Post #9: "What the caterpillar calls the end, the rest of the world calls a butterfly"

I first heard about this module in an email sent to all Science students in December/January. Wondering if I should take it up or not, I talked to one of my seniors, Dinidu who encouraged me to take it. After judiciously planning for presentation-free electives in my 3 semesters at NUS, it was like willingly leading myself to what seemed the edge of a cliff - with a potentially painful end. What if I failed miserably and it pulled down my CAP? Before even bidding for ES2007S, I remember emailing Brad to ask if this module could be S/U'd. Even then, I was completely grade-oriented. But I took a chance; an uncharacteristic leap of faith. 13 weeks have passed since taking this module, and here I stand at the finish line with no regrets.

In my first post, I expounded reasons why communication was important but even back then, I had no idea there was so much I didn’t know. For example, prior to this module I had never even heard of the 7C’s of communication. But after weeks of being constantly reminded of these principles, it has been ingrained into my brain. Now, studying my Cell Biology textbook I even find myself critiquing the authors’ lack of conciseness, clarity and completeness. Of course, I still have a lot of C’s to work on myself! But I can say with certainty that blogging has definitely enhanced my writing skills.

I also found the skill building tasks we did in class very useful, because it gave us a chance to apply what we learnt. The tasks on nonverbal communication and building interpersonal skills were particularly interesting. Now I understand the importance of developing EQ to solve interpersonal conflicts, build relations and even be successful in your workplace –everything that a degree alone won’t help with.

In addition, learning about writing resumes, application letters and handling job interviews will be one of the most useful things I can take from my university life. In my first year I bought "The Complete Idiot's guide to Writing The Perfect Resume", but due to my dreadful indolence I never read it. I’m really glad we did these topics in this module because I will be better prepared when job-hunting after graduation. Reading other people’s resumes also made me want to kick myself for having zero work experience, and as a result I am hoping to do an internship this summer!

And then there was all the emphasis placed on effective oral communication in this module. The peer teaching experience was quite helpful. It lay down the groundwork for the 20 minute presentation we did just last week. From both presentations I learnt the importance of eye contact, voice projection, and effective engagement of the audience. Also, I found the “feel” of being on center stage new and surprisingly enjoyable!

If I had to pick the most important thing I got out of this module, I think it is confidence. I’ve found myself gradually participating in other tutorials more actively, and interacting with other people with more ease – a stark difference from the person who walked hesitantly into a tutorial room full of strangers 4 months ago.

Now, after weeks of intermingling, I know the names of everyone in class. Val, LH and Thu win - you guys were the best group mates I've ever had. Valarie, you are such good fun to hang out with. Crazy Lin Hui, I do hope we never lose touch and you take me wakeboarding some day. Ye Thu Win, thanks for being so patient with three high-strung girls! To the rest of the class, I'm so glad to have known each and every one of you.

I also want to take this opportunity to thank Brad. Thanks for not being a lecturer that only lectures, or a just another tutor that talks to nobody in particular. I think I speak for everyone in my class when I say you strived to not only teach, but also to inspire - from giving us your interesting personal anecdotes of global commutes, to always finding something good to say about everyone and everything we do.

The 400 points I took to bid for ES2007S may well be the best investment I make for an elective at NUS. For the first time in this high-pressure, cut-throat "kiasu" environment, I realized that it isn't the grade that matters. What I learnt from this module cannot possibly be manifest in a simple grade. True, I would be remiss to assert that I have learnt everything there is to know about effective communication. This is not the end - just a beginning to a new chapter! My journey has been an incredible one where I gained important skills that will undoubtedly come in useful in all my future endeavors. If this is what taking chances is all about, here’s to taking more such chances in this life we lead - this trail we blaze.

______________________________________________________________________

"Once you have tasted flight, you will forever walk the earth with your eyes turned skyward, for there you have been, and there you will always long to return. " ~ Leonardo da Vinci

The Oral Presentation – In Retrospect

I was never the public-speaking sort. You may argue that nobody is, but I actively and passionately avoided it. In school, I never had to do any presentations because I’d hide behind the person sitting in front of me (which was always easy to do) if the teacher ever wanted someone to come in front of the class and speak.

