My interest in studying engineering at Carnegie Mellon University. Anonymous

I have two homes, and they could not be more different.

My life in futurism-crazed Dubai is punctuated by my summers, which are spent amid the feeble cleanliness systems and lack of robust infrastructure endemic to places like Kolkata. This experience highlighted how crippling the lack of infrastructure could be. Growing up, I constantly looked for novel ways in which the environment could be improved. I naturally gravitated towards Civil Engineering because it is the profession of problem solvers, who use their scientific knowledge and skills to shape and improve people’s environments.

While reading around this subject, I took two online courses to get further insights into advanced mechanics and materials science. I pursued my passion for engineering and sustainability outside of textbooks and articles. My introduction to current standards came first- I learned about LEED standards and methods engineers use to achieve certification at a contracting company. What really struck me was how holistic sustainable engineering could be; every single part of a building or machine could be optimized.To examine these separate parts in a different context, I later completed a lighting energy audit (see jetasrigupta.wordpress.com). Next,...