Final Reflection

At the beginning of the semester, skills in active listening, interpersonal communication and oral communication were important to me. However, after taking this module, it has changed my understanding a little.

Now, I feel that skills in job search communication are very important too. Writing resumes and cover letters and experiencing mock interviews made me realize that there are many things to learn and discover about job search communication. The first step to impressing your potential employer is your cover letter and resume. In this course, we learnt to write effective cover letters and resumes to convince the employer to arrange for an interview with us. Mock interview sessions were then carried out to teach us how to answer interviewers’ questions intelligently and honestly. Therefore, job search communication skills are vital in my application for internships or jobs.

However, skills in active listening, interpersonal communication and oral communication are still important and useful to me. Without these skills, we would not be able to communicate effectively with other people. In this course, the research project experience has helped me to develop many communication skills. During project meetings, our group always ensured that we gave constructive comments and listened actively to what each other had to say. Besides that, interpersonal communication played a huge role in reducing conflicts. Working with people whom you did not know very well initially might be difficult, but having the willingness to understand each other definitely made the process easier. Interpersonal communication is important because we needed to communicate effectively with one another whenever we had different ideas and opinions. The final part of the research project was the oral presentation. After looking at the comments from our classmates and tutor, I realized that a successful oral presentation requires many different elements and I still have a lot more room for improvement. The Question & Answer session was also a good channel for us to learn to use the correct language and attitude to answer queries.

On the overall, taking this course has definitely helped me to develop different communication skills and it encourages me to learn more about them.

Biodata

I studied in Hai Sing Catholic School (2001-2004) and Meridian Junior College (2005-2006). In secondary school, I was Drum Major and Percussion Section Leader of the Band. During my junior college years, I was elected as Vice President of the Band. Also, I was Chairman of the National Day Concert Committee, planning and overseeing the entire day’s events from morning assembly to concert performances. These experiences enriched my school life and taught me how to lead a team and cooperate with others.

I am currently a Statistics and Applied Probability major in National University of Singapore (NUS). I am also a member of the NUS Wind Symphony and Section Leader of Mus’Art Wind Orchestra, a community band.

Reflecting on the Research Project Experience

Doing the research project made me learn many useful skills that I can apply when I work with teams in the future. Through the process, I realized the importance of time management. Time management was something I struggled with during the project. In addition to the tight schedule for this project, it was the mid-semester examination period. There were many things we had to do and there was a need to learn to prioritize and work efficiently.
My group members accommodated to each other’s examination schedule and divided the workload accordingly. This enabled us to have time to study for tests as well as do research for our project. Communication skills are essential in teamwork. When we did not have enough time to complete our designated parts, we informed each other and reassigned the tasks accordingly. This is important because we should be honest with each other. There is a need to understand each other and with that, we are able to work effectively as a group.
As a team player, I had to learn to work efficiently to ensure I complete my parts on time. Besides speed, accuracy is also a major factor in working efficiently. Working efficiently also includes understanding the parts you are doing well. This saves time when explaining to your group members. When I am explaining my ideas and opinions, my group members will listen actively and only voice out their opinions after I have finished talking. This is a form of showing respect and we should also remember this because we want to be respected too.
On the overall, I had a positive learning experience doing the research project. I was able to apply my knowledge of effective communication skills in a real situation and I also learnt a lot from my project mates. Effective communication improves the relationship among us and it definitely aids in speeding up the work process. Being able to set your priorities right and work efficiently is needed for good time management.

Evaluating Intercultural Behavior

I was in Japan for a holiday. When I went shopping, I realized that almost all the shop attendants were polite and helpful. My sister wanted to buy a bag but was vacillating among the colours available. The sales attendant was still smiling, waiting patiently and not looking irritated at all. After my sister made a decision, the sales attendant brought her to the counter to make payment. The sales attendant wrapped up the bag nicely and walked out of the counter to pass the merchandise to her personally. I feel that the Japanese treasure good customer service and they are also proud of their jobs. Regardless of the things you are buying, the shop attendants will treat you politely and with respect. However, in Singapore, I observed that it is difficult to find such good customer service. If the same situation occurred in Singapore, the sales attendant would most probably get restless and frustrated with my sister. In Singapore, good customer service may probably only be seen in shops selling branded or expensive goods or when the customer is dressed up to the nines.

