Alim's Blog (SIE2016)

In the article, "Sustainability", Missouri Asphalt Pavement Association (2013) discusses the 'green' effects of asphalt. Not only is asphalt considered 'green' for being non-disposable and reusable regardless of its age, but also because it allows other waste products to be involved in the process. The development of Recycled Asphalt Pavement (RAP) is revolutionary in asphalt paving, as it uses cultivated old asphalt to be incorporated into new asphalt using heat. Lesser pristine resources are used, thus reduces spending and fuel usage. This benefits both contractors and the environment. Additionally, innovations such as Warm Mix Asphalt (WMA) and porous pavements are beneficial to the environment. Halved temperature emissions and reduced carbon footprints are resultant of WMA's hybrid production. Porous pavements on the other hand allow rainwater drainage into recharge beds for soil absorption and replenishes aquifers rather than forcing water into sewers...

Subject: Self-Introduction Dear Professor Blackstone, My name is A’lim, and I am a student from your Effective Communication class – T5. I have sent this introductory letter in hopes that it can familiarize you with my background. I graduated from Temasek Polytechnic with a Diploma in Integrated Facility Management specializing in the Hospitality cluster. My interest in pursuing engineering studies began back in my secondary school days while being on a school trip to Petrosains , a science and technology museum located within the Petronas Twin Towers in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Ever since then, my fascination for engineering grew and I tried my best to be informed on every innovation that relates to it. Despite scoring average results in polytechnic, I joined this SIT program to prove to myself that I am capable of much more and learn the essential skills to be a great engineer in the future. I believe that one of my strengths is the willingness to learn. When a certain knowledge...

Critical thinking is the driver of effective communication. Those who aspire to grow into a leadership role should develop a mindset that is built upon the preceding statement. Critical thinking is a tool that helps in building sound reasoning and coherent argument through a clear thought process. In essence, it is a very handy tool to utilize when we are in an environment that demands us to always be ready to voice out opinions, solutions and provide factual evidence to counter arguments. Communication on the other hand is defined as a meaningful exchange of information, thoughts and feelings between two living creatures. In a workplace or any environment for that matter, this skill equips leaders effectively listen, deliver and interpret information that is brought to us. It is not enough to merely pass on information without truly making sense of what it is about. Hence, it is imperative for leaders to combine both traits to acquire self-confidence in our own belief and exercise res...

  ‘Developing excellent communication skills is absolutely essential to effective leadership. The leader must be able to share knowledge and ideas to transmit a sense of urgency and enthusiasm to others. If a leader can’t get a message across clearly and motivate others to act on it, then having a message doesn’t even matter.'   – Gilbert Amelio, former President and CEO of National Semiconductor Corp. According to Gilbert Amelio, a necessary trait that good leaders must possess is the ability to communicate well with others. Such a trait allows them to inspire people to be more initiative when an opportunity is presented towards them. These leaders can convince others to be onboard with their ideas and encourage them to voice out their own innovations just by having a sense of passion and eagerness to act on it. Do you think Elon Musk would have achieve success in Tesla and the SpaceX program had he not develop excellent communication skills?