Civil engineering is an important part of my family’s identity. My father studied for a bachelor’s, a master’s and a PhD in civil engineering, before going on to set up his own engineering and construction company. As a result of my father’s profession, I was exposed to the world of engineering from a very young age. As a child I spent a lot of my time visiting construction sites with my father; I always found these visits fascinating, and from them I learnt a lot about materials, machinery, and construction in general. Through my family connection I have also been lucky enough to have been able to follow many of his company’s construction projects from their earliest planning stages through to their completion. This upbringing has encouraged me to want to follow a career path into the world of civil engineering and construction myself, and as a result I am highly motivated to study civil engineering at university. I must stress, however, that it is not simply an enthusiasm for building projects that motivates me. I believe that infrastructure projects have the power to transform communities and improve human quality of life. Roads, ports, bridges and dams all have the power to totally change the economic fortunes of a country or city, and in so doing increase the wellbeing of their citizens. I feel it would be a privilege to be involved in a profession where I could help make such a difference to the world around me. There is also an intellectual dimension to my interest in civil engineering. I love problem solving, and the challenge of successfully completing complex construction projects is one that I would relish. I particularly enjoy working as part of a team on challenging projects, and civil engineering is certainly a field where teamwork is essential to achieve results.

In addition to my informal extensive involvement with civil engineering through my father’s work, I have also carried out two work placements of two months duration each at an engineering and construction company. The placements allowed me to get to grips with different aspects of a construction business. During the first placement I was based mainly in the company’s offices, and so was able to learn more about the behind-the-scenes aspects of construction projects. During the second work placement I worked with the surveying team on a housing project. I really enjoyed the experience of working on-site and learning more about the many different factors that have to be taken into consideration when carrying out a large-scale production project. I have also worked in a local coffee shop; while not related to engineering, the experience has never the less helped me to develop important skills such as being able to work under pressure.

In my spare time I enjoy a wide range of hobbies, and in particular sports. I regularly practice taekwondo, and have so far reached the level of blue belt. Recreationally I enjoy swimming and football, and I have represented my school in tennis and rugby. I am a very enthusiastic student at school, and am particularly interested in physics and mathematics. In part I enjoy these two subjects because I am aware of their relevance to engineering, and have seen first-hand how they are applied to the fascinating world of designing and erecting infrastructure projects. At the same time, however, they also appeal to my general scientific curiosity and my love of solving complex problems.  I am a hard-working and committed student, and at the moment my immediate priority is to gain the best A Level results possible, so that I am as prepared for the demands of studying civil engineering as possible. I look forward to the opportunity to dedicate my efforts towards excelling in my university studies. After completing a BSc I hope to then take a master’s in engineering, before carrying out a research degree in the field.