To communicate effectively with people from a different country, being able to speak their language is important but it is not the only means of communication. Understanding each other’s cultural norms and values is also essential to ensure effective communication. For example, good customer service may be treasured in Japan but it may not be the same in other countries. If we know that some people do not like us to take so long to decide what item to buy, we should not waste their time and only return to the shop when we have made up our minds. This applies to other types of cultural values too. We should respect other people’s values because we want others to respect ours too.

Potential Research Project Topics

There are many efforts made in NUS to protect the environment, such as reducing the usage of paper by setting printers to print double-sided, cutting down on the use of plastic bags by charging 10 cents each, and increasing the temperature of the air conditioners. I would like to investigate how much NUS students know about protecting the environment, given the numerous measures that NUS groups have taken. This is important because I believe we should know about the effects of our actions on the environment, instead of following or acting according to the measures. For example, some people print double-sided because the printers are set to default mode, but not because they understand the importance of reducing paper usage to save trees. Hence, my research question is: “How much do NUS students know about protecting the environment?”

The objective of this research is to determine the level of understanding of NUS students on protection of the environment. The target audience of the report is NUS students. Through the report, I hope that NUS students understand the importance of protecting the environment and knowing the rationale behind the various green efforts. Also, potential readers of the report, such as the school management or lecturers, may be able to take action on educating the students through publicity campaigns or by setting up modules regarding protection of the environment.

For this study, an attitudinal survey is important to find out the opinions of students on the green efforts in NUS, whether they feel these measures should be implemented, and also test their knowledge about protecting the environment. From the results, we can gauge the level of understanding NUS students have on the topic of protecting the environment, and how important they think protecting the environment is.

Resolving Interpersonal Conflict

I was in the committee in my school band. When my committee stepped down, elections were held to search for the next batch of leaders. My teachers and committee had to interview the juniors running for the elections to enable us to understand the positions they were interested in and roughly gauge if they are suitable for the job. After the elections, eight juniors with the highest votes would form the next committee. My teachers and committee, together with the newly elected juniors, gathered to discuss the structure of the committee. This was when the conflict occurred. For the post of President, my teachers had a different person in mind from my committee members. My teachers were impressed by A’s confidence during the interview but my committee felt otherwise. To us, confidence is not the only characteristic that defines a good President. We agreed that B was more suitable for the role because she was firm and mature. There was a long argument over this matter, thus we decided to let the new committee vote. A had the highest votes, so she was elected as the President.

The conflict arose mainly because there were different opinions among my teachers and my committee members over the roles of the new committee members. There was probably a lack of active listening because the teachers and my committee did not listen to each other’s comments in an objective way. I felt frustrated and disappointed that the teachers insisted on choosing A as the President despite our objections. I also thought they were not respecting my committee’s suggestions and it seems like there was actually no need for us to participate in the discussion.

Is there a better way to resolve this conflict so that there will be a win-win situation?

Effective Communication Skills

Communication skills are essential as we need to communicate with people in daily life. Developing effective communication skills is vital in dealing with different people in different situations. Effective communication ensures the exchange of accurate information, efficiency in work and formation of a wide network of friends. Misunderstandings may easily arise if there is a lack of effective communication and therefore lead to dire consequences.

There are many different forms of communication. In my opinion, developing skills in active listening, interpersonal communication and oral communication is very important. Active listening allows us to obtain information in the workplace or provide advice for troubled friends, and it is also a form of respect for the speaker(s). Without active listening, inaccurate information may be obtained thus affecting work progress, or friends may feel neglected as they have no one to confide in. Interpersonal communication is another useful skill because when we enter the workforce, we will meet many people whom we need to build a network with. Having a wide network, it enables us to expedite work processes or to obtain a recommendation letter for a scholarship application. People with different job positions, status, or character will require us to use different communication channels. Lastly, oral communication applies greatly in the workplace when we give presentations. Being able to speak confidently and clearly in front of our audience is essential in convincing and conveying our ideas and details to them. When I gave a presentation for a school project, I realised that speaking confidently captures the audience's attention and it enhances their understanding of the content. Effective presentations may also leave a good first impression in the audience.

Effective communication is much needed to maintain the relationships with our family members, friends, schoolmates or colleagues. Developing effective communication skills is important when we enter the workforce, and these skills will still be used even when we are not working because we constantly meet new people in our lives.