Inner sphere

Saturday, November 14, 2009

Final reflection

Looking back at the past 13 weeks, I believe that I had made the right choice to take up this module despite the heavy commitment. Afterall, “no pain, no gain”.

Unlike other modules which require us to memorise concepts and regurgitate them during examinations, this module teaches me life skills which can benefit me throughout my whole life if I am able to practice them well in daily interactions.

No man is an island. It is therefore important that we learn to communicate effectively to avoid miscommunication which could sour relationship. In addition, we ought to practise active listening so that we do not decode the message from the speaker incorrectly.

I remember vividly the blog entry on resolving interpersonal conflicts where we were supposed to propose solutions on Ms Happy Goh’s blog. I realize that a message may not be explicitly conveyed and hence, it becomes exceptionally important for the receiver to decode the encoded message carefully. In this way, interpersonal conflicts which could be sparked off by miscommunication could be averted.

Subsequently, it is also vital for us to use the 3 approaches: know yourself, choose yourself and give yourself to improve our EQ so as to maintain or salvage relationship.

This course has helped me to improve on my writing skills. I have not only learnt the essence of incorporating the 7Cs in my writing but also to be mindful of the tone I adopt so as to ensure that my message is accurately put across. Additionally, I believe that the 2 presentations in this module are good learning experiences for me to hone on my presentation skills and to better prepare myself for future presentations.

Finally, I am glad that the constant classroom interactions have not only allowed me to practise my communication skills with my classmates but also enabled me to develop a better understanding of them in the course of it. Hence, it is not surprising that this class is closely knitted which is in contrast with the tutorial classes I have attended for other elective modules.

7 Comments:

  • Hi Xin Wei,

    I'm so glad to see that you're reflecting on the learning issues with optimism and an open-heart. As what you've mentioned, even though it was a heavy module with the need to be consistent throughout the whole semester, the learning journey was indeed very fulfilling and fruitful. Where would you ever get a module where you would interact and do presentation with your classmates? It's such a rare occassion to take up a module like ES2007S and i believe by now, all of us who are in this together have already metamorphosize from an innocent and inexperienced "caterpillar", who only knows how to digest information, to a beautiful butterfly which fly away and soar up to greater heights.

    Last but not least, thanks so much for the constructive feedbacks and comments you gave in my blogs, proposal wiki and presentation. I wish you all the best for your exams! :D

    Cheers,
    Ariff

    By Blogger Ariff Andraz, At November 14, 2009 at 5:04 PM  

  • This comment has been removed by the author.

    By Blogger Chai Yee, At November 15, 2009 at 3:30 AM  

  • Hi Xin Wei,

    I totally agree with you that effective communication is an essential aspect in relationships. This is because misinterpretations of messages due to a breakdown in any part of the communication process can lead to serious misunderstandings which will cause the relationships to turn sour. I believe this is not what anyone would wish for.

    I also share the same sentiment with you that this module has taught us skills and knowledge which are different from what we learn in other modules. Chemistry concepts that I learn in core modules are no doubt useful in my future career, but communication skills learned in this module can be applied to any aspect of my everyday life and are life-long. Hence, it is worth continuing to practise and hone such skills of mine to improve myself and benefit more from it. Let's do it together!

    Cheers,
    Chai Yee

    By Blogger Chai Yee, At November 15, 2009 at 3:36 AM  

  • Hi Xin Wei,

    After reading your post, i was glad that you have earned some life skills through this module.

    I am sure we all realise the importance of being an effective communicator after 13 weeks of constant interactions and communication with our classmates and groupmates.

    No doubt, the work was in loads, but as u mention, so are the benefits.Its a simple illustration of 'No pain! No gain!'.

    you have clearly listed how this module has indeed enhanced in your personal excellence. Well done for that! and Keep working! All the best for your exams!

    Cheers
    Alagu

    By Anonymous Anonymous, At November 15, 2009 at 3:00 PM  

  • Hi Xin Wei,

    I concur with you that this course has helped to improve my writing skills. I have not written a blog before and much less responding to others’ blogs. However I feel that this has helped me to craft my words carefully and incorporate the 7Cs I have learnt in class into my posts. This course has not only aided me in improving me writing skills but also my speaking skills. I was put in a group where everyone came from different countries and I had no choice but to speak proper English so as to be understood. Initially I felt uncomfortable as I was so used to speaking ‘Singlish” but it became better as I got used to it.

    I agree that the interactions this module provided was essential for us to practice our communication skills. I would like to have such interactions in my Life-science tutorials too.

    I believe that you have learnt a lot of valuable lessons from this course and I wish you all the best in your future endeavours.

    Warmest regards,
    Zhengyang.

    By Blogger zhengyang, At November 15, 2009 at 6:47 PM  

  • Hi Xin Wei,

    It has been a pleasure to work with you during the OP and nice knowing you as a friend. Like what you mentioned, this module put our EQ and communication skills to the test. With the rushing of deadlines and blog posts, we were required to have the 7C’s of communication and other relevant soft skills at the tip of our fingers in order to do well and minimise friction. Without such “pain” or I think ought to be practises, there would not have “gain” or benefits. We all went home with fruitful harvest of experience and skills never offered by other modules and cheers to that.

    I would also like to thank you for being some accommodating and patience while doing our OP together. It was a wonderful and interactive experience to slog as a team.

    Before goodbye, with the 7C’s of effective communication in mind, hope we can work together again next time. Take care.

    Tsetchem Leshalom

    Sincerely,
    Wei Xiong

    By Blogger wx, At November 16, 2009 at 1:03 AM  

  • Hi all,

    It has been a pleasure for me to share my thoughts with all of you through the process of blogging and commenting. I am thankful to all of you for sharing your views with me. Through your blogs and comments, I have learnt of the different perspectives which I may not have considered.

    It is evident that all of us have a fruitful gain from this module which is very heartening. Be it the 7Cs, communication skills or soft skills, I hope all of us would be able to put them into good use in our daily interactions.

    Finally, allow me to end off this last blog with my best wishes to all of you for the upcoming examinations.

    Regards,
    Xin Wei

    By Blogger Xin Wei, At November 16, 2009 at 12:29 PM  

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