Formal Self-Introduction Letter

Dear Prof Brad,

I would like to take this chance to introduce myself, I am Meng Kiat, but all of my friends call me Meng for short. I graduated from Nanyang Polytechnic in the year 2020, having completed the diploma in aerospace and aeronautical technology as my course of study. I have had an interest in the world of aerospace since I was a kid back in primary school. I got fascinated by aircrafts and the big engines that run them when my dad brought me to Changi beach to watch aeroplanes fly over our heads at the jetty. I decided to take up mechanical engineering at SIT as I saw it as an opportunity to study a broader and wider range of subjects and topics related to engineering, as aerospace engineering is quite a niche field. Mechanical engineering is a platform for me to expand my knowledge as an engineer in different fields as there are a couple of specialties for us to get elected in. However, I am still working towards being an aerospace engineer in the future as my career.

Being an introvert by nature, I certainly have some strengths and weaknesses when it comes to communicating with people. My strength in communicating with people would be being comfortable with them once I have gotten to know them on a deeper level, in other words, becoming close friends with them. My friends would tell me once in a while, that I am one of the most vocal person in the group, especially when I express my funny side during a casual conversation. Additionally, my friends have said that I definitely don’t behave like how an introvert would! Being comfortable with people definitely helps me to be confident when I speak.

With that being said, feeling nervous and anxious when giving a speech or presentation to a large crowd is a profound weakness of being an introvert. When I give presentations or speeches to a large group people, I tend to feel overwhelmed with nerves and sometimes feel anxious and end up feeling disappointed as I would have delivered a speech that is not up to my standards. I remember giving a formal presentation about my final year project back in my time as a year 3 student in NYP, I was constantly stuttering in front of the panel which had 4 lecturers from my course, and my final year project in-charge. I believe that that was part of the reason why I only got a ‘B’ grade for that module. However, I have learnt that being well prepared before any form of presentation helps me calm my nerves and deliver my speech well to an audience.

My goals for this module is to have myself equipped with good critical thinking skills, as I believe that is a key factor to having great communication skills. Another goal would be improving my writing and presentation skills. Being in the field of engineering, we might not get many opportunities to present or even write formal e-mails to people. However, I truly believe that it is good to be prepared when the time comes where I have to professionally plan a presentation to a crowd or formally write a work related e-mail to my boss. 

What differentiates me from the other students in this class is that I am someone who doesn't like to lose. Being someone who has a competitive sports background, I have grown into a person who is constantly learning new things because I want to keep myself competent amongst the hundreds of people around me. I do not like being stagnant in life and I am always seeking a better version of myself.

Throughout my years as a student in the engineering field, I am always learning new ways to improve my communication and thinking skills, and having this module now is definitely a huge benefit for me personally. Looking forward to take away new and refine my skills in this module with you!

Best regards,

Meng Kiat