"Final Reflection"

Oh well... Here we are at the end of the semester. It is kinda sad but I guess all good things must come to an end. I must say, however, that this has been THE BEST module I have EVER taken here at NUS. I think Brad is THE BEST tutor anyone could EVER ask for. In short, ES2007S is THE BEST module taught by THE BEST tutor EVER. (Ok Brad, hope I've said whatever you're paying me to say... Just transfer the money over to my account alright? ;D)

Hahaha! Ok Ok... Seriously, this has definitely been one of the best modules I've taken. I guess it's the so-called "non-traditional" approach of this module which made it appeal to me. I'm a Life Sciences major so getting away from the typical 'lecture-tutorial-lab' mould of modules was very refreshing for me. It was a great experience having this much of interaction in the classroom and allowing an exchange of ideas which often digressed from a given topic so that a very wholesome, all-rounded discussion took place.

I definitely learnt many skills to do with both speaking and writing effectively which I believe will help me not only in my career but also all throughout my life in every instance where these skills are required. It is sad that the importance of effective communication skills have been in the past often undermined in many places especially in tertiary institutions such as NUS. It is refreshing to see that this is changing at least in NUS and a module has been dedicated to communicating effectively.

Last but definitely not to say the least, Brad IS truly an excellent tutor who has made a conscious effort to bond with us students. His efforts have definitely touched me as I'm sure they have the many others who have taken this module. Thank you Brad and it has truly been a pleasure learning from you!

"My Oral Presentation"

Well... Last week my group did an oral presentation on our project. It was basically an analysis of the level of awareness of NUS students on the pollution levels of the various beaches in Singapore and their efforts (if any) in improving the situation. The purpose of this post is for me to reflect on that oral presentation, and for me to highlight what I thought were my strengths and weaknesses.

To begin with, the PowerPoint presentation itself was done in a rush, at least on my part. This was due to the time constraint which my group members and I had to work around. We did try to exchange our presentation slot with another group but since it was the end of the semester, everyone was equally busy with last minute assignments and final year projects. I remember completing the slides just the day before our actual presentation. Given the time constraint, I guess our slides turned out fairly decent.

Secondly, on our actual oral presentation, I thought we had our ups and downs. For me personally, I thought I was alright. Definitely not my best performance but not my worst as well. The time constraint applied to the preparation of the oral part of the presentation too I guess. I realized I was repeating the problem statement and our objectives quite a number of times. I guess I was just collecting my thoughts on the next point. At times, I realized I was going a little too fast as well which is a habit I tend to have when I'm presenting. However, I think I overcame it a little later on in the presentation.

On the whole I think my confidence level grew as the presentation went on. I am a person who needs to get into my own zone before I really get comfortable and I usually need a little time for that. I think my group members did really well and I'm definitely proud of them.