1. Many applicants to college are unsure about eventual majors. What factors led you to an interest in the field of Engineering?
My interest in engineering stems mostly from my interest in physics. Whenever I would explain concepts such as quantum theory to my friends, the most common response I would get was "Well, that all sounds great, but what does it do?" It was these comments that made me realise that, while the theory is still very important, and can exist merely to satisfy our curiosity, there should also be people who look at the theory, and find novel ways to use it to solve problems. Not to mention that a giant orbital space laser would be the most awesome thing in existence.
2. What experiences beyond school work have broadened your interest in Engineering?
For starters, I haven't had any official school work relevant to engineering, since the physics syllabus is very much theory based. However, I have always had a fascination for the way things worked. When I first boarded an airplane, I did not worry about it crashing; rather, I wondered how it was able to get up and stay up, given its weight. Computers are especially fascinating, since everything I have learnt about them has been self-taught; I did not have the opportunity to take any courses in computing. Thus, when I built my first computer by myself, I had to teach myself a great deal about computer hardware, and found that I quite enjoyed the technical aspect of computer hardware. Finally, my only real hands-on experience with engineering has been in the new activity launched in our school known as the Renewable Energy Club, in which participants build, test, and write reports on various forms of renewable energy. I was in charge of hydrogen fuel cells, and had to build them up from components, as well as building voltmeters and motors to show that power could be generated and used.
3. Brown offers programs in Biomedical, Chemical, Civil, Computer, Electrical, Materials, and Mechanical Engineering. Because there is a common core curriculum within Engineering, students need not select a specific area until their junior year. We are curious to know, however, if any particular program within Engineering presently appeals to you. If so, please discuss that choice.
As I mentioned earlier, computer engineering is what appeals to me the most. I think that computer engineering has great potential to change the future of human society. Indeed, many of today's advancements in countless fields would not have been possible without the computer revolution - How long would it have taken to sequence the human genome by hand? Even the most mundane activities have been changed by advances in computing technology - where once it would have taken weeks to get a message to your friend in Kazakhstan, now you can talk to him face to face, from the comfort of your living room. And this barely scrapes the surface of the full potential of computers. Imagine a world where disease was non-existent, because nanorobots with atom-sized processors are able to eliminate any foreign agents. Or a world where a microchip the size of your fingernail can work faster than today's fastest super-computer, yet be placed inside a phone. This is the potential of computer engineering, and is the reason why it appeals to me.
My interest in engineering stems mostly from my interest in physics. Whenever I would explain concepts such as quantum theory to my friends, the most common response I would get was "Well, that all sounds great, but what does it do?" It was these comments that made me realise that, while the theory is still very important, and can exist merely to satisfy our curiosity, there should also be people who look at the theory, and find novel ways to use it to solve problems. Not to mention that a giant orbital space laser would be the most awesome thing in existence.
2. What experiences beyond school work have broadened your interest in Engineering?
For starters, I haven't had any official school work relevant to engineering, since the physics syllabus is very much theory based. However, I have always had a fascination for the way things worked. When I first boarded an airplane, I did not worry about it crashing; rather, I wondered how it was able to get up and stay up, given its weight. Computers are especially fascinating, since everything I have learnt about them has been self-taught; I did not have the opportunity to take any courses in computing. Thus, when I built my first computer by myself, I had to teach myself a great deal about computer hardware, and found that I quite enjoyed the technical aspect of computer hardware. Finally, my only real hands-on experience with engineering has been in the new activity launched in our school known as the Renewable Energy Club, in which participants build, test, and write reports on various forms of renewable energy. I was in charge of hydrogen fuel cells, and had to build them up from components, as well as building voltmeters and motors to show that power could be generated and used.
3. Brown offers programs in Biomedical, Chemical, Civil, Computer, Electrical, Materials, and Mechanical Engineering. Because there is a common core curriculum within Engineering, students need not select a specific area until their junior year. We are curious to know, however, if any particular program within Engineering presently appeals to you. If so, please discuss that choice.
As I mentioned earlier, computer engineering is what appeals to me the most. I think that computer engineering has great potential to change the future of human society. Indeed, many of today's advancements in countless fields would not have been possible without the computer revolution - How long would it have taken to sequence the human genome by hand? Even the most mundane activities have been changed by advances in computing technology - where once it would have taken weeks to get a message to your friend in Kazakhstan, now you can talk to him face to face, from the comfort of your living room. And this barely scrapes the surface of the full potential of computers. Imagine a world where disease was non-existent, because nanorobots with atom-sized processors are able to eliminate any foreign agents. Or a world where a microchip the size of your fingernail can work faster than today's fastest super-computer, yet be placed inside a phone. This is the potential of computer engineering, and is the reason why it appeals to me.