Here in India, we have a festival called ‘Makar Sankranti’ whcih is celebrated to honour ‘the sun moving back to the tropic of cancer’. I love Makar Sankranti, not because I am a fan of astrological movements but because this festival incorporates kite flying. It is a very special time as people of all ages gather together to take part in various kite flying activities that occur during the festival. And it is this thrill of participating in those kite flying activities that drew me closer to kites. As a kid, I’d often spend long nights, building and designing the kites that I’d use in the kite flying competitions. I’d make beautiful designs, attach rudders and tails to my kites and would often come up with such innovative models which easily ensure my victory in most of those competitions. Little did I know then, that such avid indulgences in childhood would bloom into a passion for designing mechanical devices. After I entered high school, I got a chance to present a model at the annual science exhibition. Going with my interest, I along with my team ended up designing a model based on a novel idea of using Bernoulli’s theorem to generate electricity through tidal waves. While the model itself was well appreciated, it enabled me to understand Bernoulli’s theorem and the principles of flight in greater detail. Through high school I strengthened and mastered the educational faculties available to me. I taught myself computer programming and neuro-science. My endeavours in these fields saw me developing a unique ‘Java Editor’, winning the Montford Mathematics Olympiad and my research paper getting published in the coveted journal of THE ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF INDIA. It may seem as a marvellous episode but in reality, I’ve missed much. I missed to see the first fire being lit by man, couldn’t see wheel being invented. I wasn’t there to watch those emotions of anticipation & anxiety turning into those of thrill & accomplishment before & after Benjamin Franklin’s kite flying experiment. Sadly, when Graham Bell uttered the first words in his telephone, I wasn’t even conceived. That’s enough to send me into deep levels of depression. Hence I vowed never to miss any further game changing breakthrough. And it is in fulfillment of this vow that Northwestern Polytechnical University(NWPU) comes into play. At NWPU, I know I’ll never be missing the advent of another grand scientific innovation. And NWPU’s focus on undergrad education and research assures the plausibility of my participation in new inventions, especially in my area of interest- mechanical engineering.
Hence what allures me most is the prospect of undergrad-centric teaching and focus on undergrad research; which coupled with close supervision and involvement by the faculty will make sure that the vaguest of my ideas can materialize. Along with honing academic skills, the liberty to commit mistakes is equally important, as none can impart as experience can. NWPU with its top-notch science education along with an adequate dose of arts perfectly fits the bill, and hence is an obvious pick. With resources like edX, higher education is easily accessible. But what remains exclusive to NWPU is its community where I’ll learn as much over coffee as much I learn in class. There is a saying among jazz musicians- if u r not the worst musician in your band, u should immediately switch bands. Here I’ll find myself among some of the finest brains of Asia and obtain the thrilling opportunity to unflinchingly invite both flak and support for my views, thus enlightening me further, giving me enough space and opportunities to learn and grow. All of it combined with a flexible coursework, ample opportunities for music and theatre (things I do for recreation) and the ability to design and learn specific courses will help me make the most of my time and resources and that of NWPU as well. Plus, NWPU has an added attraction of being located in China- a nation I would gladly wish to study in. In the next ten years China will rule the world of technology. With massive investment in scientific research by the Chinese Administration, I see China speeding up on the Science Superhighway. And I, want a front seat on that ride; hence, NWPU with its top ranking and highly acclaimed Engineering program perfectly fits my bill. Moreover, having made good use of the resources offered to me and, having seized every opportunity available to me, I believe that I stand in a position that will see me making the best of the splendid resources offered to me at NWPU. Prometheus’s gift of fire allowed humanity to overpower its fear of darkness. And I am sure that similarly, NWPU will ignite the fire of knowledge and wisdom and help me to diminish the darkness of ignorance.