To talk about how I moved from that person, to the person you saw in front of class last Monday is to talk about an unexpected journey of self-growth and great friendships in a period of just a few days.

THURSDAY. TUTORIAL ROOM. 1145 HRS

When we first sent our slides to each other a few days before, we thought they were just fine. After watching the first two groups however, we realized we were wrong – we needed to give our slides some major facelifts to make it look half as good as the other groups’! And fast.

THURSDAY. CENTRAL FORUM. 1900 HRS

This resulted in a frantic meeting at central forum at 7pm the same day. Everyone’s faces were grim. From 7pm to 12 that night, we deleted massive amounts of text off our slides, grilled each other on the content of our separate parts, and tried to make our slides look professional. Tensions were high, it was easy to get discouraged and we had to keep motivating each other to keep our spirits up (apparently Lin Hui’s method of motivation was to feed me “century egg”, which, she told me with a serious face after I'd eaten it, was “made by fermenting in horse urine”).

SUNDAY. TUTORIAL ROOM. 1900 HRS

We met again Sunday night, and did quite a few full-runs of the entire presentation. In those rehearsals, I referred to my notes as little as possible, hoping I could do the same on that day.

We really did prepare as much as we could as a group, and credit goes to all my team mates for doing it with heart. One weakness in our preparation however was that we focused so much on our content and ensuring our slides had as less text as possible, that we neglected to add imagery to make it look visually enticing. Since our topic was not exactly as exciting as radio broadcasting, failure to add in pictures to help the audience retain our content could have been a rather unfortunate oversight on our part.

MONDAY. TUTORIAL ROOM. 1100 HRS

The Vans had just presented, and had done a good job of it too. I looked at them enviously; they looked so relaxed. 10 minutes later, it was our turn. Valarie went first and I thought she did wonderfully, and so did Thu Win and Lin Hui. When it was my turn, I remember walking up to the center with my heart thumping. I also remember being nervous - which was ultimately my downfall. I’m so disappointed that I practised so hard during rehearsals and at home without looking at my notes much, but when it came down to the actual day, my nerves got the better of me and I kept looking at my notes - even when I didn’t need to. I have a feeling I did better in peer teaching – I was definitely more confident. I didn’t even have reason to be nervous the second time – I knew every single one of my audience members much better!

In hindsight, I believe I just psyched myself out. If only I had approached it with calm and focus, like Lin Hui. Although I know I didn’t live up to my own standards, I don’t think I did all that terribly either. I managed to not fumble my words and maintain eye contact, things that are quite hard to do when you can hear your heart beating against your eardrums.

Plus, I’ve learned so much more than I ever thought I would in the whole process. I feel like I could present now even to a completely alien audience with renewed confidence and zest. There is always much more to work on of course, but I know I've come further than I ever dreamed I would- for a small-town girl who avoided public speaking like the plague because she was afraid she’d never be any good at it.

Post #7 - Firebenders Proposal Draft 1 - Benefits

5. BENEFITS OF CONDUCTING A COMMUNICATION NEEDS ANALYSIS

As mentioned, the food industry in Singapore is experiencing growth by massive scales. As such, it is of paramount importance to adapt to such changes and ensure that NUS remains true in its vision to nimbly respond to change and to ensure the university remains a prominent player on the world stage.

By conducting our research, we will gain insights into the communication skills required of, and lacked by NUS graduates in the food industry. We will be able to produce substantial statistics that will point at any changes that may need to be made in the NUS FST curriculum to accommodate these revelations. This in itself will unfold important advantages:

5.1 Increase employability of NUS graduates

Currently, polytechnics such as Singapore Polytechnic (SP) and Temasek Polytechnic (TP) have programmes to specifically build communication skills in FST students, arming them with vital skills that employers seek. A communication needs analysis will reveal any weaknesses in the current system, and NUS will be able to equip its students with all the necessary skills to stand out internationally.

