Final Reflection on Learning

The 12 weeks spent in the ES2007S class has truly been an enriching journey of learning and self-discovery. It has definitely been an eye-opening experience towards the idea of communication which turns out to be so much more than writing well and speaking fluently, unlike what I had in mind before embarking on the course.

Going into the course, I had hoped to improve my presentation skills and also learn how to tackle interviews. Coming out, I think I can safely say that I have learnt all of these and so much more. Knowing what I have to look out for and what others are looking out for has taught me to be more aware of all the little things – non-verbal cues, tone of voice, assertiveness etc and being aware gives me more confidence that I am able to engage my audience and present a better ‘brand me’.

The skills taught in this course are applicable to every conversation we strike up, every presentation we have to give and every interview we have to go through. I am glad I decided to take it up as it will be of great help in any future situations I have to face. I will definitely recommend this course to my peers!

Finally, I would like to thank Dr Radhika as well as all my classmates in ES2007S for the wonderful times spent in class and for all the useful feedback given so that I can improve and do better. Thank you all!!! ^^

Reflection on Team-based Project Proposal

Over the past two months, we have all slogged hard over this thing called The Proposal. Through the process of coming up with a feasible proposal and penning it down in a persuasive way, I have picked up many valuable lessons on project work as well as proposal writing.

Firstly, on project work. This is always a tricky matter because everyone has different schedules and different styles of working. With technological advancements such as Google drive and Dropbox, the first problem is easily overcome as we were able to ‘meet’ and discuss work virtually as opposed to frequently scheduling a time when everyone is free to meet up and discuss the project in person. However, working style is a much more complicated matter. Effective communication is extremely important when working in a team so that each person’s ideas can be put across clearly and to minimize misunderstandings. Thankfully, my group came up with a rough outline and expectations before getting down to work so that everyone has a mutual understanding of what is expected. I am also very grateful for very understanding teammates who were extremely forbearing towards my shortcomings and busy schedule.

Secondly, on proposal writing. Prior to this project, I have never written a proposal, only essays and lab reports. I thus picked up many valuable lessons on how to write and present a persuasive proposal in the process. As a team, we also learnt from each other as we proofread one another’s work and observed how our team members presented their ideas.

All in all, working on this team-based project proposal has been fulfilling and an eye-opener to different working styles. One of the most important takeaways I got from this experience is the importance of communication, especially when working with other people who may not think the same way that you do.