Как поступить в Кембридж или Оксфорд - [44]

Кроме того, можно, хотя и не обязательно, рассказать в эссе о ваших планах на будущее. Главное – не зацикливаться лишь на событиях из вашей биографии.

Моё собственное эссе

Далее я привожу эссе, которое сама писала при поступлении, точнее, его последнюю версию (их у меня было около десяти).

Вначале оно содержало намного больше информации о моих достижениях, но потом я решила сократить эту часть. Так как я подавала на инженера, из последних версий я решила исключить упоминание о том, что владею немецким языком, о награде Кембриджского конкурса по рисованию и достижениях более чем двухлетней давности (олимпиадах и т. п.). Я также никогда не включала в эссе рассказ о своих любительских занятиях спортом.

For a long time I absolutely hated Maths, I found it boring as each problem was following exactly the same algorithm. This has completely changed when the syllabus started getting more varied and I got an opportunity to see how interesting and challenging mathematical problems could be. Reading books by Vladimir Smirnov, Grigorii Fichtenholz convinced me that Maths was not at all what it appeared to me before. When I started deriving various equations in Physics, I saw how differentiation, integration and graphs are linked together and can give us so much information about the world around us. But the thing I enjoyed most in my classes was trying to make links between theories and real life, this is how I decided that engineering is the best course for me.

One particular lecture that I found intriguing was about environmental issues in the engine industry and the promise offered by hybrid engines. This encouraged me to read and find out more about the way different types of engines are constructed and the types of cycles they use. I also found it very interesting to look at the pros and cons of each of them and their uses for different purposes in various cars. I particularly enjoy YouTube videos by Petes Hotrodes on Engine Building, where he gives in‑depth explanations on the uses of different materials for different types of performance, comparing them in a very clear and constructive way, and also showing how to install them. This encouraged me to try to build my own engine; after I did some research I decided, I should start with a Stirling engine, as it is the simplest design.

To take my interest in car mechanics further, I decided to do my Maths coursework in relation to engineering and explored the external and internal forces acting on a car rounding a bend. I focused on the calculations of how the pressure should be changed in the tyres of the car to create a mass difference that will balance the moments of inertia and stabilise forces within it, and also investigate ways that a car track can be changed to allow performance at high speeds. I found the study of the necessary simplifications and learning how to do multiple integration, a valuable experience. Then I asked myself, how we could find a function that would describe the direction of centripetal acceleration of a race track. This is how I came across evolutes and involutes, I decided to explore the evolutes of different curves that were resemble race tracks. This motivated me to do my IB Extended Essay on the research of different definitions of evolute to see which one was most convenient to use for graphs and modelling.

Last year I also participated in the Engineering Education Scheme, where I came up with the final idea for our product: a device for visually impaired people to help them find their personal belongings. I gained many useful skills: firstly, I learned some C++ in order to write some code for the XBee receivers, which partly dealt with noise elimination. Secondly, I learnt how to design a product taking into account accessibility, size and materials. Thirdly, I improved my manual skills by learning to solder, making cases for the transmitter and receivers, and so on. I enjoyed this project immensely and confirmed my choice of future career. Apart from the obvious engineering‑related skills, I became aware of many other things that an engineer should deal with, such as being a good teamworker, leadership and organisation, and the ability to reflect on your own mistakes to identify the causes. We worked hard and we each received a Gold Crest Award. I have also learnt that it is important to be able to clearly and effectively convey your ideas through participation in the Debating society and Model UN. Taking into account all the qualities that I possess, I think I am well‑suited to the study of Engineering at University, am confident in my choices and very much look forward to the challenges ahead.

Как видите, первый параграф моего эссе содержит мало информации о моих достижениях. По большей мере в нём говорится о том, как развивался мой интерес к математике и физике, а также о ключевой причине, по которой они мне нравятся.

Мне было довольно тяжело соблюсти баланс и не увлечься рассказом лишь о математике (ведь, как видите, мои курсовые работы были очень «математическими», а, как инженеру, мне скорее подошли бы работы по физике, посвящённые, к примеру, изучению солнечных батарей).