Submission 1a: Descriptive Reflection (Formal Introductory Letter)
In the form of a formal letter to your instructor, you should provide a descriptive
reflection in which you do each of the following:
1. explain your educational background and interest in engineering;
2. discuss one communication strength and one weakness, with illustrations of both;
3. present two specific goals you have for the module;
4. and explain what differentiates you from others.
Dear Professor Blackstone,
My name is Li Zong Xian Omega and I am writing this letter to introduce myself as a student from your UCS1001-Critical Thinking and Communicating (S77) class.I am keen to learn more as I find it very engaging.
I am a graduate from Singapore Polytechnic (SP) with the diploma in aeronautical engineering. My interest in engineering, however, did not start when I was in SP, it happened when I was in secondary school. The school's location was a stone throw away from Paya Lebar Airbase and the sight of planes was frequent. That was how I developed a deep curiousity in planes. Throughout the years, I came to learn more about planes, which led to me discovering the responsibilities and capabilities of engineers. Thus I made a decision to forgo the Junior College route and aimed to enroll in the aerospace engineering course in SP. During my time there, my decision to be an engineer was further affirmed.
One communication strength I can boast about is that I am able to respectfully listen and empathize with one's opinion and point of view. For example, when others are inputting their points and explanation during a discussion, I am able to consider their points and form suggestions/ideas based on everyone's inputs.
One weakness that I am aware of is that I may not be the best at putting down thoughts into words. For example, when I try to explain my points during a discussion, I may end up with more questions than answers as my group mates gets confused, which often ends up in a second, more thought-out explanation. I wish to be able to explain and express my thoughts clearly without repeating myself.
Two specific goals I have for the module is to be able to express my thoughts with good flow and structure, and to be able to look at the bigger picture of a subject easily. I feel that being able to look at the bigger picture of a subject can prevent one from straying away from the main point. Not only will I be more eloquent, being able to express my thoughts with good flow and structures allows me to be effective in communicating information and thoughts.
What is special about me is that my name is Omega. Jokes aside, I do enjoy performing and listening to Chinese Orchestra pieces. To be a capable musician, I would have to manage my time well and develop good discipline in order to hone my skills in playing my instrument. Translating that into my studies in SIT, being able to develop good time management and discipline enables me to bring out my full potential. Of course there are still more to learn and I will embrace the opportunities with open arms.
Thank you for taking your time to read my introduction letter, I hope that this letter finds you well and thank you for taking our class.
See you in the next lesson!
Warmest regards,
Li Zong Xian Omega (2200905)
Omega's content of his email is good, and it elucidates his passion and interests in engineering. His background is thoroughly expounded upon in his email.
ReplyDeleteOmega is aware of his strengths and weaknesses and is clear about what he wants to improve on.
The use of language could be further improved, as there are punctuation and grammatical errors.
The email could potentially be shorter. The organization of the email is decent, with a clear topic in each paragraph
Thank you Noel! I will improve my use of language next time!
DeleteIn term on content, Omega has done well as he covered everything that is expected of him. The email/letter has a good flow which connects the introduction, background info and his strengths and weaknesses. His explanation of his background gives us a good outlook into the kind of person he is and why he chose to pursue engineering. His language is good with minimal grammatical errors. I feel that this is a complete and well thought out self introduction.
ReplyDeleteThank you Haresh! I'm glad you're able to understand my letter so well!
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ReplyDeleteIn Omega's letter, I can tell that he thought about how to convey his points with great detail and through the content, I can tell that he has good flow when he talks about his strength and weaknesses. Moreover, the letter made known of the kind of person he has nurtured into. Overall, it is a well written letter.
ReplyDeleteThank you Marvin! I really appreciate the comments and feedback!
DeleteDear Omega,
ReplyDeleteThank you for this well substantiated letter. The content is clear and aligned with the assignment brief, you employ appropriate logic in the development, and the language use is good. You've done very well providing supporting information for each specific content area, which allows us readers to gain some understanding of who you are.
I especially appreciate the frank discussion of your comm skills strength and weakness and the specific goals you have for the module. I would have liked to have learned more about your musical backgound and experience. What do you play, at what age did you start, and how often do you play nowadays?
Here are some language issues to consider:
1. sentence structure
-- Translating that into my studies in SIT, being able to develop good time management and discipline enables me to bring out my full potential. > (Who is translating?)
Translating that into my studies in SIT, I beleive that being able to develop good time management and discipline will enable me to bring out my full potential.
2. subject-verb disagreement & comma use
Of course there are still more to learn and I will embrace the opportunities with open arms.
> Of course, there is still more to learn, and I will embrace the opportunities with open arms.
I look forward to learning more about you this term.
Cheers,
Brad
Thank you for your feedback prof! I will be sure to look out for these mistakes on my next assignment!
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