Lines to live by.

न किसी से ईर्ष्या,
न किसी से होड़,
मेरी अपनी मंज़िल,
मेरी अपनी दौड़ ||

How I wrote my way into Stanford, Cornell, Purdue & UCLA.

Having been born and brought up in the intellectually stimulating environment of the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Roorkee, I have always been fascinated by technology and research. As an impressionable teenager, I used to frequently visit my father, Dr. R.N. Dubey (Assistant Professor in the Department of Earthquake Engineering at IIT Roorkee) at the Shake Table facility, where he was involved in the testing of conventional and earthquake resistant masonry building models as a part of a research project. A majority of the Indian population lives in low strength masonry houses. Seeing the conventional masonry building models collapse whereas the earthquake resistant building models holding their ground, when subjected to earthquake motion on the Shake Table, I became completely infatuated with the world of Earthquake Engineering and the possibility of saving thousands of lives through a robust design. I learnt that earthquakes don’t kill, buildings do. Owing to this predilection and after ranking in the top 3% in the All India Engineering Entrance Examination, I opted for Civil Engineering as my major at one of the most prestigious engineering institutes of the country, National Institute of Technology (NIT), Kurukshetra.

I was a meritorious student throughout my undergraduate years and owing to my impressive record, I was selected for a 6 week summer internship at Petrofac International Limited, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates. I worked on the design of a Pipe-rack structure and made a comparison of the interaction ratios obtained from the British and Indian Codes. I was also introduced to the different methods of seismic analysis of a structure i.e. Equivalent Static Method, Response Spectrum Method and Time History Analysis. Free vibration analysis of a trial structure was also carried out and the mode shapes and deflection patterns were observed for different modes of vibration. I adapted to the international working practices and gained valuable insights into how the companies operate. People passionately discussed the concepts of effective length and vibration mode shapes even during the lunch break. I absorbed all I could. I evolved. As I submitted my internship report, there was absolutely no doubt left in my mind that I wanted to pursue Structural Engineering as a career.

After returning to college, I decided to further explore my interests in Structural and particularly Earthquake Engineering by opting for a challenging Major Project, involving the Analysis and Design of a 14-Storey Building with Shear Walls. I compared values of parameters like base shear and nodal displacement using two different software i.e. SAP2000 and STAAD Pro v8i. During this project, I got deeply engrained into the concepts of Equivalent Static Analysis, Dynamic Analysis and the codal provisions for Earthquake Resistant Design. The teenaged infatuation with Earthquake Engineering had metamorphosed into a passion. The project was awarded the Best Major Project in the Civil Engineering Department for the graduating class of 2012. During the graduation ceremony, with my beaming family watching on, I received a Gold Medal from the Chief Minister of State, in the presence of the President of India. I learnt in that moment that if I stayed true to my dreams and followed them with a dogged determination, success would surely follow.

Throughout college, I also maintained an active interest in extra-curricular activities. I was Secretary of the Music and Dramatics Club and Convener of the National Level Cultural Festival of NIT Kurukshetra, Confluence. I led a team of 26 committee heads and reported directly to the Professor-In-Charge of the cultural festival. I honed my leadership and team-work abilities throughout this experience and learnt to deal with different stakeholders and meet their expectations. I was also an active student member of the Indian Concrete Institute (ICI) during the academic session 2011-2012 and participated in its activities throughout the year. I graduated from NIT Kurukshetra with a GPA of 8.84/10 and job offers from L&T- Ramboll Consulting Engineers and WSP Global. I joined WSP Global in July 2012.

As a Graduate Engineer at WSP Global, I applied the concepts learnt at college to solve real world engineering problems. I was exposed to the workings of Structural and Public Health Engineering departments and mastered commercial software packages like ETABS, SAP2000 and Hevacomp. I learnt to work under the pressure of a tight deadline. Being part of a reputed multinational design firm, having a diverse work force, I considerably improved my people skills. I also learned to effectively manage time and made it a point to be decisive and efficient in my workings. Owing to these learnings, I have always regarded my stint at WSP as an education and not just a job. I believe these skills will help me to excel in the Graduate School.

During my trips home while working at WSP, I would inevitably end up comparing my job profile with that of my father. I realized that as an academician, he was enjoying the best of both worlds-Industry and Education. He was travelling around the world presenting his research papers at conferences, guiding graduate students at IIT and at the same time acting as a peer reviewer for practicing design engineers. Having worked in the industry for almost 2 years, I knew that not many jobs in the world offered this diverse experience. I remembered Randy Pausch’s lines from his ‘Last Lecture’ in which, among other life lessons, he encourages students to join academics- “If you are such a great salesman, why don’t you sell something that is worth selling? Why don’t you sell education?” And so, with an eye on entering academics and with an inherent desire to expand my skills and learn more about structural and earthquake engineering, I resigned from my job in May 2014 to put my heart and soul into the graduate school admission process.

