15 November 2008

Sample SOP #3

The key to all sciences is unquestionably the question mark. To the word How? We owe most of our greatest discoveries. Wisdom in life may perhaps consist in asking ourselves on all occasions: Why?”

(Sample Quote)

Honore de Balzac.

From the very first day of their lives the one thing that every human being has been utilizing and continues to do so is their power of communication. Communication with its boundless sphere of activities controls every aspect of human life regardless of its size or complexity. Today wireless communication is revolutionizing the world of modern communication in ways that we would never have imagined only a few years before and I would very much like to be an active part of this revolution and further my interest in this particular field at your esteemed university.

From my school days I have been an ardent activist in getting things done as a group and perhaps this was the point in time when I first acknowledged the importance of effective communication. I was fortunate to study at P.S.B.B Senior Secondary School, ranked one of the country’s top schools, till my tenth standard. As head of the schools quiz club and Cultural Secretary I was able to improve my people skills and understand the essentials of working in a group. Choosing the science stream for standard eleven and twelve was not very difficult as Physics and Mathematics have always held their sway over me and continue to do so.

My interest in the field of communication was kick started during a demonstration in high school by some of my fellow classmates, which showcased the sheer power of communication over long distances and remote controlled operation of devices. Though many of the projects were mere displays of existing low-level concepts the keenness exhibited by the students had me dreaming about the endless possibilities of communication. Seeking to translate my dreams to reality I set about working on a Low Power AM Radio Transmitter. Though the concept was simple and the implementation straightforward it was instrumental in teaching me how to work in a team and provided me with an amateurish satisfaction of having accomplished something of immense importance.

The successful completion of this scheme ignited a spark in me and I couldn’t see it dying down at any point in the future. The choice of Electronics and Communication Engineering (E.C.E) at the undergraduate level was an easy one. It was the most suitable course as it had Communication as one of its core areas, while electronics is infinitely important at the implementation stage of any communication model. My exposure to the courses Signals and Systems, Communication Theory and Systems, Digital Communication have led me to appreciate the intricacies involved in this field. The mini project on Programmable Logic Controllers (PLC’s) provided another means of appreciating the significance of teamwork. I was extremely privileged to be able to visit the ISRO facility at Bangalore while on an industrial visit, where I had an enlightening tour accompanied by a lecture on communication systems and wireless communication. By this time my interest in Communication had matured into an active enthusiasm to learn more and do more in this area. Further industrial training sessions at the Airports Authority of India (International Division), TVS Electronics and Larsen & Toubro Ltd. (Telecom Division) and an industrial visit to BHEL (Bharat Heavy Electricals Ltd.) served to enhance my passion in this field to a higher degree.

My current final year project titled “A Multipath Interference Mitigation Technique for High Speed Packet Transmission in WCDMA Downlink” aims to devise a means of suppressing multipath interference using OVSF Code Characteristics in a WCDMA downlink. Interference free data transmission positions itself high on the agenda of any modern communications company and WCDMA being at the forefront of wideband digital radio communications of Internet, multimedia, video and other capacity-demanding applications was an enticing prospect to carry out a project on. Furthermore WCDMA provides new service capabilities, increased network capacity and reduced cost for voice and data services providing more reason to probe this area of study.

Academics has in no way diminished my participation in extra-curricular activities both at the school and college level. I was part of the NCC (National Cadet Corps) in school and the NSS in college. I am currently the joint secretary of my college quiz club and have been actively involved in the organization of our college’s annual symposium for the last two years. I am confident that I will exhibit the same level of commitment while pursuing a Graduate course and request you to consider me for admission into the MSEE Program beginning Fall 2007 at your esteemed university with full financial support.