Statement of purpose for master's program in embedded systems engineering

SOP

I have been performing surgery on electronics since I was five years old, and I figured out how to unscrew the back of my old stereo. Harvesting tubes from discarded stereos became my number one hobby, before I learned how to drive. The nice old man at my local electronics store used to save up boxes of freebies for me, because he knew I could not afford to buy my own parts. Using discarded materials, I would create what I now call "franken-machines," using my self-taught, rudimentary knowledge of electronics and electronics design. The architecture of electronics continues to fascinate me, and I have even made some pocket money helping my friends, or their friends, fix broken devices. For me, these things came easy. I have had to challenge myself to learn beyond the old technologies and now, I have a working command of circuit boards and even larger-scale electronics that power machinery and commercial jets. There isn't an electrical engineering project, no matter how large or how small, that intimidates me. I recently read an article about the shift away from silicon towards products like metal-insulator-metal, which have the potential to revolutionize mobile computing (Banks, 2010). It is on the cutting edge of electrical engineering that I hope to dwell.

My core skills were developed through my teen years, as I amassed a personal library related to electrical engineering and design. As an undergraduate, my focus in studies was clear. I learned about electrical engineering as it applies to music, aviation, and computing. The cultivation of knowledge included a broader understanding of physics and chemistry, while retaining energy for my core courses. I learned about everything from solar batteries to information systems, and this knowledge whirls around in my head waiting to be discharged into a suitable graduate program.

Beyond the core curriculum in formal classrooms, I continued my hobby of taking everything around me apart for dissection and diagnosis. Taking my friends' old computers allowed me tremendous insight into embedded systems, which enhanced my formal learning in the classroom. The difference to me was between listening to music and playing an instrument; or reading about neurosurgery and actually cutting apart someone's skull. I have to have a hands-on component to my learning, which is why extracurricular activities will remain a part of my academic career. In earnest, I expect to find an internship that can satisfy my hands as well as my mind.

Systems design is where my mind really shines. I have the ability to envision the system, which I sometimes sketch haphazardly on paper first before even beginning to use any software tools. I especially appreciate the problem-solving aspect of systems design: assessing the needs of the end user and plotting a course that will enable the system to fulfill those needs. The best part is anticipating problems: working through its bugs and discovering new ones that need to be unknotted.