Graduate / As a passionate for great constructions, geotechnics sparkles in my eyes - SOP Birmingham University [3]

Hi everyone,

I'm currently applying to a master program at University of Birmingham and the essay below is my first draft of the statement of purpose to be included in the application. I'm not a native English speaker and I need to improve my writing skills as well, so I would appreciate any suggestions, corrections, insights from you guys. Thanks a lot!

Why are you interested in applying for this programme of study? 5000 characters

As a passionate for great constructions, geotechnics was the topic responsible for the sparkle in my eyes along my civil engineering student life. This subject is literally the foundation of all structures and its peculiarities have made me continuously inquisitive and challenged along academic and professional experiences. This essay will firstly state, through my background, the roots that led me to the chosen master degree; secondly, point the impact of the interchange experience on the career path defined; followed by an exposition of plans, sense of purpose and results to society, coming, finally, to a reasonable conclusion.

Throughout student life, the geotechnical engineering came up to be a strong field of interest and it was constantly nurtured afterwards through professional performance. As an academic, the mixed method between theory and practice, added to the fact that soils have countless behavioural profiles, kept me, at the same time, intrigued and connected to the real world applications of this science. As a civil engineer, the experience of participating of the "Construction Consortium Line 4 South" of the Rio de Janeiro's Underground Metro provided me an intense practical learning and enabled me visualising the necessity of developing specific technical skills to work within this area. I've worked with subterranean activities which allowed me witnessing severe geotechnical accidents, as well as permitted me taking part of implementation of engineering solutions. As a result, I became strongly aware of the required mindfulness and the great risks involved in such enterprises. Likewise, I have felt challenged, thrilled to continue exploring the singularities of this field. Brazil, a giant of the BRICS, still lack specialized personnel and all around the world, the geotechnical engineer is one of the most needed professionals - reasons that intensify further the motivation towards my choice.

After some outstanding experiences, I've opted for pursuing the master degree and therefore, prior to the next step, I invested in the improvement of English language. Through a six-month interchange in Malta, beyond the development of language skills, I could experience the European infrastructures and study/live with people from diverse countries. This opportunity, besides enabling the development of diplomatic behaviour and the expansion of horizons, propitiated me to access high standard underground metro system, such as the ones existent in London and Paris. Consequently, I've fallen in love with such efficient structures and added to the previous professional experience, I became particularly interested in studies related to tunnels, subterranean works and public transportation. From thereon, it was started the quest for entering in this select field; projects such as the huge infrastructure development plan on going in the UK made me yet more excited.

The tunnelling career path gives me purposefulness and I see myself contributing to civil engineering society and to community through projects capable of generating better standard of life. In huge urban centres, subterranean space is the most suitable path to the development of infrastructure - congestion avoidance and preservation of green areas are some of the consequent benefits; also, when it comes to public transportation, it's known that metros are one of the most efficient means and its effectiveness generates economic growth, offering quality of living to community and increasing income to government. For instance, it can be cited 2 impactful projects in London: Thames Tideway Tunnel - a tunnel responsible for collecting overflowed sewage to reduce the contamination of the Thames River; and the Crossrail 2 - a metro line aiming to connect people's home to their jobs in the city. I deeply desire to be able to influence the civil engineering society in an important manner through projects as the ones previously mentioned, as well as through committees such as the International Tunnelling Association. I intend to contribute to development of Brazil and other countries and stimulate the utilization of the underground.

In summary, the MSc in Geotechnical Engineering and Management has been chosen due to the experiences displayed, the passion aroused as a consequence of those experiences and the meaning of the mission generated by contribution to society. The University of Birmingham's programme, through its excellence and tradition among industry, will provide me with the technical skills needed and yet enable me developing managerial traits to apply to actual geotechnical problems, positioning me several steps towards the desired career.

Scholarship / Expansion of the underground space usage - Career Plan Question _ Chevening Scholarship [NEW]

Hi everyone! This is my essay for the career plan question of the Chevening scholarship application. I would appreciate any insights, suggestions, corrections, etc. Hope to hear from you guys. Thank you!

