From a very young age, I have been enthralled by the idea of building bridges across rivers.
The series of long, strong and colossal columns of a bridge, standing across mighty rivers still
inspires awe in me. When I asked my father, who built these bridges? “Civil engineers did.”
came the reply. That incident has instilled a sense of admiration in me towards the civil
engineering profession.
Once when I was in high-school, during a vacation, I accompanied my family in a trip to
Mumbai, where I witnessed some nightmarish traffic woes and wondered whether there is a
solution to such problems. Later I learned that civil engineers posses the skill and ability to
solve the frustrating problem of traffic congestion, I also came to know that good
infrastructural facilities are necessary for economic growth of a country, and that civil
engineers play a pivotal role in developing such facilities. These experiences have left an
indelible impression on my mind and made me to resolve firmly to become a civil engineer.
After taking up the civil engineering stream in my bachelor’s program, I came to know about
the field of Transportation engineering while studying the subjects ‘Transportation
Engineering’ and ‘Pavement Design’. I was amazed to know about the technical nuances that
are involved in the design, construction and maintenance of the highways. I also became
aware of the significance of Transportation engineering in the process of development of a
nation, and how transportation engineering affects the quality of living of citizens of a nation.
That awareness came to me by experiencing certain problems in first hand; Problems which
arise due to lack of good transportation systems. For instance, my school-bus used to
frequently get stuck in traffic jams in the town where I lived, even the major roads of that
town are replete with potholes. To cite another example, the traffic control systems are so
pathetic in my town, even emergency services cannot reach the victims in time. These are the
problems that could be found in almost all of Indian urban centres.
In India, the country where I come from, lack of all-weather roads in villages, poor quality
standards of national highways, traffic congestion in urban centres, are only few of several
problems being faced by the transportation sector. These problems are hindering the
economic growth of my country. I believe that the productivity of a country will be enhanced
when its villages, towns and cities are inter-connected in the most efficient manner with well
designed and well maintained roads, enabling its citizens to commute between places in a
quick and safe way, and also facilitating the transportation of various goods produced in
different parts of the country to places where they are needed. I want to make a contribution
in providing solutions to the aforementioned problems, so I have decided to pursue my
masters in the field of transportation engineering.
I was able to study the general and basic principles of highway engineering and pavement
design in my bachelor’s program. However, the curriculum did not directly accommodate any
kind of hands-on experience related to the field of transportation engineering. So I decided to
do my project work, which I had to do as a part of my bachelor’s program, in that field. My
project is about providing an alternative, cost-effective pavement design using ‘cement
treated bases’, to a rural road which is subjected to repeated cycles of heavy loads imposed
by trucks. My project work includes conducting traffic volume studies, material testing (such
as the ‘California Bearing Ratio test’), stabilisation tests and durability tests on Cement
Treated Bases and finally providing a cost-effective pavement. By doing this project work I
have gained some valuable experience in relation to doing field work, proper techniques of
conducting relevant laboratory tests, and design principles.
As I have stated earlier, I am interested in solving transport infrastructure related problems
like traffic congestion and poor design of pavements. So, I intend to choose such subjects,
which can teach me the principles of Traffic engineering, design of signal systems and traffic
control and operation, especially in relevance to the urban traffic scenario. Apart from those
subjects, I would like to study about the design and maintenance of various types of
pavements, and also about recent advancements in the field of surface transportation systems.
I have always felt that safety on roads is of paramount importance, that belief became even
stronger when I have lost one of my family members in a road crash, so I want to study the
concepts of designing safe roadways as well. I also wish to study bridge engineering, which
has piqued my interest during my childhood. I believe that the knowledge which I gain by
studying subjects like those mentioned above, will empower me to tackle the troubles faced
by people while using roads and highways. I aim to shape my career in such a way that I will
be able to make a worthy contribution to the field of transportation engineering.
I have chalked out a plan regarding the course of action which I need to adopt in the next ten
years for growth of my career. After completion of my masters, I intend to work in either one
of the fields of traffic engineering, transportation modelling, urban transportation planning or
pavement design. The experience which I will eventually gain by working will enable me to
identify one sub-discipline within the transportation engineering field, in which some
research work would help in improving the existing standards. Subsequently, I will devote
my time and energies for doing research in that chosen field.
In order to accomplish my aim, I need to do my graduation from such an institution which
encourages multi-disciplinary research and provides international exposure to its students.
That is why I have decided to pursue my masters in the USA. I have chosen to apply for
admission into the ________ graduate civil engineering program, with emphasis on the field
of transportation engineering because I strongly believe that the facilities that are being
offered there, especially the ‘_______’ and the ‘________’ will help me in realising my
dream of becoming a competent transportation engineer. Developing counties like India need
such infrastructural systems which serve the needs of its citizens and at the same time
economically viable and eco-friendly. If I get a chance to participate in the research work
which is being conducted in the University’s ________, I will gain valuable insights which
enable me to design safe and sustainable transportation facilities and thereby participate in
designing of such facilities in my country or elsewhere in the world.
My mentors always tell me that the passion to learn and perseverance are the two traits that
define a good civil engineer. I can wholeheartedly claim that I do posses those qualities apart
from the capacity to think analytically and articulate my ideas lucidly. I can assert that I will
definitely be a good addition to the diverse graduate student fraternity of _______.
