Assignment 1: Formal Letter


Subject: Self-Introduction


Dear Professor Blackstone,

I am writing to introduce myself to you as part of an assignment highlighted in the class effective communication. My name is Brien Cheow Joon Siang, a first-year student currently pursuing a joint degree in civil engineering here in the Singapore Institute of Technology (SIT).

I graduated from Nanyang Polytechnic in the year 2016 with a diploma in biomedical engineering.
Through the diploma, I acquired technical knowledge, but more importantly, it sparked my passion for engineering and shaped me to be the person I am today. During my final year project, I was handed an assignment, which, to my dismay, I had no prior technical knowledge to complete. Nevertheless, I dove into researching and learned everything crucial to the success of the project. I ultimately completed an in-ear Photoplethysmogram(PPG) device all on my own. Throughout my project, I was able to fully experience the hardship tied to engineering as well as the satisfaction that comes with making a breakthrough. Almost naturally, I developed a fondness for demanding engineering problems and started to seek challenging projects to take on during my own free time. My love for challenges ultimately led me to pursue a degree in civil engineering here at SIT.

I have a myriad of communication weaknesses that I would like to develop, but I want to prioritize my fear of public speaking. I tend to feel tension to an unbearable degree when speaking to a large crowd with the intention to pitch/sell an idea. My throat tightens up, and I tend to rush through the presentation in a very lackluster manner. Perhaps this is a fear I will learn to overcome with experience. At the same time, I can confidently speak to strangers in a large set if there is nothing on the line and also craft clear/concise sentences with relative ease when the situation calls for it.

My goal in this module is to refine my public speaking skills, specifically to improve on the delivery of the presentation (Inspiring/Attention-grabbing) and my confidence/comfort level while presenting. I firmly believe that these will improve under your guidance, and I look forward to attending your classes.



Warmest Regards,
Brien Cheow
CVE1281 Group 5
Edited 19/01/2020
Edited 14/02/2020
Commented on Ardini's and Zyn's introduction letter on 20/01/2020
Location: Singapore

Comments

  1. Brad Blackstone16 January 2020 at 18:35

    Dear Brien,

    Thanks very much for this detailed letter. It's both informative and interesting as you describe your passion for engineering and how that has evolved thanks in part to project work. I'm particularly impressed by the mention you make of your development of the PPG device. Short of doing a Google search, I wonder what the main function of the device is. What was the greatest challenge in doing that?

    I also appreciate your explanation of your communication skills challenges. We will certainly address those areas mentioned in the module.

    In terms of langage use, this is quite a good effort. here are a few minor issues to take note of:
    -- effective communications. > accurate?
    -- CVE2020 Group 5 > module?
    -- I acquired technical knowledge but more importantly, it sparked ... > (punctuation)

    I look forward to reading more of your writing this term.

    Cheers,

    Brad

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Brien Cheow20 January 2020 at 06:57

      Thank you for pointing out the issues in my letter. I have edited my letter accordingly!

      Main Function:
      The main function of a PPG device is to have a non invasive device measure and plot a graph based on the flow of blood. This graph can then be analysed to give you the general health of your arteries, how strong your heart is, and to calculate your current heart rate in Beats Per Minute(BPM). Due to the size of the parts being used in the device, it can also be manufactured to fit in a small form factor case to increase portability of the device.

      Greatest Challenge:
      I personally felt that the whole project was a challenge. I want to put emphasis that i had zero technical knowledge relevant to the project. Because of the scheduling, i was unable to learn (Electrical Signal processing(Coding), Signal Processing (Circuit design)) before my project. I had to learn the topics myself and then experiment with it. Because i was able to learn by reading and experimenting with equipment in the lab, i gained a deeper understanding of both topics which later helped me when i encountered them as two main modules in the next semester.

      I hope that i was able to explain myself more clearly here and answered any questions you had. Please do not hesitate to ask me more in class should you have more questions!

      Delete
    2. Brad Blackstone27 January 2020 at 21:26

      Thanks a million, Brien, for the detailed follow up. Very interesting stuff :)

      Brad

      Delete
  2. Ardini19 January 2020 at 11:50

    This comment has been removed by the author.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Ardini19 January 2020 at 11:54

    Dear Brien,

    I enjoyed reading your letter. You managed to pull through your final year project despite having no knowledge at first. Good job on that! However, i wish to understand more on PPG device, preferably its uses and how it will benefits the consumer.

    Overall, you manage to state your strength, weakness and goals clearly. I adore the choice of descriptive words you used to describe your strength and weakness.

    Regards,
    Ardini

    ReplyDelete

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