Chevening is looking for individuals who have a clear post-study career plan. Outline your immediate plans upon returning home and your longer term career goals, considering how these relate to UK priorities in your country.

* UK priority areas can be found on your country page of the Chevening website
(minimum word count: 50 words, maximum word count: 500 words)

Once finalized my master degree in 2017, regressing to Brazil, I'm going to pursue a job position at a consultancy/ infrastructure company in Săo Paulo or Rio de Janeiro, where are concentrated both, the main projects of infrastructure development and the most expressive urban problems. These cities, as main economic hub, are the fresh start for my plans of influence the expansion of the underground works.

With my background and UK experience, I will seek to integrate one of the extension projects of metro system. On this role, I will assist to propose methods of design and construction to overcome difficulties during execution of tunnels and subterranean stations. The goal is achieving a resonant performance on the project by delivering significant results and offering a very useful final product to society. And by 2020, I intend to reach an opportunity of joining an international consulting firm, such as CH2M or Mott MacDonald, where I'm going to work with global operations and bring modern technologies and alternative methods of constructing to services performed in Brazil. Likewise, I will have become a member of Brazilian Committee of Tunnels to disseminate and stimulate the usage of the underground space and reinforce the networking necessary to do so.

Within the consulting company, around 2030, having accomplished further specialization and having experienced vast distinct enterprises, I intend to be managing the technical sector and executing studies for subterranean works worldwide. Eventually, as a result of years leading projects with passion and commitment, I visualize myself become an associate of the firm. In parallel to this, due to meaningful collaboration on the sector, hopefully, I'm going to represent my country within the International Tunneling and Underground Space Association, entering on the fight for the propagation of the benefits of the underground space utilization, by the side of great Brazilian professionals, such as Tarcísio Barreto Celestino e André Assis.

Furthermore, I have the dreaming of assisting young students approach a graduation or post-graduation abroad, in order to bring the outstanding teaching and non-provincial vision to collaborate on the development of Brazil. The idea is starting from the unity until creating a foundation. We have some institutions which are already in this line, and in my opinion, as much as we do as individual, better results we can obtain as country. Education is the foundation of changes and may be the baseline to solve many issues.

Scholarship / Where did the dream come from? Studying in the UK Question - Chevening Scholarship [4]

Hello everyone,

I'm a Chevening scholarship applicant and this is my essay for the studying in the UK question and I would deeply appreciate hear some feedback from you guys: Suggestions, Corrections, etc.

Thank you!

Outline why you have selected your chosen three university courses, and explain how this relates to your previous academic or professional experience and your plans for the future.

*Please do not duplicate the information you have entered on the work experience and education section of this form (minimum word count: 50 words, maximum word count: 500 words)

Throughout my student life, Geotechnics, the science of soil behavior, have always been the topic responsible for the sparkle in my eyes. This subject is literally the foundation to all structures and as a passionate for great constructions, its peculiarities made me continuously inquisitive. Dams, Bridges, Tunnels begin to take shape through geotechnical investigations. My curiosity was increasingly fed along the work experience and after participation in the Rio de Janeiro metro line construction, I became particularly interested by studies related to Tunnels and subterranean space.

Brazil's biggest cities suffer too much with intense traffic jams, where people spend hours to go to school or jobs. Unfortunately, we don't have the culture of using public transportation and yet Săo Paulo's metro is one of the most populous of the world. Rio de Janeiro, the most visited touristic city in Brazil, has only 2 metro's lines. In other words, I believe that subterranean space is going to be the most suitable path to develop infrastructure in large urban centers and improvement of infrastructure influences economy and quality of living as well.

