<p>This is my UC Personal Statement #2. It is a very rough draft right now, and I want to hear some critiques and impressions. Any comments would be greatly appreciated. </p>
<p>Tell us about a personal quality, talent, accomplishment, contribution or experience that is important to you. What about this quality or accomplishment makes you proud, and how does it relate to the person you are?</p>
<p>I have always been fascinated by the quality in man that Renaissance humanists dubbed virtu. They defined virtu as the quality in man to shape the world according to his whims, the definitive quality that marked mankind as special. I have always taken virtu to be a philosophy of pragmatism, a recognition that to change the world, an individual must take action. American society has become a society of accessibility and, thus, bred a generation that would rather defer their problems to others. To many people obtaining drinking water is a simple task; one may head to the store to buy bottled water or simply turn on their tap. But few recognize just where the water comes from or how it is transported. So is it really a shock that the problem of water shortage lies unanswered? I often hear many of my classmates complaining about the American political system. “It is too corrupt,” they say, “My votes makes no difference, so why should I vote at all?” It seems that to them, the solution is no solution at all, as if the problem will fix itself.
This recognition of practicality has shaped both my academic and philosophical perspective. Sometimes in my Calculus class, it becomes easier to simply memorize formulas and recognize solving problems as a simple procedure. But in doing so, one forgets what the formula even means, how it can be applied in real life and the scientific principles it signifies. As a result, I often try to understand the fundamental concepts behind equations and their derivations, so I may better understand how it is represented in the real world. This has helped me significantly in the course of my Physics class, where simple concepts are modeled in highly complex theoretical situations.
The focus on the real life application of math and science is what drew me to engineering. I remember when I first opened up the inner components of my toilet and fixed the faulty flush valve chain. “When I press on the flush handle,” I thought, “the chain remains slack. Perhaps it needs to be more tight.” And indeed, by simply attaching the chain to a different position, it became taut enough to flush. I recall thinking that day, “ I finally understand cause and effect. Now I can do anything.”
It is always a rush for me to see tangible effects to my own actions. It gives me a sense of power and achievement,of independence. As a child it helped me understand that my parents could not solve all my problems for me. But most importantly it meant that I could affect change. With a world so large, sometimes it is easy to feel helpless, to feel as if the world will move on with or without you. But seeing the consequences of my own actions gives me a sense of permeance, a sense of purpose and validation. I choose the practical approach to life. I will approach my problems and learning constructively. I will change the world little by little and in doing so, I will reach my potential.</p>