Engineers turn ideas (technical, scientific, mathematical) into reality. Tell us about an engineering idea you have or your interest in engineering. Explain how Cornell Engineering can help you further explore this idea or interest. (MAXIMUM 500 WORDS)
Letters and words have never been my strongest allies. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy reading novels, poems and news articles. Nonetheless, I am occasionally unable to understand those camouflaged symbols that seem to hide themselves maliciously in the subtext.
Paint and brushes are also a nightmare. They have haunted me ever since my classmates looked at my drawing of an alien starship and confused it for a tree. They thought that the futuristic ray of light being emitted from its subjacent (or underlying?) surface was a mere tree trunk. Since then, I've only trusted myself with stick figures.
The truth is, though, that despite my difficulty understanding the encoded language of literature or drawing anything that involves skills other than ruler-using, I find Art bewitching because of its ability to see the nonexistent and its capacity to be limitless. Art attracts me precisely because it is random and unpredictable; it is always a surprise.
On the other hand, I have constantly excelled in my math and science classes: I've aced tests, solved challenging math puzzles, built amphibious RC cars for science fairs and even tutored high school students in calculus, chemistry and physics. Logic and reasoning have become an addiction for me, and in my thirst for rational knowledge I gobble up information from textbooks and websites while attentively listening to my father's explanation on the classic question of why the sky is blue. However, the reason I've chosen engineering is because it allows me access to artistic fulfillment as well. Engineering is all-encompassing, incorporating vision, design and execution. The engineer participates in all processes of creation - from the idea, to the plan, to the solidification - and, like a blacksmith, forges Science and Art into a single apparatus, setting off to change the world.
I believe that Cornell University can provide me with the appropriate tools and guidance to weld these two contrasting forces together. Initiatives such as Student Project Teams are aspects that have made me choose Cornell because participants blend their creative skills with their scientific knowledge to solve problems of the real world. By participating in the CUAUV team, for instance, I would use my understanding of science to come up with creative solutions when building an underwater vehicle. Even more rewarding is using this invention to assist environmental efforts in the Cayuga Lake. Also, I know I will succeed in exploring Science and Art through the Co-op Program where undergraduates are motivated to apply their expertise to the practical sphere. The school's support of undergraduate research - with students teaming up with faculty in many projects - as well as its Elysian campus has made me believe Cornell is just what I've been looking for.
Mixing numbers together with letters and paint, I hope to one day become a whole-brained engineer who sees the world as a blank piece of paper. After all, an engineer must first come up with an artistic idea before cutting, folding and shaping the world.
Any comments are welcome :)
Letters and words have never been my strongest allies. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy reading novels, poems and news articles. Nonetheless, I am occasionally unable to understand those camouflaged symbols that seem to hide themselves maliciously in the subtext.
Paint and brushes are also a nightmare. They have haunted me ever since my classmates looked at my drawing of an alien starship and confused it for a tree. They thought that the futuristic ray of light being emitted from its subjacent (or underlying?) surface was a mere tree trunk. Since then, I've only trusted myself with stick figures.
The truth is, though, that despite my difficulty understanding the encoded language of literature or drawing anything that involves skills other than ruler-using, I find Art bewitching because of its ability to see the nonexistent and its capacity to be limitless. Art attracts me precisely because it is random and unpredictable; it is always a surprise.
On the other hand, I have constantly excelled in my math and science classes: I've aced tests, solved challenging math puzzles, built amphibious RC cars for science fairs and even tutored high school students in calculus, chemistry and physics. Logic and reasoning have become an addiction for me, and in my thirst for rational knowledge I gobble up information from textbooks and websites while attentively listening to my father's explanation on the classic question of why the sky is blue. However, the reason I've chosen engineering is because it allows me access to artistic fulfillment as well. Engineering is all-encompassing, incorporating vision, design and execution. The engineer participates in all processes of creation - from the idea, to the plan, to the solidification - and, like a blacksmith, forges Science and Art into a single apparatus, setting off to change the world.
I believe that Cornell University can provide me with the appropriate tools and guidance to weld these two contrasting forces together. Initiatives such as Student Project Teams are aspects that have made me choose Cornell because participants blend their creative skills with their scientific knowledge to solve problems of the real world. By participating in the CUAUV team, for instance, I would use my understanding of science to come up with creative solutions when building an underwater vehicle. Even more rewarding is using this invention to assist environmental efforts in the Cayuga Lake. Also, I know I will succeed in exploring Science and Art through the Co-op Program where undergraduates are motivated to apply their expertise to the practical sphere. The school's support of undergraduate research - with students teaming up with faculty in many projects - as well as its Elysian campus has made me believe Cornell is just what I've been looking for.
Mixing numbers together with letters and paint, I hope to one day become a whole-brained engineer who sees the world as a blank piece of paper. After all, an engineer must first come up with an artistic idea before cutting, folding and shaping the world.
Any comments are welcome :)
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