MOTIVATION letter
Growing up in a developing city (Karachi), the construction of buildings always fascinated me. I would always wonder how builders are able to construct such exquisite and gigantic buildings that would stand like a rock without even moving an inch. Passing through the national highway every now and then, I used to be baffled by the eye-catching skyscrapers. I was always curious to know the process these buildings undergo for the construction. That's what made me pick Civil Engineering as my major in bachelors.
I started my bachelors with immense excitement and gave my best in all the courses. During my second year, I conducted a survey, supervised by one of our Associate Professors and ATLAS, on the "demand of Green Line BRT in Karachi". Additionally, I evaluated the results of that survey. I also did an internship with Abaseen Construction Company during my third year where I worked on two different sites i.e. "Getz Pharma" and "Agha Khan Hospital". In that period, I got a glimpse of the professional world and learnt about piling, footing, formwork, finishing works, installation of girders, measuring water levels, excavation work, and placement of beams and columns etc.
Meanwhile during my bachelors, I got enrolled in several online courses related to Python and completed some projects like "Vehicle Detection and Classification using Python" and "Employee Monitoring System in Python". In addition, I learned to use P6 Primavera and GIS (Geographical Information System). Moreover, I also did a semester project on GIS in which I made a digital map of my university and several other stuff. That was the time I realized how significant the role of computers is in Civil Engineering. Furthermore, I attended a seminar/workshop on "Fly Ash in Civil Infrastructure Applications" organized by CAHSBE at NED University.
For my final year project, I had numerous options to choose from, but I chose a project related to Water/Hydraulics and Soil Mechanics, because over the three-year bachelors period, I had developed interest in the aforementioned fields. So, I and my group mates chose fly-ash and lime as lining materials for the canals as it seemed to be an economical option for the problem of seepage. We conducted several tests on the soil samples collected from the Jam Branch canal. We also modeled the behavior of water using a software "Geostudio". Consequently, we found fly-ash to be the best substitute of the concrete because of its cost-effectiveness and low permeability.
Alongside my education, I have continued volunteering for a non-profit organization. I have been teaching needy and deserving college students Physics, Chemistry, Math and English for several years. I also conduct examinations there. Being a teacher for several years, I have developed communication and managerial skills.
Eventually, following my interest in Water and Hydraulics/Hydrology, I am keen to pursue masters in the same field. Prior to applying in the University of Padua, I couldn't find many programs interesting me in any university. Then I came to know about one of the oldest and prestigious Italian universities i.e. University of Padua. One of my seniors studying at the same university in the same program had also recommended me to apply here. I can assure that I would be a worthy candidate for this master's program at the University of Padua because of my knowledge in the area of water and hydraulics/hydrology and my hands-on experience with the softwares/tools like GIS, Geostudio and Primavera. After getting trained by renowned professors of Padua, I am expecting to be able to help my country in mitigating water shortage and water losses due to the poor management of water resources. In addition to that, I am aiming to do research related to the same topic.