Electrical and Electronic Engineering

Author: Simon Weill

Applied in: Winter 2014

University Offers: Imperial College, Warwick, UCL, Manchester, Southampton

Born in a double generation of engineers, my curiosity about how systems work is endless. Since I was a child, I wonder how everything processes and once I am satisfied I understand, I think about improvement possibilities. Reading science and high-tech magazines familiarize me with technological advances. My two favourite fields are electronics and computing because they concern everybody and they are shaping our future world. My elite high school offers engineering sciences courses to the best students so I have been able to study electronics and to combine maths, physics and chemistry principles into a team project. We worked to upgrade a device which carbonates water, extending the system to universal bottle usage. After a complete study of the system, we modelled it on a computer and built the extension with a 3D printer. I have learnt basic C by myself, spent days and nights assembling and disassembling cameras and I have done an internship in a firm which creates hard drives.

My travels in countries like Canada, Europe, and Myanmar fuelled my desire to discover new horizons. Rather than continue in the French system, I feel a strong desire to study in the UK. Engineering programs are directly specialized in electronics and computing and also offer management keys which connect to my ambition of being an entrepreneur. A European degree in English offers more higher education opportunities such as a Master or a MBA in the best universities. When I studied in Oxford summer courses, I discovered the powerful atmosphere and energy between international students. The British system focuses on more than scholarly results: it promotes extracurricular activities. I will involve myself into clubs which offer sports, social activities as well as opportunities to further my desire to create and shape new devices like an inventors club.

From my family values, I identify with sharing and hospitality and from my Jewish roots I identify with the love of questioning. Studying Talmud has shaped how I approach learning and information. Because it contains varied aspects of life I had not yet the opportunity to face in the real world such as ethics, Jewish law or economics, I am able to project myself in my future when I connect with those ancient texts written around 500 CE. As it is constructed in very rational way, it improves my logical and mathematical-like reasoning and extends my capacity to question. My mother tongue is French, I speak fluent English and Hebrew, I can converse in German, and speak basic Russian. Consequently, I approach culture and knowledge through multiple angles using British humour, German rigor, French sensibility and the history of all these important people.

Leading a life full of extra-curricular activities helps me balance my mind with a healthy body. Judo is my passion. I recently earned my black belt through hard work and dedication, fighting with involvement and respect. I also train hard in tennis and ski which has shaped my competitive spirit. I encounter risks in other sports like mountaineering and scuba-diving, I learnt how to keep calm in unexpected situations, which was also useful in academic circumstances.

I give Math lessons to children because I like to share knowledge, I like to explain. It allows me to improve my speech skills so my courses are efficient. I worked as a volunteer, helping disabled people do horse-riding. There, I experienced for the first time the feeling of being really useful to someone. As the president of my high school student association, I represent the students on the school board. I created a soccer tournament and organized the first prom ball to promote student cohesion. To alert my peers about the opportunities for study after the French Baccalaureate, I invited foreign students to talk about their experience and set up conferences about studying abroad and particularly in the UK because convincing people is always easier when you are yourself motivated.

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