5.2 Intensify competitiveness of NUS

Countries around the world and within Asia (e.g. Hong Kong and Japan) are advancing towards being global universities and growing in stature. By offering a well-rounded education that integrates incorporation of sought-after communication skills, NUS will be well-placed to succeed in its relentless pursuit in being a world-class university.

5.3 Produce Asia's future leaders

By catering to communication needs required of graduates at the workplace, NUS will be able to nurture countless articulate, global leaders keenly desired by the food industry employers in Singapore and around the world.

Post #4: Intercultural Conflicts Through The Eyes Of A TCK

I'm a Third Culture Kid. A term coined by sociologist Ruth Hill Useem in the 1960s, a TCK refers to someone who “spends a significant portion of their lives outside their parent’s culture, and builds relationships to all the cultures, while not having full ownership in any”. Yes, I often suffer from culture shock when I return to my own "home" country. I went to an International school in Oman and my friends were from all over the world – the Middle East, South Asia, South East Asia, Africa, and some parts of Europe. I could sort them out by continent! All our cultures rubbed off on each other and I grew up becoming a little bit of everything. Every day I learned a little bit more about how different cultures view certain things, and one such day was during break, when I overheard two of my friends discussing the Richard Gere-Shilpa Shetty incident.

In April 2007, at an AIDS-awareness American actor Richard Gere kissed Bollywood actress Shilpa Shetty several times on the cheek in New Delhi, causing waves of anger and protests across India. One of my friends, a conservative Pakistani with Indian roots, was angry at the incident because it was an outright attack on their cultural values. “She has disgraced her family and her fans” said Miriam, “And Richard Gere imposing himself on her is right in line with the American mentality. They think they can do whatever they want, wherever they want”.

My other friend Latisha, a Ugandan who grew up in British School before moving into our school, laughed derisively. “It’s just a kiss” she exclaimed, “Why is the Indian public blowing it so out of proportion? They’re burning effigies of Richard Gere and burning photos of Shilpa Shetty. Why can’t these Indians just get with the times?”.

I sensed Miriam getting riled up at this comment. “Kissing in public may be okay for him but public displays of affection are still taboo in India and he should have been more respectful. And Shilpa Shetty shouldn’t have let it happen. Do not insult the public for wanting to protect their heritage!” At this point, Latisha must have realized she hit a nerve, because she quickly changed the subject.

Looking back on this conversation, I realized how intercultural conflicts can happen both in the macrocosm and microcosm. Richard Gere caused massive protests across India when he did something that wouldn’t have caused a flinch back in the US. Shilpa Shetty, of course couldn’t have been to blame. Pushing him off the pedestal would have been rather ungracious on her part, especially on national TV. Perhaps some of these protestors saw Gere's move as symbolic of the stereotype that all Americans were culturally insensitive and imposed their values carelessly on the rest of the world. And fundamentalist Hindu groups may have seen it as an affront to the moral values they hold so dear, in their own land. But people from other cultures like Latisha, may comprehend the reaction at face-value as simply an over-reaction by a public that “refuses to get with it”. Clearly, if only you looked beyond the tip of the iceberg, cultural practices and reactions that seemed bizarre upfront begin to to make more sense.

Both Miriam and Latisha were new to my school. Neither grew up with such close encounters with other cultures. They were both being stubbornly ethnocentric, and never saw the incident from a cross-cultural lens - precisely what Richard Gere too may have failed to do. Perhaps issuing arrest warrants for Shilpa Shetty and Richard Gere was uncalled for. But even if it was an innocuous publicity stunt by an actor, Richard Gere could have prevented a lot of conflict with a little bit of cultural sensitivity on his part. It doesn’t take a Third Culture Kid to realize that in a postmodernist world, we’re not as isolated as we used to be. As global citizens we must all strive to be a little more understanding and culturally sensitized, and not see the world through our own culturally conditioned eyes only.

