#6 Final reflections

Wow,let me just say how quick time flies! It's the end of the semester once again and this has by far been the most fulfilling semester I have in NUS.

When I first read reviews about the module, I was skeptical at first about the workload. Everyone had commented how heavy the workload was but each review ended with how enriching the module had been for them. My senior had also recommended this module to me, thus I decided to just take the plunge and see for myself. And yes,they were not wrong! The workload was overwhelming BUT it was the memories and skills learnt that made it all worthwhile.

There were many firsts for me in this module. First time conducting a peer teaching session, first time writing a cover letter, first time interviewing people (for the mock interviews and proposal), first time using blogger and facebook as a teaching platform, first time giving such a 'different' oral presentation (where the content was not as important as the body language). It amazes me how much we have done within a short amount of time :)

I have definitely gained much from this module. From learning about the 7Cs and applying them to the blog posts, proposal and even during the oral presentation, I have gone from being a person who is very lengthy in words to being more concise in my writing and even in my presentations. I enjoyed the experience of conducting an interview with an external party for the proposal because it allowed me to understand as to how an interview functions.

Of course, physical skills were not the only ones gained. I learnt alot more about EQ from this module in respect that our lives will never be as perfect as we want it to be. We have to learn to deal with situations where we least expect to and this is where good EQ will come in place. I have to really thank my teammates for being there for me all the time, in particular Adeline. This module has allowed me to grow much stronger in character as well as in learning to deal with undesirable situations. Thus, I sincerely thank Brad and my Group 4 classmates for being such a fun loving bunch and making this module one of the best I have ever taken :)

#5 Oral Presentation

First and foremost,I have to apologise for this really late entry given that I have just finished a really grueling week of 6 CAs! But please do comment on the entry ok :)

I think preparing for this OP has really made me learn alot of useful skills. My usual method of presentation is really just to go through the slides, formulate the sentences in my mind, rehearse a couple of times using flashcards and do the final presentation. I've always stuck to this method and while it has worked in the past, I felt it could not have worked for this OP because we were not given the choice of holding flashcards and this really worried me because I really depend alot on flashcards.

Hence, before the mock OP in class I came up with a script to 'guide' my flow of thought but alas, the environmental noise proved to be distractive and I was really distracted and unable to deliver the information as well as I would have wanted to. I would say the mock OP was a good opportunity for me to understand what needed to be corrected to ensure a good delivery during the actual OP.

During the actual OP, I was really nervous. Given the amount of CAs I had that week, I was really stressed out but I'm thankful for the help and understanding that my teammates have given to me. (Thank you Y.A.P.I! :D) Practice really makes perfect because with practice comes confidence as well and this is one aspect that I learnt alot from during the preparation of this OP. This was what really helped me during the actual presentation where everything just came to me smoothly plus I really wanted our OP to be delivered well given the amount of time and effort our team had put in. Of course, I was also repeating to myself in my mind 'Smile more,girl!' as Brad would have said.

All in all,I really enjoyed this OP and everything that I have learnt through this experience and thank you once again Y.A.P.I! :D

#4 Evaluating Intercultural Behavior

During my one month stay in Taiwan over the December vacation, I met several locals and there was an incident that left me quite culturally shocked.

I had met an acquaintance for the first time and I realised he was speaking to me in Chinese slowly,using hand gestures to emphasize his words. He even tried to communicate with me in halting English as the conversation wore on, as if I was unable to comprehend what he was trying to say. It puzzled me as to why he was acting in this manner because he was speaking fluently to his fellow Taiwanese and I had perfectly no problem following the conversation as I was fluent in the Chinese language.

So I asked him why he kept acting in this manner and his answer was: "I thought Singaporeans only knew how to speak English and I was afraid you would have trouble understanding me." And when I started asking the other Taiwanese if they thought Singaporeans only knew how to speak English, they nodded in agreement because we hardly used Chinese language as a medium to communicate.

This incident made me realise that different cultures really view each other differently. Even though we were all Chinese, the Taiwanese thought we could not understand Chinese because of the way we portrayed ourselves to the world, using English as our main language medium. I believe that if they had been aware that Singapore was a multi-racial country, they would have known that I was fully capable of speaking and understanding the Chinese language.

In a nutshell, we really should not be ignorant of other cultures and form our own opinions about others. It is important that we become socially aware of the different cultures around the world as Singapore becomes a globalised country.

[Spoiler Alert] The King's Speech

I caught the film one day because of the Oscar hype surrounding it (12 nominations!) plus I saw the trailer on the FaceBook page and it really intrigued me. This movie is a historical drama recounting the story of King George VI when he was still the Duke of York and how his stammer was causing him great distress. So in comes Lionel Logue,a speech therapist who helps the Duke overcome his lifelong stammer with his unorthodox methods. The film follows how Logue and the Duke developed a firm friendship in the Duke's struggle for a voice as he ascended the throne to be the King.

I was very overwhelmed by the struggle the Duke of York went through as he searched for ways to overcome his stammer. His stance was clearly uncomfortable when it came to public speaking, stemmed from his past and lack of confidence. Thus,it was very inspiring when he delivered the final speech to his people without stammering at the end of the film. I think the underlying factor for his stammer was his lack of confidence. The taunting of his elder brother and his father did a lot of damage to his self-esteem and that led to the Duke developing a fear of public speaking.

