Final Reflection on Learning

I love that this modules gears towards practical training; it focuses on honing our communication skills instead of placing the emphasis solely on academic writing.This is probably the biggest thing that I can take away from the module because effective communication is definitely essential when we enter the workforce in the future. In a professional setting, we can write the best essays or churn out the most comprehensive statistical analysis, but if we are unable to communicate effectively with our colleagues and bosses, how are we able to survive in the workforce in the long run or achieve bigger things?

This course has provided a good coverage of various components of effective communication, which includes active listening, interview and resume writing skills and survey research skills to name a few. I feel that these are very practical skills that we will be using in the workforce in future. While companies have to pay thousands of dollars to send their employees for such communication courses, I feel privileged to be able to get exposed to these skills in a learning environment so as to improve my communication skills.

Delivering a professional presentation does not require talent. It only requires practice and exposure, as seen from how the class has made vast improvements during our final presentation. I am indeed thankful for the numerous opportunities given to us to deliver oral presentations, as well as for the feedback sessions after our presentations. It is through the various feedback that we learn from one another, to be more aware of our strengths, as well as to improve on our own weaknesses.

My experience with this course will not have been so memorable without our encouraging lecturer and supportive classmates. The responsiveness and camaraderie of the class made the whole learning process very fulfilling because we had the opportunity to learn from one another's experiences.

To Qukui, my partner for peer teaching, it was great working with  you. Thank you for laughing at Liverpool because it taught me how to laugh at them as well. To Liying, WeiRong and Lin Han, you are such a humourous bunch of people to work with. I had so much fun working with you. Thank you for always being so understanding and accomodating.

Left to Right: Grace Yee & Qukui

Left to Right: Wei Rong, Lin Han, Liying, Grace Yee & Dr Radhika

To the class, although we cannot deny that being awarded marks for class participation motivates us to speak up in class, thank you for being so genuine and frank with your comments and feedback. I have learnt a lot from all of us and I hope the rest of us feel the same way too. Thank you for being such a responsive and enthusiastic class that makes the whole learning process so enjoyable and memorable.

To Dr Radhika, thank you for being such an encouraging lecturer and for all the advice/tips you gave. Thank you for making lessons so enjoyable, for always engaging the class and encouraging us to participate, as well as to let us know the areas which we can improve on.

Last but not least,  thank you for all your comments on my blog posts. I am guilty of not responding to them, but be rest assured that I've read all of them. Thank you for taking the time to give me such substantial and useful advice, which I will definitely bear in mind when the situation arises.

It has been a very fulfilling journey. This class is by far the most memorable for me. I will definitely miss all of you. As we go forth in our different endeavours, let us remind ourselves to constantly practise effective communication. We have learnt its importance in the professional setting; let us not forget that effective communication happens with our friends and family too! :)