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http://img.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2007/04_01/GereShilpa2AP_800x316.jpg

Post #3.1 - Position Application Letter: Draft 2

Kavishna Ranmali Kalamba Arachchi
92463452
Crumxxxx@gmail.com
____________________________________________________________________

03-02-2020

Ms Joyce Choo
Neuroscience Research Partnership-Singapore
20 Biopolis Way #01-04
Singapore 119342


Dear Ms Joyce Choo

APPLICATION FOR THE POST OF RESEARCH OFFICER

I refer to the job vacancy, placed on the A*Star website, for the position of a Research Officer. The Neuroscience Research Partnership is a highly integrated program, and its focus on molecular, cellular and especially behavioral aspects of neurodegenerative disorders is something I have a deep interest in.

I am a Bachelor of Science graduate from the National University of Singapore, majoring in Life-Science (with specialization in Biomedical Science) and I do believe that my qualifications make me strongly suited for the position stated above. During my undergraduate years my experience in laboratories in the fields of Microbiology, Biochemistry, Genetics and Organic Chemistry have made me familiar with a variety of techniques, including Gel Electrophoresis and Cell Culturing. These settings have only driven my passion for research even further.

In addition to having solid academic credentials, I am self-motivated, hard-working and I enjoy working in a team. Various co-curricular activities I have participated in my Hall and the Faculty of Science have imbued me with invaluable leadership skills and responsibility. Being the editor of the official NUS Life Sciences magazine “The Mudskipper” has molded in me skills such as adherence to deadlines and organization. Positions like “Logistics Head” for the planning of the 2009 NUS Life Sciences Society Fund-Raiser have taught me the importance of attention to detail. In addition, my interest in sports has also led me to develop traits such as perseverance and resilience. I do believe that if given the opportunity my set of skills will be an asset to the Neuroscience Research Partnership.

I am excited at the possibility of working in an internationally-renowned company, and I have herewith enclosed my detailed resume for your perusal. Should you wish to contact me, you can reach me at 92463452. I am available to meet with you at a time that is convenient to you. I look forward to hearing from you soon.

Thank you for your time and consideration.


Yours sincerely

Kavishna Ranmali K. A

Post #3 - Position Application Letter: Draft 1.

Kavishna Ranmali Kalamba Arachchi
92463452
crumxxxx@gmail.com
____________________________________________________________________

03-02-2010

Ms Joyce Choo
Neuroscience Research Partnership-Singapore
20 Biopolis Way #01-04
Singapore 119342


Dear Ms Joyce Choo

APPLICATION FOR THE POST OF RESEARCH OFFICER

I refer to the Job Ad placed on the A*Star website, for the position of a Research Officer.

I am a Bachelor of Science graduate from the National University of Singapore (NUS), majoring in Life-Science, with specialization in Biomedical Science. I am of the conviction that my qualifications make me strongly suited for the position stated above. During my undergraduate years my experience in laboratories in the fields of Microbiology, Biochemistry, Genetics and Organic Chemistry have made me familiar with such techniques such as Gel Electrophoresis and Cell Culturing. These settings have also driven my passion for research even further, and I believe my set of skills will be an asset to the Neuroscience Research Partnership-Singapore.

I am self-motivated and hard-working, and I enjoy working in a team. Various co-curricular activities I’ve participated in my hall and my faculty have imbued in me invaluable leadership skills and responsibility. Taking part in both sports and organizational committees have also taught me additional skills such as sticking to deadlines and perseverance.

I am excited at the possibility of working in an internationally-recognized company, and I have herewith enclosed my detailed resume for your perusal. Should you wish to contact me, you can reach me at 92463452 . I look forward to hearing from you. Thank you for your time and consideration.


Yours sincerely

Kavishna Ranmali K. A

Post #2: And then there were three....

The following is an account of an interpersonal conflict between two people. If you plumb into the seemingly murky depths of each person's feelings and points of view, what would you suggest they each do to resolve this conflict?

********

Aileen sat on the porch and tried to think back to the days it used to be just her and her father. Those were the days. It had always been that way ever since she was 7 when her parents got divorced. Ten years later she could barely remember life being any different. Her father showered her with attention and she was Daddy’s Little Girl, the centre of his world.

