Descriptive Reflection
*Disclaimer ChatGPT was used in refining and assisted in removing grammatical errors*
Subject: Descriptive Reflection
Greetings Professor Brad,
I am Yeo Dong Xuan, and this is a reflective account of my educational background, evolving interest in engineering, communication strengths and weaknesses, as well as two specific goals I have for this module.
Before starting my studies at SIT, I completed an Aerospace Technology course at Ngee Ann Polytechnic. My interest in engineering began early, sparked by a fascination with war action movies and documentaries, particularly about the World Wars. I was captivated by the operation and evolution of military machinery.
My passion for engineering deepened after watching the documentary series Air Crash Investigation. The show explores aerospace accidents and reveals how multiple failures—mechanical or human—lead to disasters. This perspective on aviation sparked my curiosity and influenced my response during the Early Admission Exercise. When asked what sets me apart from other students, I explained that while others may focus on how new technologies work, I am more interested in why things fail. I believe understanding failure is crucial for learning and improving equipment reliability.
One of my communication strengths is simplifying complex engineering concepts. For instance, I helped a secondary school friend understand asset depreciation in accounting by drawing parallels with engineering principles. Although it didn’t significantly impact his grades, it improved his understanding of the topic.
However, I tend to hesitate in voicing doubts or concerns, often underestimating challenges. During my self-sought internship in my NS gap year, I was tasked with running programs on a gap filler machine after setup changes. Overconfident in my ability, I adjusted the program incorrectly, resulting in a week’s worth of wasted time and materials. This experience taught me the importance of openly communicating uncertainties and seeking clarification when needed.
My two main goals for this module are to significantly improve my communication skills, not only addressing my weaknesses, and to apply these skills in real-world situations. I hope to demonstrate tangible progress in my ability to communicate effectively.
Best Regards,
Yeo Dong Xuan
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ReplyDeleteHi Dong Xuan,
ReplyDeleteI really liked how you explained on what sparked your interests in engineering. I can relate to that because, while aviation inspired you, it was automotive technology that captured my interests.
Some stuff that I thought is interesting in your reflection is, first, your communication strength is simplifying complex engineering concepts. While this is oddly specific, I feel that this is a very unique skill to possess. I feel that being able to understand a concept, one has to be able to explain it in simpler terms to someone who has no knowledge in the field. Having this skill shows that you are able to grasp the concepts taught in school, not just for the sake of examination but also in your real life application as well. Another thing that caught my attention is the fact that you mentioned what sets you apart from other students is that you are more interested in why things fail. Being an engineering student since polytechnic, I never actually thought about this aspect regarding engineering. I looked up on this part after reading your reflection, and I would say that this is as important as knowing how new technology work. Through the process of finding out why things fail, we will be able to learn from our mistakes and also come up with better solutions moving forward. Without a proper basic foundation, there will not be meaning learning new stuff as there will be more problems that lies ahead. To mention one, would be not improving on past mistakes will make it more difficult to apply new knowledge effectively in practical situations.
Great work on your reflection. I am grateful that I learnt a few things about you, and even engineering. See you around in campus and I hope that you will be able to achieve your goals for this module, as do I.
Dear Dong Xuan,
ReplyDeleteThank you for the insightful self introduction! I can relate to how you developed an interest for engineering, as mine developed from watching documentaries too. I feel what truly makes you unique is your interest in why things fail, rather than how things work. I have never thought of problems from that perspective before, thank you for this useful tip.
It has been a pleasure reading your self introductory letter, hope you achieve your goals for this module! See you around in school!