When I first began Writing for Engineers, I was worried that I wouldn’t do well in this class because I have never formally written science-based papers, aside from the occasional research paper from high school. I was on the fence about taking this class so early on in my college career because at the time, I was not partaking in any engineering based classes yet and therefore I am only doing assignments in this genre for this class.  I now know that this was a blessing in disguise because this class gave me the chance to get a head start in learning the proper formats, and some scientific writing experience so that when I do have to turn in these types of genres in the future, I can say I am not completely lost.

Starting from the first project, the Lab Report, I had little experience in this area. In high school I took AP Chemistry and gave in lab reports but they were more in the format of typing up the data we obtained and interpreting them. For this assignment, the hardest part that I found was my use of language. By that I mean I wasn’t sure when I could use scientifically correct terms and when not to. I understood that the audience for this piece was for someone who trying to replicate my experiment but to what extend of chemistry knowledge they have on the topic varies. Because of this, in my piece you often see repetition and it’s there because I wanted to be clear in my purpose.  In regards to this assignment, I learned how to write in a more scientific way while keeping the useless jargon out of the way.

For the second project, I was already more confident in my writing and now, it was time to do something I’ve never done before. The technical description was a new genre for me and I believe that I have learned it well. For one of the first times, I used images as part of a formal piece of writing and I learned how to properly cite these sources, if they were not from me originally. I believe that the final project of the semester was the most challenging. For the most part, that was because having to innovate a new idea and then carry it out, as if we were inventors was difficult. This project however, paid off in the end because the end result was believable and I had the chance to learn to work in a group environment where each member actually had a specific role.

Throughout the year, I learned, officially, how to write with a purpose in regards to my intended major. I am no longer afraid of what my future has to hold, in regards of the writing portion of my major.