Master of Engineering, Civil Engineering

Since I was a secondary school student, I kept pondering what made the 21st century stand out so significantly from the past and the answer that I have found for myself is technology, building and infrastructure. Indeed, the internet, stunning skyscrapers and spectacular bridges around the world are the iconic examples of humans’ advanced civilization. My uncle, an engineer who involved in many construction projects during his life, has taken me to visit one of his on-going project site and explained to me how wonderful it is to be a civil engineer. In fact, it is really captivating to figure out how engineers could build colossal buildings that accommodate and protect thousands of people from the elements and infrastructures that facilitate human’s need. All of these have inspired me to becoming a civil engineer who can contribute to the creation of the future construction masterpieces.

To achieve my goal, I spared no effort to train and prepare myself during high school by excelling in mathematics and physics, which are the two basic components of civil engineering. Fortunately, hard work was paid off when I was able to secure a place in the National University of Singapore in 2010 for my undergraduate study and my major was, without hesitation, civil engineering. To tell the truth, at first, I was not accustomed to the fast-paced learning environment in Singapore; however, it took a semester to adapt and overcome cultural difference and perform at my utmost in the University, which brought about better and better academic results after each year. In general, the construction industry in Asia and particularly in Singapore has been blooming over the past few decades. Land constraint has resulted in high demand of innovative design of high-rise buildings, which has led the local universities to upgrade their engineering programs to stimulate independence and creativity. In fact, thanks to the assignments and group projects, I was involved in a number of down-to-earth problems in which creative solution was implemented to resolve the issues. Such practice has honed my engineering skills and improved my soft skills such as communication and team work.

Upon the university graduation in 2014, I was fortunately employed by a local consultant firm whose specialization is building and infrastructure. Over the past three years, I have involved in high-rise building projects both locally and overseas, which offered me unprecedented opportunities to make use of what I have learnt in school to provide engineering solution to accommodate design constraint from clients and fellow consultants. The multidisciplinary nature of the construction industry has broaden my horizon and this is when I learn that a knowledge upgrade is crucial. At this point of time, I have realized that my undergraduate education has given me only a glimpse of the construction field and there is more to be explored. As a result, after deliberate consideration and consultation from my seniors and supervisors, I have made up my mind to continue my study as a Master’s degree student. The purpose of the graduate study is to equip myself with the advanced knowledge regarding civil engineering and this has explained why I chose the coursework program.

According to my research, university education in Canada is one of the best in the world in terms of academic excellence and practicality. Personally, I strongly believe that the University of Saskatchewan would be able to deliver what I am seeking for thanks to the great facilities, learning experience and practical subjects that you offer. Looking forward, I hold a hope that the University would grant me a chance to become one of your students.