It's a Wrap!

In a blink of an eye, this semester has come close to an end and so has this module. I must say, that when I first decided to take this course, I did not expect the workload to be so heavy. Throughout the weeks, I found that this course demanded quite a fair bit of hard work, effort and time. Also, in some way, it challenged me to put in more effort when my other classmates seemed to be going all out for this module. One of the things I liked best in this module was the fact that the work we were required to do, actually made it such that we had to practice what we had learnt about effective communication. Be it working in a group, speaking aloud in class or even effective writing over the internet, it was definitely good exposure and an insightful experience for me personally.

Taking this module with very little expectation initially made this module an even bigger eye opener. Why you may ask? This is because it was not just communication skills which I was able to slowly grasp, but also the essential life skills picked up when it came to working with others. Take the project for example, it was not easy to come up with all the ideas during such a short span of time, especially where results of discussions were expected to be seen every week. Working with new people was also a big challenge as it thrust me out of my comfort zone, and taught me how different people have different working styles. Thus, I would like to thank my blogging buddy Sze! For always taking time to remind me of deadlines, and also helping me keep up with the workload. (:

I believe that a good many of us in class, felt that this was a brilliant opportunity to learn and make mistakes. Something I took away from the class which I found most valuable, was how to write job application letters and Resumes. I want to thank Brad for offering so much advice on how to improve and make it better! Thank you for being encouraging all the time. I am especially thankful to Grace, Priya and Jingyang for reading through my Resume, to help me perfect it. Here’s a shout out to Grace! You’ve given me a lot of motivation to improve my resume in the best way possible with her clear and to-the-point advice.  Thank you for being so excited when I asked you to read through my final piece before submission too!

One thing I really hoped for from this module was to actually have more critical writing, such that most of this writings would be “perfect”. But up till now, I wouldn't say that I can write fantastic or much better. But I've learnt to be more conscious about my sentence structure and the way I phrase my sentences.  I’m not sure if I make sense, but I enjoyed receiving comments from Brad such that I could constantly identify more of my problem areas. It became a challenge to hand in every piece of assignment perfect and I've found that I want to know more, and find out more about how to improve myself better. After taking this module, I just get more excited each time I get back a new piece of work.

However, have I learnt just about everything of the 7Cs? I wouldn’t say that I’ve learnt everything that I could from this module, ES2007S. Afterall, learning is a never ending process. In the same way, communication is likewise too. There is no hard and fast method in learning to communicate effectively just by head knowledge. It's got to be applied, to know where mistakes need to be corrected. One example would be like the oral presentation, which helped me learn the weak areas I need to overcome.  I needed to be more confident, speak slower and also control my emotions. The latter is something I have always had difficulty with, especially when there's a lot of pressure. I know that the oral presentation has left a deep impression on me, to be more conscious about the way my emotions are displayed, and how I am to handle them. As always, learning to identify one's problem areas is a step closer to improving one's self.

In fact, I will continue to try to put it into practice and learn as much as I can before I graduate. In short, perhaps this module was a little too short to “correct” all our mistakes, or help us overcome all our problems.  But I’m glad that I still had a chance to identify the little problems that with my writing and communication. Which brings me to my first entry, I’m sure I have learnt more skills to help me work better not only in the future, but everyday life.

This brings me back to the title of my blog. Is communication an art? After taking this module, I've realised that communication isn't an art. I've actually discovered and learnt so much more about myself and the people around me just by meeting the same classmate twice each week and hearing them share their opinions while I do the same. Communication is actually part of you, of your every day life. It's like the guide, to just about surviving in today's world. It can be practiced, but mastering it, will be an ongoing process; it can never be complete, but it can at least be close to perfect. 

To my classmates and Brad! Thank you for making all the lessons so much more enjoyable. It's been quite a journey, learning together. (:

Oral Presentation

Truth be told, I was very nervous for my oral presentation. Coming to school, I felt like I wasn't quite prepared for it, except for the few rehearsals I had with the mirror at home, in a vain attempt to do it without any notes or help. 

I had initially wanted to speak go up there presenting with my little scribbles just a few minutes before the actual presentation. However, upon seeing how the group before had gone up with absolutely nothing, I told myself, I'll just rely on my notes just in case. It was also worrying since the group before had done such a good job.

So I got up there when it was my turn in hope that things would go well. The more I wanted to peep at my notes, the more it made me nervous. I fumbled over my words and I spoke far too quickly. I even mispronounced some words in my nervous-ness. It was then that I decided to do away with my little scribbles and rely on the rehearsing from the night before. 

It was much easier to just look at the audience who were already our friends. Warm smiles and small nods here and there made it easier to speak naturally and pace myself. I want to thank Nadiah for always smiling back! Such warm gestures definitely made the oral presentation less tensed! I also learnt that it was easier to relate to the audience with questions asked, such that the audience could be involved in the presentation. 

This oral presentation taught me the importance of rehearsing, not just by yourself, but as a group to be prepared together. In times when I got extra panicky, I took a deep breath and told myself to calm down before proceeding with what I had to say next. I believe that this oral presentation was a good chance to know which skills are in need of sharpening and more practice such as pace of speech, clarity and confidence. It has also taught me how to overcome challenges on the spot and the need to think quickly and decisively when answering questions.

Though I may not have fared as well as I had expected or wanted myself to do so, I'm glad I had this opportunity to learn here first, before I start presenting when I start work in the real world, under much worst conditions. Every challenge now, will be a chance to improve myself before the real thing. This to me, was thus a valuable experience.