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TUM personal statement

Note: When applying to TUM, I had to write a personal statement on why I thought I was a good fit for the program and university, and the following essay is my attempt at doing so. I’m publishing it here to give other applicants ideas on how to structure their own essays.

Since childhood, I have always been deeply involved with computers in one way or another. My introduction to the domain of computer science found its start with my brother and me learning the basics of networking so that we could port forward and host a Minecraft server for our friends. It wasn’t until high school that I took my first computer science class and began developing the mental models of how information is organized, but I nonetheless like to think that my time tinkering with scripts and networks set the precedent for who I am today.

Within university, studying computer engineering and computer science gave me a fundamental education in how a computer works from its actual hardware components to its greatest abstractions. Moreover, this broad education gave me a chance to work on projects all over the hardware-software spectrum. Beginning my first internship as an automation engineer for a manufacturing company, I worked with Epson robots, Cognex cameras, sensors, and networking protocols like TCP/IP. I finished my experience by producing two late-stage prototypal automation modules and became well acquainted with robotics and vision applications. Studying Informatik at TUM, with its strong connections to industrial players like KUKA, would let me explore avenues similar to this even further.

The internship experience also motivated me to delve into research at Northeastern’s robotics laboratory. There, I used hyperspectral imaging in conjunction with an RGBD (red, green, blue, and depth) sensor to determine the makeup and geometry of an object, respectively. This data could be used by algorithms to make informed decisions about soft gripper pressure and positions. The implications for this technology are large as they can make robots even more dynamic than they already are. As TUM has a strong research focus, I would be able to better explore the theoretical basis of robotics as well.

It is important to note, however, that while I find these technologies new and exciting, my fundamental motivation for driving change is to help humanity. Especially with climate change becoming an ever increasing problem and alongside that, the access to clean, renewable, and affordable energy, I feel as if I have a certain moral obligation to drive positive change. Even if that means working on a problem less grave than the energy crisis, for example, it is critical that I contribute where I can and move humanity forward.

One such example would be improving the access to information and the capacity for humans to communicate. This newfound ability to instantaneously interact with each other no matter the distance is one of humanity’s new superpowers as a result of digitalization. For my second internship, I built upon this foundation and worked as a systems software engineer to democratize internet access by providing low cost wifi. This sits in line with TUM’s master of informatics as it is the nature of wifi to connect distributed entities in a secure manner. Namely, wifi is the work of distributed systems, networks, and security – another one of TUM’s subject matters. Needless to say, during my tenure there, I spent my time working on improving data collection methods for diagnostics to aid in further distributing the low cost of wifi.

While my future plans are not yet concrete, there are a few different directions that I would like to further explore. The first, and perhaps the most obvious, is software engineering. This is a field I would be directly set up for by getting a masters in informatics. Moreover, if I end up in Munich, I could integrate myself into the existing tech hub by joining companies like Apple, BMW, or Lilium, for example. Another avenue I have been thinking about is going into research. Germany has amazing research institutes like the Max Planck Institute, the Leibniz Association, and TUM itself! There would be plenty of opportunities for me to dive into some area of study such as the Distributed & Mobile Computing Group at TUM. One of this group’s most notable projects, for example, is ‘RIFE: architectuRe for an Internet For Everybody’. This intersection of computer science and networking with human populations is extremely unique, and I think it would be a joy to work on something similar.

I want to finish by quickly mentioning that I have a close tie to Germany already. I am a dual-citizen and regularly visit the country to see my extended family. I also took a gap year after high school and lived in Heilbronn, Germany for 10 months. I made many friends there, some of whom ended up studying Informatik TUM. Going to this university would give me a chance to reconnect with them and enjoy the beautiful nature of Lake Starnberg and the Alps. Munich is also a beautiful city, which I’d love to explore to its fullest.

Danke, Dominik