[ES2007S] Blog Post #6: Final Reflection

It seemed like yesterday when I stepped into the classroom for my first session for this module. I was quite clueless on what to expect and did not know most of my classmates.

Now, after twelve weeks of lessons, the module has come to an end, along with the semester. Looking back, I could see that I have learnt many skills which are unlikely to be learnt in a life science course.

One of the most important skills which I learnt is to listen actively, being aware of the feedback which the other party may give, both verbal and nonverbal. By doing so, I am able to find out if I need to make any changes to either what I am saying or how I am delivering the message, in order to ensure the message is conveyed successfully. This is important for me to be understood by others, especially in the future when I am working.

I was also given a chance to work in many different groups throughout this course for different assignments. Through these, I learnt that I need to adapt to the needs of the group in order for the assignments to be done efficiently. Some of the assignments were not only challenging, but also require a lot of time to complete. Nonetheless, the assignments were done well and completed on time. However, I believe that I would have benefited even more from this course, especially from both the blogging and the Facebook page, if my other modules this semester were less demanding.

Lastly, I have formed bonds with many friends throughout this course. Although the module has ended and some of them are graduating after this semester, I am confident that the bonds and memories formed will live on.

[ES2007S] Blog Post #5: A Reflection on My Oral Presentation

My team, Coordonner Les, did an oral presentation on our proposal for a study room in the center of neighbourhood clusters to cater to the needs of students plagued with distractions in the area.

On the day before the presentation, we met up to familiarise with our parts for the presentation. It was not easy for me to know my part very well within such a short period of time, but with the help and encouragements of my teammates, I was able to do so. In addition, our rehearsals were recorded for us to listen to when we got home that day.

Even as of just a few hours before our presentation, we were still editing our presentation slides. In the end, the slides were simple enough to prevent information overload and yet impactful enough to show the audience the need to solve the problem.

During the presentation itself, I felt like a different person altogether, relative to my peer teaching session and my mock presentation. I managed to deliver my points clearly without pausing too much to recall my parts. I also succeeded to some extent in connecting with my audience through a continuous effort to establish eye contact with them as evenly as possible.

However, I can tell that there is still room for improvement in many areas. My eye contact can be improved upon further. Also, I should avoid depending too much on my memory but instead know my proposal well enough to present it impromptu in order to make it more natural.

Overall, the presentation went well, being able to show the prevalence of the problem clearly and persuade the audience that our proposal is the simplest yet most effective solution to this problem.