Assignment 1 Submission 1: Formal Letter (Descriptive Reflection) (Revised)

Dear Professor Brad Blackstone, 

I am Lim Bing Rui, and this is my self-introduction. I am currently a year 1 Mechanical Engineering student in SIT. Prior SIT, I graduated from Ngee Ann Polytechnic with a Diploma in Engineering Science, under the mechanical stream, in 2020.  

My interest in mechanical engineering stems from a YouTube video I watched in secondary school. The video tackled the problem of astronaut’s physical health on the space station, namely how they can exercise in a zero-gravity environment. On Earth, we use weights as a form resistive force to workout, but in space, we cannot do so. The mechanical solution provided bypasses the use of weights by implementing pistons with sealed ends and its negative pressure. The negative pressure acts as a resistive force for astronauts to exercise with. My interest only grew after the video and started pursuing to be a mechanical engineer.

My strength lies in my outgoing personality, allowing me to thrive in small groups where I can better share my thoughts in an informal setting. On the other hand, my weakness is speaking to a large group of people, as I would stutter in such situations. It is most evident when I am sharing something that I am not confident in.

The first goal I would like to achieve is to be better in public speaking and not just be comfortable in my small groups. As I know that it is inevitable that I will have to present out of my comfort zone. My second goal is to be more concise in my sharing. I tend to overexplain and waste a lot of time, thus, losing my audience’s attention in the process.

What differentiates me from the other students is my undying positive attitude. With a positive attitude, I will brave through any storms that hits me and grow as an individual. 

Regards,

Lim Bing Rui