[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.

[ES2007S] Blog Post #4: An Intercultural Harmony

During my National Service (NS) in the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) Bands, I followed the SAF Central Band to Canada in August 2008 to participate in the Festival International de Musiques Militaires de Québec (translated: Quebec City International Festival of Military Bands). It is an occasion where military bands from many different countries gather together to perform music. Countries involved that year include Germany, Australia, Belgium, Chile, South Korea, the United States, France, Norway, the Netherlands, Poland, United Kingdom, Russia and Singapore.

During the segment of the festival known as the Military Tattoo, each band would take turns to perform and showcase displays in an indoor stadium. Being from different countries, the performances by individual bands had a vast variety of style due to the differences in their cultures. However, at the end of the tattoo, during the Grand Finale, every band was gathered together in the stadium to perform songs together. The last song of the finale was Amazing Grace, where a Korean musician played a solo on a taepyeongso, a Korean relative of the suona (the Chinese equivalent of an oboe), after which at least five hundred other band instruments, including bagpipes, drums, and singers, joined in as accompaniment. After the finale, the audience, consisting of mostly locals, applauded very loudly, even to the extent of a standing ovation. They must have been amazed by how a seemingly backward instrument which they have never seen before was able to play such a familiar tune beautifully and hence show such a great amount of support for the Korean musician.

Prior to the actual performance, a handful of people from a particular band started an impromptu music-making session and played some popular songs like Star Wars. Subsequently, other people from other bands started joining in the fun, adding to the texture by playing their instruments too. I was rather fascinated by the fact that a single song can bring people of different cultures together to form a band of its own without any planning beforehand.

From the most recent lesson of ES2007S about culture, I learnt that there are many things which are universal throughout all cultures. One of them is music, which seems to be supported by the scenarios mentioned earlier. Although interpreted differently by each culture, music was still able to bridge the gaps between the cultural groups, uniting them together.

In conclusion, I was glad to have been able to witness the universality of music across many cultures and how people from very different cultures are able to put aside differences and cooperate with each other, working together towards a common goal.

Here is a video of the Amazing Grace at the Military Tattoo:

[ES2007S] Blog Post #3: Application Letter

Draft 1

<Address>

<Postal Code>

<HP Number>

(10-2-2011)

Department of Biological Sciences

Faculty of Science
National University of Singapore
14 Science Drive 4
Singapore 117543

Dear Sir/Madam,

I am graduating from the National University of Singapore with a B.Sc in Life Sciences and would like to pursue my graduate studies in the Department of Biological Sciences of the National University of Singapore. I am aware that there are many research projects carried out by your department and am particularly interested in the research on diseases.

As mentioned in my résumé, my degree specialises in Biomedical Science, which gives me a good foundation in pharmacology, physiology and immunology. My grades also indicate that I am meticulous in my tasks, ensuring that they are free of error and completed on time. Also, my Final Year Project has given me the opportunity to carry out research in a laboratory, equipping me with the necessary skills and techniques. I am confident that these qualities would allow me to contribute greatly to the research scene of your department.

I seek your active consideration of my application for graduate studies in your department. Thank you for your time and I look forward to hearing from you in the near future.

Sincerely,

<Signature> 

Kenneth Lee

Draft 2

<Address>

<Postal Code>

<HP Number>

(13-2-2011)

Department of Biological Sciences

Faculty of Science
National University of Singapore
14 Science Drive 4
Singapore 117543

Dear Sir/Madam,

I would be graduating from the National University of Singapore with a B.Sc (Hons) in Life Sciences and would like to pursue my graduate studies in the Department of Biological Sciences of the National University of Singapore. I am aware that there are many research projects carried out by your department and am particularly interested in the research on diseases, especially cancer.

As mentioned in my résumé, my degree specialises in Biomedical Science, which gives me a good foundation in pharmacology, physiology and immunology. From my past roles and experiences with Anderson Junior College Symphonic Band and the Singapore Armed Forces Bands, I have gained many skills, like patience gained from the long waits between parade rehearsals and meticulousness gained from the sectionals conducted for my section. Such traits are useful, especially in the field of research. Also, through the Experimental Molecular and Cell Biology module which I took recently, I have been equipped with the necessary skills and techniques in the laboratory, like handling a micropipette, agarose gel electrophoresis, and Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction. With these qualities, I am confident that I will be able to contribute greatly to the Department of Biological Sciences in the field of cancer research.

I seek your active consideration of my application for graduate studies in your department. Thank you for your time and I look forward to hearing from you in the near future.

Sincerely,

<Signature> 

Kenneth Lee

[ES2007S] Blog Post #2: An Interpersonal Conflict

It was the second day of Chinese New Year, when my family decided to open our house to our relatives for card games. Having eaten too much food during the last two days, all of us agreed to settle our own dinner before meeting up. However, one of them seemed to be unaware of this arrangement. Because of other plans, he arrived a little late without eating dinner beforehand. The doorbell was low on battery, so the ringing was drowned out by the noise within the house.

When he resorted to knocking the door, my mother heard it and answered the door.

“Have you eaten yet?”

“No.”

“We have no dinner available. You’ll have to go to the food court next door to eat.”

“Okay,” he said as he got ready to leave.

“Why don’t you leave your bag here with us so that you don’t need to carry so much?”

“My umbrella is inside,” he said as he left.

After an hour, my other relatives were wondering why he was not back yet, so they tried to call his cell phone but he did not respond to any of the calls. It seemed that he thought we intentionally did not leave any food for him and felt rejected. As he lives alone, he was probably more prone to such emotions. Also, he grew up separately from the rest of my relatives, making it hard for him to blend in with us.

In such a situation, what should be done to make him feel more accepted?

[ES2007S] Blog Post #1: Why are effective communication skills important for me?

Effective communication skills are important for me in everything I do, regardless of the situation I am in. This is especially true in the field of scientific research, which I hope to do in the future. For example, discovering a revolutionary cure for cancer would be useless if people are not able to grasp the idea. In other words, something which could have saved millions of lives worldwide would be lost if communication fails. Effective communication skills are necessary for ensuring that the other party has received and understood the information to the extent that its reproducibility is not compromised.

Even during everyday life, where I interact with people almost all the time, it is imperative that the interaction goes both ways and ensures the maintenance of the hearers' attention. There was one incident where I was having a conversation with two friends. I was not aware that one of them had switched off from the conversation, probably due to a lack of interest in the topic involved. I learnt about this only when my other friend informed me while we were queuing up to buy lunch later on. He told me to be more observant to detect any signs of boredom which may manifest during a conversation.

In conclusion, I look forward to learning the skills necessary for a fruitful semester of interactive and effective communication amongst my peers with the help of this module.