This movie made me realise the power of speech and what people go through in order to communicate with others. I would really recommend this film to you because it shows how effective communication can be achieved as long as we learn how to overcome our fears of public speaking. So do let me know about your thoughts about this film if you have watched it because I would really love to hear your views about it :)

2nd draft of Application Letter

Paula Sng Ren Yuan
123 ABC Street
#111-222 Singapore 123456
(+65) 9123-4567
paula.sng@gmail.com

9 February 2011

Ms Christine Tan
Human Resource Manager
Sumitomo Bakelite Singapore Pte Ltd.
No.1 Senoko South Road
Singapore 758069

Dear Ms Tan,

Application for R&D Engineer Position

I am writing this letter to express my interest in joining Sumitomo Bakelite Singapore Ptd Ltd as a R&D Engineer (Product cum Customer Development).

As a recent graduate from NUS with a Bachelor of Science degree in Chemistry, the exposure to an extensive range of chemistry modules at NUS has equipped me with the knowledge in various aspects of organic, inorganic and physical chemistry. Furthermore, studies in spectroscopic applications and analytical chemistry have enabled me to improve my laboratory analysis techniques.

My education has provided me with a comprehensive background in working in a laboratory and builds up my social skills. During my industrial attachment in polytechnic, I was assigned to a Quality Assurance laboratory where I was responsible for performing quality checks on semi-conductor materials as well as preparation of the injection molded samples. In this attachment, I demonstrated stringency in my work and problem-solving on a daily basis. Through challenging leadership positions, I have developed a strong sense of responsibility, effective interpersonal skills and the ability to contribute to teamwork, even in high-pressure environments. As a member of SCAMP Committee 2009/2010, I successfully planned social programs for 300 of my peers as part of the Freshmen Orientation Programme in NUS.

Having developed a keen interest in the field of polymer science, it is my aspiration to gain a foothold in the polymer industry. Thus, with my combined knowledge of chemistry and polymer technology, I hope to be given this opportunity to pursue a career in polymer technology as a R&D Engineer with Sumitomo Bakelite Singapore Pte Ltd.

My resume is enclosed for your evaluation. I will contact you on the week of 14 February to schedule a time in which I may further discuss my qualifications for the R&D Engineer position. Thank you for your time and consideration. I look forward to your positive reply.

Yours Sincerely,
Paula Sng Ren Yuan

Enclosure

1st draft of Application Letter

123 ABC Street
#111-222 Singapore 123456

9 February 2011

The Human Resource Manager
Sumitomo Bakelite Singapore Pte Ltd.
No.1 Senoko South Road
Singapore 758069

Dear Sir/Madam

I am writing this letter in response to the advertisement posted on the Sumitomo Bakelite Singapore Ptd Ltd website on 7 February 2011. I wish to join Sumitomo Bakelite Singapore Ptd Ltd as a R&D Engineer (Product cum Customer Development).

I have recently graduated from the National University of Singapore with a Bachelor of Science degree in Chemistry and was a graduate of Singapore Polytechnic with a Diploma with Merit in Chemical Process Technology, specialising in Polymer Technology. At NUS, I was able to be exposed to an extensive range of chemistry modules that has equipped me with the knowledge in various aspects of organic, inorganic and physical chemistry. Furthermore, modules such as spectroscopic applications and analytical chemistry have allowed me to improve my skills in laboratory analysis.

During my industrial attachment in polytechnic, I was able to work in a Quality Assurance laboratory as a laboratory technician, assisting in quality checks and performing tests on semi-conductor materials. The rigorous training in chemistry at NUS has also taught me to be more stringent in my laboratory work and proficient in problem-solving.

I have developed a strong interest in the field of polymer science ever since my polytechnic days and with my combined knowledge of chemistry, I hope to gain further insight of the polymer industry. Thus, I hope to be given this opportunity to pursue a career in polymer technology.

I have enclosed my resume and should you have any other further enquiries, please do not hesitate to contact me at the number provided in the resume.

I look forward to your positive reply.

Thank you.

Yours faithfully,
Paula Sng

#2 Interpersonal Conflict (Edited)

I had a slight misunderstanding with my senior who was on the same organizing committee for an orientation camp with me. We were having a debrief session after our trial camp and we were all having a go at saying how we felt the camp went and what other ways we could improve on the camp.

I've always felt that we should be open about our feelings (in a sensitive way of course) so I talked about how the camp went and towards the end of my comments, I actually directed a question to this senior regarding why I wasn't informed about certain things before the trial camp. I told her I wasn't after any explanation since I'd already handled the situation and the trial camp was over. However,I felt that it was necessary for us to improve the communication between committee members so as to better facilitate the actual camp.

She didn't answer my question and instead stormed out of the room. About 5 minutes later,I received a very angry phone call from her. She accused me of calling her irresponsible and said words that had deeply hurt me. I wasn't even given a chance to properly address her concerns and was just given a huge scolding from her. Needless to say, I learnt a huge lesson from this incident.

So,how do you think I could have handled this situation better? What kind of approach do you think I should have taken?