Final Reflection on Learning

13 weeks have past and we have come to the end of our semester. In these 13 weeks, I have learnt many important and useful skills throughout this ES2007s course. I would say that it is definitely a module worth taking in NUS since it exposes and prepares undergraduates like us for the future working world. Besides that, this course is unique from other modules in a way that the learning process is unlike the usual lecture hall scene, where we were allowed the opportunity to engage and interact.

The most important skill I have learnt in this course is the presentation skills. The peer teachings and oral presentations experienced in this course have allowed me to improve my presentation skills greatly. For example, looking out for non-verbal cues in the audience when presenting is a way to see that the audience understands the material presented, whether there is a need to repeat or emphasize the content again.  The use of persuasive language in oral presentations to capture the audience attention was something I find it very useful (presenting statistics and the use of repetition). Previously, presentations are something that I will not look forward to because it requires a lot of confidence and good communication skills, skills which I do not possess in the past. Now, presentations are no longer something that I would whine about. Besides, the accomplished feeling after each presentation is actually rather pleasing.

For the mock job interviews, I felt that it was a very good experience for all of us. Even though I did not perform well during the interview, it actually allowed me to see how i would fare if that was indeed a real job interview. More practice was definitely needed for me in preparation for further job interviews. I also liked how everyone of us was able to take on the roles of an interviewer, interviewee and also the observer. As an interviewer, I was able to experience how it is like to interview other people and it was interesting to note the responses given by the interviewees. As an interviewer, I was able to experience the type of questions employers might ask and what responses they were looking for. As an observer, I was able to learn some of the techniques that are useful (for example finding the unique self that differentiates me from other people) and also some of the common mistakes seen in an interview (crossing legs and fidgeting).

Even though this course might have ended, I believe the process of learning and improving our communication skills must continue. In this competitive world, possessing good communication skills (such as being emotionally intelligent, respecting the difference cultural difference, understanding the non-verbal communications, and the use of persuasive language) would definitely put you in better advantage when working with other people. With that, I would like to thank my tutor Madam Fazilah and also my fellow peers who have provided useful feedback for me to improve myself. It was indeed a good experience.