[06] Final Reflection

Time flies. 13 weeks have passed since the first lesson of this module. I can remember the first lesson; everyone being uncomfortable about voicing out their opinions whenever questions were asked, looking down instead of looking at Dr Radhika for fear of being arrowed to answer questions. The lesson at the end of week 13 was a gauge of how everyone has changed in the past 13 weeks.

At the beginning of the semester, I was shocked at how much workload there is for this module. And the trick to this? It was to take things easy. Change your mindset and things will change. I was starting to enjoy the interesting articles which I doubt I will ever read if not for this module.

During the course, I learnt to write my job resume and application letter, as well as proposals and personal statements. These are very relevant skills which I will be needing in the near future. Stuff about Emotional EQ and non-verbals are information which I will not look up into if not for this module. I will never think that non-verbals can carry more weight and meaning in context of our high content culture.

Throughout this course, I learnt to be more confident about voicing my opinions. In a group setting, there is a unspoken rule of lettting people to finish what they have before cutting in. I do think this might be a problem I need to take note of as I tend to interrupt people sometimes.

We also had our group project of our proposal as well as peer teaching. Being in the same group for both, we will meet up more often. Meetings is an important aspect for any project. Through meeting up face to face regularly to update each other and ironing out pressing issues, it ensure that the project is smooth sailing without major hiccups. It is also cater for easier discussions and prompt decision on important issues. Though work can be handled individually, but effort is needed to "patch" the many different parts of the proposal together to give a proposal that is coherent.

We were also expected to use the wiki as a platform for the proposal. However, I feel that the wiki is a waste of time. Most of us will be busy with our schoolwork to visit the wiki regularly. Moreover, the complexity and unavailability of the website makes it less desirable as a medium. Hence, meeting up will be a more efficient compared to wiki for discussions while emails/cloud computing software(Google Docs) will serve as a better medium for exchange of digital information.

Lastly, I like the way classes were conducted. Instead of the usual sender and receiver type of class like all my other science lectures, this is one of the few modules I had enjoyed during my years in Uni. By discussing, we learn a lot of soft skills like thought processing, sustaining your argument and communicating in a group dynamics. This will be beneficial throughout of life.

[05] Reflection on Oral Presentation

Oral Presentation is finally over! To be honest, talking to the video camera during the dry run feels kind of weird. Probably I am not one to be comfortable if I know I am going to be scrutinized again and again.

During the presentation, there is great importance to keep your cool. By doing so, it helps to facilitate your train of thoughts and help to articulate yourself better in front of the crowd. Speaking at a slower, yet acceptable, speed will also help in thinking for the perfect phrase/word to use in continuing/linking the points.

One thing to note for my personal performance was my non verbals during my delivery of my content. I was observed to be fidgeting during my presentation. This probably has to do something with my style of presentation and character. While trying to be myself during the presentation, I might have accidentally portray some of my bad habits. I might need to put in constant effort into minding my minor non-verbals so as not to portray myself in a negative light.

Another thing that was highlighted was my pronounciation of the language. Language wise, I guess I will just have to work on pronouncing my words clearer.

And lastly, it was the image I portray as a presenter. I was thought to be more of a "schoolboy" presenting his schoolwork. Personally, I do not think of it as a good thing though other people might think it is good to look young and enthusiastic. As a presenter, it is important to persuade the people to take up your idea. Having a mature look and "knowing what you do best" will help a lot in the persuasion. Looking like a "boy" portrays an idea of immaturity and is probably not a good idea when in the working world.

In all, I believed that I did meet my own expectation, with areas such as pronounciation and body languages to work on in order to improve.