Stanford University has one of the most elite Structural Engineering Programs in USA and also has a very strong alumni base. The facilities and research at The John A. Blume Earthquake Engineering Center are ideal for me for furthering my interest in Earthquake Engineering. I am particularly excited about attending the courses of Structural Dynamics, Performance Based Earthquake Engineering and Earthquake Resistant Design & Construction. I believe an MS and possibly a PhD degree in Structural Engineering from Stanford will be a major step towards my goal of being at the forefront in academics while simultaneously maintaining strong ties with the industry.

With the confidence of having the appropriate background, interest and commitment to learn, I seek admission to MS in Civil and Environmental Engineering program with a specialization in Structural Engineering at Stanford University. If accepted, I would strive to continue for a doctorate degree and involve myself in research and development. I hope you find my credentials commensurate with the impeccable standards of Stanford.

Unhurried and Wise.

“When we are unhurried and wise, we perceive that only great and worthy things have any permanent and absolute existence, that petty fears and petty pleasures are but the shadow of the reality.” 
― Henry David Thoreau, Walden

Silence..

Accustomed to the veneer of noise, to the shibboleths of promotion, public relations, and market research, society is suspicious of those who value silence.

Because I was all that I could be.

“I have possessed that heart, that noble soul, in whose presence I seemed to be more than I really was, because I was all that I could be.”

- Johann Wolfgang van Goethe

In the midst of winter..

"In the midst of hate, I found there was, within me, an invincible love.
In the midst of tears, I found there was, within me, an invincible smile.
In the midst of chaos, I found there was, within me, an invincible calm.
I realized, through it all, that…
In the midst of winter, I found there was, within me, an invincible summer.
And that makes me happy. For it says that no matter how hard the world pushes against me, within me, there’s something stronger – something better, pushing right back."

-Albert Camus

Book Review- Half Girlfriend by Chetan Bhagat

I think Chetan Bhagat gets way more stick than he deserves. The truth is, he writes and India reads. Most of his criticism stems from the purists or the "hard-core literature fans" who can't stand the fact that he is the most popular writer from India. Yes, his writing style is nothing compared to an Ayn Rand, a Rohinton Mistry or a Khaled Hosseini, but someone who is selling so much must be doing something right. And he is.  

Bhagat always takes up issues which resonate with the masses. In Half Girlfriend, the protagonist is a Bihari guy named Madhav who has a hard time speaking English. Now what can be more common than that? I can envision thousands of young guys in Bihar, who will never read "To Kill a Mocking Bird", but who will readily see themselves in Madhav and will have no difficulty in comprehending Bhagat's simplistic yet charming writing style. The beauty of this process is, some, if not many, will start seeing reading in a different light and will become become readers for life (Hopefully picking up books with more intellectual depth and profound life lessons). This, I feel, is Bhagat's biggest contribution. The repeated references to Madhav's poor English is annoying at times, but almost every book has a phase where the reader fights within himself to either put it down or soldier along. I chose to read on. And the book did hold my attention. Till the last page. And mind you, I am not a guy who reads "Only Chetan Bhagat Novels". I have read my fair share of classics and some have bored me to death. Half Girlfriend had me hooked. Its a charming love story. You will end up rooting for Madhav (Well, if you don't hold a blinkered opinion of Bhagat's work, that is).

There is the inevitable drama. Almost Bollywood like. But it is Chetan Bhagat we are talking about. Will you ever dare to criticise Khaled Hosseini for describing the beauty of Afghanistan? Will you lambast Dan Brown for going into minute details of Roman Architecture? Well, no. You will just say that its their own style. This slightly surreal drama is Bhagat's style. And its good. He has his own niche. It's a different story altogether that a new "generation" of young writers flourished in India after Five Point Someone, trying to imitate Bhagat's style and ended up hurting his already many times questioned reputation. Bhagat touches on the problem of rural education in India and the book also suggests ways to improve one's English. The techniques may seem too raw for the average Goodreads user or a regular reader, but in truth, they are effective. A 15 year boy reading this book in Bihar will understand this more than you and I will ever will.

Half Girlfriend is a very good read. Unputdownable. A sweet love story. An avid reader can easily finish it in two-three sessions. It will be lapped up by India's youth. It is a bestseller for sure. Chetan Bhagat's legend becomes stronger. I just hope that people digest the fact that he is a good writer who knows his strengths and sticks by them.

“Never forget what you are, for surely the world will not. Make it your strength. Then it can never be your weakness. Armour yourself in it, and it will never be used to hurt you.”

Kudos to Bhagat for going on despite all the criticism. You Sir, have all my respect.

(From a fan who has read enough books to not be classified as an "Only Chetan Bhagat books guy.")