Rasha Hussain
Writing for Engineers
Professor Collins
May 15, 2019
Self-Assessment Essay
As a prospective Biomedical Engineer, I had never known the true meaning of writing, especially in the terms of mathematics and science. I had always viewed writing as a chore and a class that I had to get over with, however the class Writing for Engineering has truly shown me that within writing, is possibilities that are limitless. Within this class, we accomplished three big projects, a lab report analysis, a technical description, and a proposal. Each project was taught to us piece by piece until we were comfortable to work on our own. By the end of the project, I was able to accomplish three things: enhance strategies for reading, drafting, revising, editing, and self-assessment, develop and engage in the collaborative and social aspects of writing processes, and finally practice using various library resources, online databases, and the Internet to locate sources appropriate to your writing projects. These three course objectives were achieved through weeks of trial and error, and a lot of effort.
The first assignment in this class was a lab report analysis. I had been used to writing lab reports since high school, however, the art of critiquing a lab report was something out of my expertise. In the beginning, I did not understand the use of it. In my first draft of the lab report analysis, I incorrectly placed the different components of the lab report and I did not realize the true impact of the components such as the abstract upon readers. For example, I stated, “The abstract which should include a summary of each section of the lab report failed to do that.” The true purpose of these components was not learned until after we were to study the design of the lab report. It was then that I realized how incorrect I had been writing my lab reports all my life. Furthermore, I learned the purpose and impact of these lab reports upon researchers and scientists globally. How they help individuals learn from an experiment, understand its replicability, and finally, view proper results. Each section of the lab report from the purpose to the appendix each held importance to the reader. After having this information, I was able to correctly write my final draft, and it was shown in my statement, “The abstract provided a sense of background information so that readers would understand why the question of how mating cues affect the ontogenetic color of the insects arises.” Clearly, through the process of reading, drafting, revising, editing, and self-assessment, I was able to better my writing and my critique of lab reports.
By the time we had to do our second assignment, the technical description, I was somewhat excited to do it. I wanted to see what I could learn from the project and get hindsight into what it is that I would be doing as an engineer. How I would be describing the machinery that I invent or modify in descriptions such as that. I did my technical description on the Apple Airpods and thus, had to learn the functions and components of the Airpods. I was able to do the research I had never done and was never interested in doing in my past. However, this research was strenuous and difficult to find in some parts. While some websites would tell me of the basic components of the Airpods such as the grilles for speakers, they would not provide a further description. After undergoing excessive research in online databases and library resources, I was able to find the necessary information. Thus, while in my draft, I simply stated, “The Airpods are covered with grilles for the speakers…”, in my final draft, I was able to give more information, “The grilles that contain the speaker are on the side of the Airpod and exist in order to truly give listeners a memorable experience while listening, i.e. outside noise is mostly canceled out, and thus mostly music is heard.” The excessive research and use of online databases taught me how to perform similar research for other papers, especially in the biomedical engineering field where I would spend most of my time looking for information. Thus, I was able to gain certain hindsight in writing and how to make my writing better through this assignment.
The last project we did, the proposal, was one of the most strenuous and complicated. We had to use the limited knowledge we had in the careers we hoped to take part in and build an invention, figure out the mechanics of it, and make up educated expenses for it. Fortunately, we were able to have group members that specialized in the same field, and in my case group members that were able to each help out in the proposal in their own way. We did a proposal on a modified traditional wheelchair that had a gear system that allowed for an easier push. Doing research on each component of the wheelchair and finding costs/materials was difficult and time-consuming. However, the end project was spectacular. Our proposal was mature, thought out, and descriptive; and I am very proud of it. The proposal had components that we learned of in class and was incorporated with our machine. Reading the proposal once it was finished was amazing in that I never believed that I was capable of writing something like that. While I am not an individual who is accustomed to working in groups, and has always preferred working alone, I am grateful for my group members. In our wheelchair, my group member, Benjamin, was skilled in making graphics and was able to draw out the modified gears that we could not find in pictures. Thus, more than writing, this project taught me of group work and helped me to appreciate the work and effort my group members put into our work.
What is writing? If you asked me this question three months ago, I would have said that it is the use of words that provide an impact. If you were to ask what this impact is, I would not know an answer. However, now I can confidently say that writing is the use of words that is able to provide an impact in the learning and the inspiration of any genre. It does not just entertain, but also helps others to understand concepts that one may not understand by himself. In the lab report analysis, I learned that each of its different components have an impact and a purpose. Furthermore, I learned that for perfection, I must revise and self-assess what I may be doing wrong. In the technical description, I learned that research is mandatory and that each machine, regardless of how small, is composed of several parts that each have a function. Finally, in the proposal, I learned that with adequate group effort, an amazing end result is possible. Furthermore, I learned to make time and put in effort to collaborate with my peers to make this result happen. Writing has helped me realize that I do want a career in the Biomedical Engineering field, and that I hope to be able to inspire and help others to comprehend that which others may not understands themselves.
