Final Reflection on Learning

Time really flies. It has been more than 12 weeks since the start of ES2007S and I still remembered that during bidding period, Redonnia and I were contemplating on whether we should take ES2007S as a module. Some of our friends have warned us that the workload of this module is rather heavy and consistent efforts are required throughout the whole semester. However, looking back, I am glad that we decided to go ahead to take this course because it was one of the most useful modules which I have taken in NUS. Personally, I have gained a lot of experiences when it comes to presentation and personal skills. 

Before taking this module, opportunities for me to give a powerpoint presentation to a class were rather limited. Moreover, those presentations usually focus more of the contents being delivered rather than giving feedbacks on how one should improve on his or her presentation skills. Being a nervous speaker, I used to hope that I could get it over and done with by quickly finishing up my speech. However, through this module, I have learnt a good communication-related skill which is oral presentation. It is not just saying your speech as you need to know how to engage your audience with eye-contacts as well as speak in appropriate tone in order to deliver what you wish to say effectively. I was also taught how to cope with the ‘butterflies in the stomach’ during presentation because it boils down to having ample preparation and practices. Having sufficient preparations will make us feel more confident of what we are presenting to the audience, and practising will help us to improve on our presentation skill. Therefore, I would say that it has equipped me with the relevant skills on presenting effectively.

Furthermore, in the past, I was quite apprehensive in speaking up in class because I was self-conscious of how people will look at me, or whether I will appear foolish by giving those comments. Hence, after ES2007S, I find myself constantly learning in the process as it trained me to adopt the most fundamental skill in effective communication which is to speak up. In addition, the atmosphere within the class was encouraging in the sense that everyone in the class was open to differing opinions. Thus, we often had interactive and meaningful conversations which allow us to understand one another better. For instance, I still remember there was one lesson whereby we were asked to state the qualities which we valued the most in a friend and surprisingly, many of us had the same quality in our minds. Through all these activities, it makes me realise that we should not constantly be afraid to speak up for fear of being judged because at the end of the day, it would hinder us from learning and interaction with other people.

Overall, I would say that ES2007S is an enriching module which prepares and equips me with the skills essential for the future workplace like how you should present yourself in the interview, be more accepting to the diverse workplace and more. It has been a wonderful experience and would definitely encourage some of my juniors to take this module! :)