Construction has been a part of my life for as long as I can remember. My father is a builder and, wanting to be like him, I was always building things out of toy bricks or playing with my Meccano or Lego sets.
只要我能记得的建设一直是我生活的一部分。我的父亲是一位建筑师的,想成为像他一样,我总是搭建积木或玩我的钢结构玩具或乐高集。
On family holidays, my father would admire the local architecture, wondering how they managed to build these wonderful structures all those years ago. So with this background I suppose it was inevitable that I would develop my own interest in construction.
家庭假日,我父亲会欣赏当地的建筑,想知道他们如何建造这些奇妙的结构,所有这些年前。因此在这样的背景下,我想这是不可避免我渐渐对建筑学产生了兴趣。
I have read many books and done lots of my own research into historical construction, purely through the fascination I have in finding out how magnificent structures like Notre Dam Cathedral and Westminster Abbey were built. My interest runs into present day construction, from the drawing board to the actual finished building. I am fortunate that I have family in the building trade, meaning I have been able to get hands-on experience on construction sites. I’ve spent every school or college holiday since the age of 16 helping out, and just about getting paid for it.
This has given me an excellent grounding in the subject, and a great base to build from. While I think it is important to have hands-on experience, I want to back this up with academic knowledge, and believe that I can do that with a degree in construction. I have not decided fully on where I want this degree to take me – I am coming into it with an open mind and think I will find areas I find more interesting than others. I will let this knowledge help me decide where I see my future career. I do like getting my hands dirty, and I don’t think this will ever leave me. But I am also interested in the project management side of things.
Outside of construction, I have numerous interests and hobbies. I am a keen athlete, and have been a member of my local running club since the age of 12. I have taken part in a number of competitions, running in the 400m and 800m disciplines, and have won numerous county and regional championship medals, including two golds. I have also competed at a national level.
I played an active part in school and college life. I was a deputy head prefect at school and sports captain for my house. At college I was form group president during the first year, and was selected in my second year to represent the school when the Duke of Edinburgh visited to open a new part of the college.
I am proud of these achievements, but I know I have many more things I can add to this list through university. By studying construction and taking an active part in university life, I know I can add to this list.