Self-Assessment Essay

This portfolio represents not just the final versions of my assignments, but the growth I experienced throughout the semester in Writing for Engineering. When I started this course, I didn’t realize how much technical writing depends on audience, clarity, structure, and purpose. Through each project and writing sample, I developed better habits around drafting, revising, collaboration, and adjusting my writing for the situation. This self-assessment will focus on how I engaged with course learning outcomes, particularly around rhetorical awareness, drafting and revising, and source integration.

Rhetorical Sensibility and Adapting to Genre

One of the biggest shifts for me was learning how to adapt my writing depending on the genre, the audience, and the purpose of each assignment. 

My Engineering Proposal about implementing smart AI-powered traffic lights in NYC taught me how to blend persuasive writing with research and technical language. I had to write clearly for a public audience while still explaining how the technology works. I used case studies from Boston and Pittsburgh to show success with similar systems and supported them with data and budget planning. This was a group project, which also pushed me to consider the reader beyond just the professor—we were writing for a hypothetical city planner or transportation department. That made me think more about tone and structure.

Similarly, the Technical Description of a USB Flash Drive challenged me to be clear and precise in explaining how a physical object works to someone who might not have any technical background. I included sections on the PCB, controller chip, and NAND flash memory, and broke it down so anyone could follow. This showed me how structure matters in technical communication and headings, subheadings, and logical flow make a big difference. In my rough draft, I realized some parts were too vague, and after feedback and review, I clarified the explanation and added more specific details about types of USB standards (like 3.0 and 3.1).

Drafting, Revising, and Collaboration

Another area where I grew was my ability to revise and work through drafts. 

The Group Brainstorm document is a good example of early collaboration. My team and I shared sources and ideas to build the foundation of our proposal. This helped me practice synthesizing ideas and discussing sources before writing anything formal. That was a useful step I didn’t use much before this class.

The rough and final versions of my USB Flash Drive Description also show how I used feedback and revision to improve. In the beginning, I had the basic definitions, but the explanations weren’t specific enough. After reviewing other student examples and doing more research, I updated the final version with clearer component descriptions and even included examples of popular devices like the SanDisk Ultra.

Source Use and Research Skills

This course also helped me improve how I work with sources and how I can implement them in my writing. In the Engineering Proposal, we used real data from NYC Open Data, research from government sites, and statistics from published case studies. I learned to cite more effectively and integrate sources without just copying. I also learned how to paraphrase technical research in a way that made it easier to understand. For example, I took a research study on Project Green Light in Boston and summarized its findings into one short paragraph in the proposal, but still kept the citation.

In earlier classes I used to either over-quote or be too vague about where my information came from. This semester helped me find a better balance. I now know how to blend my own ideas with research support and how to cite correctly using links and full references.

Reflection

Overall, this class taught me how to be more intentional with every part of the writing process. I don’t just think about what I’m saying, but why I’m saying it, who I’m saying it to, and how I can say it clearly. I’ve become more confident in organizing my thoughts, working with others, revising my work, and using sources responsibly.

While there is still more for me to improve, especially with editing and grammar in final drafts, I now understand the importance of process and planning. The portfolio as a whole shows how my writing became more focused, more technical when needed, and more flexible depending on the goal. These are skills I know will help me not only in other college classes but also in the engineering field.