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As sequel to the part I of this series.
An irresistible SOP should state your motivations, not leave them to be read between the lines. It should connect your background to your proposed course of study. One way to get out your motivation/purpose is with an adequate choice of words at your first paragraph (The Problem Statement).
How can I write a great problem statement?
The following examples gives you insight to what makes for a great problem statement and defining first paragraph of an irresistible SOP.
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For a student of Civil or Construction Engineering
"After [natural disaster], I saw whole villages floating away. I realized than that we need an affordable way to stabilize building foundations. This is very difficult to do on an alluvial plain, and I hope to learn from the anchoring of windmills and high-rise buildings how that can be adapted for residential life."
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Another example for Civil Engineering Graduate
"Before the World Trade Center fell, everyone thought that the cost-effectiveness of having the load-bearing walls form the frame of the building was a brilliant idea. As people watched 100 stories of a building collapse from their lack of interior structure, a whole new set of considerations was added to skyscraper design."
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An Example for a Sociology Graduate
I grew up in the Northern Region of Nigeria. A region that is blessed with unparalleled business ingenuity and a manpower that thrives in almost all endeavors. Growing up, I saw my people do almost all their transactions by manual and crude means. From manufacturing processes of hide and skin to business engagements, to commercial agricultural practices to packaging of goods and services etc., they got along without the formal processes of managing the differences in religious beliefs, values and social differences in the marketplace. This uncodified and lack of understanding of social-cultural differences often led to fracas and bad blood amongst the buyers, sellers and middlemen in the market place. Worried by the incessant infighting, conflicts, tribal wars and religious conflicts that arose from the warring forces of societal differences, I began to seek avenues to understand human society better and to proffer solutions that would lead to a peaceful coexistence amongst my people. When I came to senior secondary school and got introduced to social studies, Religious studies, civil education and geography, the spectrum of the possibilities of these subjects in understanding human societies kindled my passion towards pursuing a career in the humanities. With the guidance from counselors and my teachers, I was admitted to pursue an undergraduate degree in Sociology.
Now that you know......go and create a great SOP.
Credit - Moses Udoisoh
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