in my career. I worked on simulating the hypersonic flow field inside a Ram jet engine using CFD. As part of this project, I was required to build an isentropic calculator which could print output parameters in a file after taking certain inputs. Much to the delight of my guide, I completed the code in just few hours. The professor commended my proficiency and efficiency in coding and apprised me about his future plans of using it and making it available for his students.

My final year dissertation was also done using CFD techniques during which I worked on "Design and Development of Micro-Wind Turbine". All during the execution of project, I learned and understood several complex algorithms used for solving fluid flows involving turbo-machinery. During my final year in 2012, I was recruited by Tata Technologies Ltd., during the campus placements, as a CFD engineer. I joined the company and gained ample knowledge about use of UDFs, advanced algorithms in use in today's world to solve different fluid flow problems. But, many CFD projects in my company require the use of coding only as an optional method of solving problems or as supplementary to already present algorithms. This gradually diminishing use of coding aroused a feeling of regret inside me for opting Mechanical in under-graduation. This feeling subsided, however, when I thought of my first elocution topic in my school "Better late than never" where I proudly presented an example of a boy, so shy to speak, overcame his diffidence to give his first elocution-it was me. I would have been a completely different person had I not tamed my timidity. Now, I am all geared up to prove my worth again in Computer Science, if given an opportunity and to cherish my childhood dream. I want to further enhance my coding skills and strive to bring about positive changes in a world so overly reliant on computers.

Your institution being one of the most prestigious institutions offering Computer Science as a conversion course for people like me is a blessing. I am sure I will take the full advantage of your programme and whit my skills and knowledge in Computer Science. I shall strive to live up to the expectations. I believe that when you pursue something you like with true determination and dedication, you can reach heights never attained before.