From that, it was born a dream and a significant cause. Also, the fact of having witnessed impressive accidents due to geotechnical issues and the deficiency of specialized professionals in this area enhanced the will and necessity of further my education even more. Added to the previous reasons, considering my aspirations, at this moment, the UK offers more than the excellence of the universities. The huge infrastructure plan on going provides the largest school in the open, from where is possible to absorb practical experience through projects such as Crossrail, Thames Tideway Tunnel, High Speed 2, among others. It is absolutely the perfect timing to carry out my master degree on that site. The possibility of breathing that environment gives me great enthusiasm.

To begin developing my plan, I have chosen the 3 universities in UK that covers modules related to tunneling and underground space. As my first option, I selected the University of Birmingham, the one which possesses the best Geotechnical Engineering MSc in the UK and also delivers professionals to big consulting companies. The University of Warwick, as one of the 5 universities of the world with a master degree in Tunneling and Underground Space, was picked out as second option. And finally, as one of the top civil engineering schools, the University of Surrey was chosen, with the Advanced Geotechnical Engineering MSc, due to its enriching syllabus.

My goal is acquiring strong technical knowledge and substantial networking to be able to collaborate effectively with the development of Brazil's and world's infrastructure, through the improvement of underground space usage, where, not so far, will be the main focus of the urban infrastructure expansion.

Scholarship / Being a warrior I have a hunger of making changes. Chevening LEADERSHIP & INFLUENCE QUESTION [3]

Hello everyone! I'm applying to Chevening Scholarship and this is my first essay. I'm having a hard time finalizing it and would appreciate some insight about... opinions, ideas, corrections.

Chevening is looking for individuals that will be future leaders or influencers in their home countries. Explain how you meet this requirement, using clear examples of your own leadership and influencing skills to support your answer.

(minimum word count: 50 words, maximum word count: 500 words)

As a child I received very much influence from my father, a former semi illiterate foreman who enjoyed reading and learning new things by himself. Some days he used to take me with him to his work, where since so young I learnt reading projects and walking among workers with confidence and respect. The Civil Engineering career was chosen through admiration by the transformation power and passion for great projects. I couldn't control the "Wow" in my eyes every time I saw a big bridge.

Once finished Building Technical studies, degree in Civil Engineering, scientific researches and internships, I was placed as resident engineer in a Brazilian infrastructure company through a trainee selection where features such as enthusiasm and energy stood out from the crowd. The position assumed required leadership, confidence, balance, team work, dynamic, emotional intelligence, motivation and inspiration for self and others. I can't say I was already gifted with all those characteristics instantly, but I may say that there was a huge will of learning and make it happen, added to persistence and determination. The played behavior made me conquer the consideration of my supervisor.

The experienced engineer supervisor initially didn't believe in the capacity of a little skinny woman act as site engineer. Being up all day, walking and giving instructions under the sun, being physically and mentally strong was usually work done by men. However, such hard working aroused his view to the warrior I am and a master/ apprentice relationship was established, enabling me to improve the skills of a leader. Knowledge, balance between firmness and flexibility, humility and desire to continue learning from everyone around you (regardless of age or hierarchy) causes respect, admiration and ability to lead.

Released from the apprenticeship, after learning how walking by my feet, I had the opportunity of working in a consortium constructor of a metro line representing my company among others. It was there where I could taste my own impact from the boss to the led. I learnt how necessary is infecting people with positivity, showing the importance of believing in themselves and in the projects they are involved. Among more than 400 contributors, manager, engineers, foremen, interns, technicians and assistants, the team was capable of exceed expectations, breaking records, through bold goals and engineering risks, returning substantial financial results to the companies and to the workers, as well as achieving the expected final product to the client.

In summary, it's necessary have enough courage to make difference somehow, mainly knowing how difficult is going outside our comfy box to fight battle which few people buy. Brazil is a country in development which needs to improve its infrastructure heavily. I dream with a Brazil going on the path of an underground system such as London. I believe in the investment on the development of subterranean world and to achieve this, daring is needed. I have a hunger of making change and changing requires courageous, boldness, passion and tenacity, features that I sure can afford.