The sky was losing its light and it served as a stark reminder of how much things had changed in such little time. It all began when her father announced his intentions to marry the woman he’d been dating for a year. She couldn’t believe her perfect world of Two had now become Three. Did this strange woman really think she could replace her mother? Ever since she had moved in, to say that they’d both been at loggerheads with each other would be an understatement. Aileen refused to acknowledge Jane’s presence as an authority figure. This woman had just traipsed into her life and started telling her what to do. Their latest tirade was about Jane disapproving the way she dressed – apparently she needed to be more conservative about her image. Well, she’d always dressed this way and her father never had a problem. As a result of all this conflict, her relationship with her Dad had become strained, and she hated it. She tried to accept Jane into her life but felt like she was trying to make way too many changes, way too fast. She knew that an aggressive confrontation with her would only upset her father. What should she do to tell her to back off?

-----------------

Jane stared out the window at her stepdaughter. It hurt to be rejected by the daughter of the man she loved. She always knew it wouldn’t be easy, but she felt like Aileen never even wanted to give her a chance to feel like part of the family. She had tried to be as forthcoming as possible, but Aileen was just so different from her. Jane was a neat-freak; Aileen thrived in messy surroundings. Jane expected Aileen to help with the dishes, Aileen hated to help around the house. Jane was conservative; Aileen insisted she was a creative liberal. Also, sometimes she felt like Aileen was spoilt, and had gotten away with a lot growing up. She didn’t understand why Aileen radiated such hostility towards her; she was only trying to make sure Aileen grew up right. All these constant battles only stressed out her husband. How could she make peace with her stepdaughter when she didn't even seem to respect her?

R's take on Effective Communication

Why is communication so important in life?

Human beings are by nature social animals. I read somewhere of a tenet in contemperory psychology that holds that having a good social network can boost an individual's mental health. What this means is that our actions and words will always affect the people around us. Therefore, for an entire community to thrive, developing healthy relationships is of vital importance. Effective communication is necessary in making new friends and building strong bonds between people. For example, I signed up as a councelor for my hall's Freshmen Orientation Camp last year. It is so important that we really inculcate a sense of belonging into the freshmen, and expose them to the kind of culture that was unique to our hall. For that to happen, we need to interact with them to build bonds that lead to lasting friendships. Effective communication is needed between seniors and freshmen to maintain healthy relationships to make sure there are no "generation gaps". This, in effect really does keep the social fabric of our hall community together.


The importance of effective communication is not only seen in forging friendships, but also in havnig a successful career. It starts from your very first resume. I'm looking forward to learning how to write effective resumes & application letters in this module because it may be the most important piece of document I'll ever have to write. Job interviews will also call for effective communication skills on your part - to be able to convey crystally clear the message that YOUR talent is just what their company is looking for. I joined the Eusoff Hall Flag Committee last summer, and we had to talk to managers of companies for sponsorship, and meet face-to-face to discuss more on the mutual benefits to be gained by procuring sponsorships from these companies. We had to convince shrewd marketing managers that we could provide them excellent publicity. The best part is you learn to become a little thick-headed, and you have the courage to ask for more sponsorship without sounding impertinent! Perhaps in the future I won't still be asking for sponsorships, but these communication skills will be important if I ever have to face my future boss and ask for a raise. Or to atleast politely explain why I feel deserving of a promotion!


Another important skill is oral communication. I'm not the best orator in the world, and I carefully avoided modules where I had to make presentations. Recent introspection though made me realize how woefully inexperienced I would be at public speaking if I kept up this attitude. It would make me prepared for the work world as much as a man without his mountaineering gear was at scaling Mount Kilimanjaro. I knew I needed to stop letting my insecurities keep me from being the best I could be. I want to be able to walk into a room full of strangers and deliver a powerful presentation/speech, articulately, and confidently, without having a panic attack.


And so for all these reasons effective communication is so important to me - for my career, for better relationships with my family and friends - I took a baby step. I joined ES2007S, hoping to hone out the finest communicator buried within all of us.

I'd like to sign off by leaving you with a poem included in the book "Things Fall Apart" by Chinua Achebe. I believe it captures the very essence of a communcation breakdown, of the very real danger of chaos if there was no effective communication between people -

Turning and turning in the widening gyre,
The falcon cannot hear the falconer;
Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold;
Mere anarchy is loosed upon the world.