A Platform To Stand On: My Pursuit of Chemical Engineering, Essay Example

A great philosopher once said that, in order to move the world, all he required was a lever and a solid place upon which to stand.  This comes to my mind as I reflect on my interest in chemical engineering, and why I have fixed on the science as my educational goal.  The “lever” will be, I hope, what I can fashion with my knowledge, but I can accomplish nothing without the foundation of an expansive education in the field to support me.

I must assert, first and foremost, that my gaze is not set on some distant, fascinating horizon where I project myself as breaking ground and stunning the world with my research, ideas, and innovations.  That would be, I confess, a highly agreeable point to reach.  Nonetheless, as I appreciate what chemical engineering actually encompasses as the multifaceted science it is, so too am I fully aware of the intellectual commitment required of me.   This is a science of many sciences, and one wherein commercial benefits of immeasurable value can be created, as so many other concerns of civilization are addressed and enhanced by it.   In my mind, chemical engineering is, quite literally, the future, and for us all.   To enter into this field in a meaningful and responsible way, then, I must prepare myself through acquiring as much education as I can.

To that end, and somewhat prosaically, my ambitions are clear for the short term.  I wish to major in chemical engineering and completely devote myself to my studies, so that I may then follow up my education in the science in graduate school.  I am aware that this statement is not particularly unique or striking; I would only add that this simple declaration cannot begin to convey the degree of personal investment I intent to make in these studies.  Only by a consistent application of my best efforts can I succeed with this major, bring it to the next academic level, and consequently equip myself for the career I hope to have.

When it comes to more long term aspirations, I begin to get somewhat excited, although not in any unrealistic way.   More exactly, I have an ambition to develop a “chamber of wonders”, wherein the vast array of chemical engineering possibilities may be displayed – and utilized – in as both practical and more imaginative applications.   The science of chemical engineering has long fascinated me because it is, like physics, a virtually inexhaustible field.   As the history of it has demonstrated, the potential are limitless, and I want my “chamber” to convey the science behind this, as well as my passion for it.

To be perfectly honest, however, I am reluctant to identify any other long term goals regarding my career in chemical engineering because I am rather confident that the study itself will present new ideas to me.   I do know that I want to make a difference in how this science can improve living, and lead in advances in both industry and sustainability.   Nonetheless, a great part of why this is my choice and my academic passion lies in the range of possibilities the science affords.   It seems almost unnecessarily limiting, if not outright precipitous, to focus on a specific goal when I am about to enter into a realm so rich in possibilities.  I fully expect, and reasonably so, that my interests will arise in relation to my education.  It may well be that a focus on an aspect of the science previously not of great import to me will, upon further learning, excite me to take it further.   All I can confidently assert now is that chemical engineering is, as it has been since I first was able to identify an abiding and powerful inclination, my greatest interest.  I have no doubt that years of diligent study will reveal to me the foundations for my future ambitions in the field.   This study is the platform upon which I intend to stand, as my learning and my excitement combine to enable me to make a difference.