My Final Reflections for ES2007S

It has been a long journey since the day I embarked on this module from the start of the semester till the very end of this module. As I was writing this post, a lot of thoughts went through my mind regarding what I had actually experienced for the past four months or so and the valuable lessons learnt…

It is an undeniable fact that through this module, one is able to learn many skills in communication and life skills. 

These skills include:

Problem Solving SkillsJ

In class, we were made to think critically and interact in class to address interpersonal and intercultural conflicts. I learnt the fact that one should always approach such problems with caution as mishandling it would definitely worsen the whole issue. There are various ways in handling a problem but the type of approach would definitely differ from each problem. Relating to my blog entry on the intercultural conflict, the party involved could actually have averted such a disaster in his encounter with his soon-to-be parents’ in law by actually doing a thorough research on his girlfriend’s family background. He should realize that not all everywhere in the world adopt the same cultural practice. Everyone has different perspectives towards certain issues and they too, bear a certain limit of tolerance. Hence, to overcome such problems, I adopted the art of being sensitive to the things that are happening around me.

Interactive Skills L

One would definitely benefit heavily from this course by gaining valuable knowledge and confidence in developing interactive skills. We were taught that besides the usual mode of speaking confidently, one has to take note of their non-verbal communication in order to send his intended message across. Nonetheless, I felt that I demonstrated little of the principles of effective communication in class due to my soft spoken nature and the fact that I was not able to critically reason as well as the rest. This was highly regretful on my part.

Written Skills J

Through blogging, we were given a chance to develop ideas and pen them down. In my opinion, I felt that my writing skills have definitely improved to a large extent through the many blog entries we were required to post. The blog entries were subjected under the scrutiny of the 7Cs and I am often quite worked up due to the need to conform within these parameters when churning up each blog assignment. It definitely does impose some form of pressure on the writer. However, I believed that such scrutiny is definitely necessary. It actually demonstrates a test of your writing skills given the constraints of writing the posts especially short and grammatically correct in which people normally pay less attention to these components.  

Teamwork J

In the course, I was exposed to collaborating with other classmates on several occasions to work on projects together which included the peer teaching assignment and the research project proposal. I realize that it is important to have motivated teammates for each project as it will definitely boost his or her morale during the execution of the project. It definitely makes the completion of project seem less stressful and easy. For that, I am thankful for the fact that I am blessed with excellent teammates who are highly efficient and highly motivated. :D

Overall learning J

In conclusion, it has been a great learning experience apart from the competitive nature of the module. That aside, I feel that I have definitely learnt much from this module as stated in the above skills. These skills are definitely important as it forms the basis to succeed and survive well in the working world.

Once again, thank you, Brad for all the invaluable skills that you have imparted to us and I would definitely recommend this module to my peers due to its relevance in the future working environment and the fun nature of the module.  :D

  

Oral Presentation Feedback for TEAM STEP UP... :D

Dearest classmates of ES2007S Grp 2,


Thank you for your kind attention during TEAM STEP UP's presentation on creation of underground tunnels and skywalk. 

From the group members of TEAM STEP UP which include Xiaoshi, Guo Chen, Wy How and me (Sylvester), we sincerely thank you for your time and effort in listening to our idea, as well as the insightful questions asked during the Q&A session. 

Hope you guys enjoyed our presentation :D :D :D Please do us a favour by dropping any comments or feedback about the presentation as we will value them indefinitely.

• The attached files and links contain footage of our presentation as well as slides used:There are two parts to the oral presentation video that we have just made ( due to insufficient memory space in the SD card :X) 

Presentation video part 1:

Presentation video part 2:

• A link to our presentation on creation of underground tunnels and skywalk if you guys want to have a clearer understanding of our presentation slides and data collated. http://prezi.com/presentation/kohwyhow@hotmail.com/fuibe03/#52_2816580

(I think you probably have to create an account to access the files if I am not wrong). Do take a look and enjoy.. :D

Cheers,
TEAM STEP UP

STEP UP STEP UP….. ALL THE WAY! :D

Firstly, I would like to start off by saying that I am very grateful to have Awesome Guo Chen, IT Savvy Wy How and inspiring TEAM leader, Xiaoshi as my group mates. Life has never been better with you guys :D

I would like to touch on the thinking and execution process to our oral presentation.

Preparation

To prepare for the Oral Presentation, we actually conducted our meetings mainly in the seminar room located in the NUS Science/ Medical Library. The place was huge and conducive for discussions. We also extended our discussions beyond the seminar rooms in Science Library to places like the Statistics Computer Laboratory and seminar room in the Faculty of Engineering for our last two meetings in preparation for the Oral Presentation. (How we got access to these rooms shall remain confidential. :X)

Use of slide ware and audiovisuals

We also adopted a different mode of presentation tool, Prenzi which actually greatly enhance visual aspects to our presentation instead of the monotonous PowerPoint slide presentation. For our presentation, we actually adopted sequential presentation bubble where it is linked by arrows to show to the flow of presentation. Each presentation bubble covers different aspects of the presentation ranging from interviews to benefits and challenges. In a way, it is more organized and impressive. The idea of having interviews filmed also played a huge part in making the overall presentation more engaging.

Delivery

In terms of delivery, our presentation started off with an unforeseen technical glitch associated with the sound. Due to our misjudgment of the audio systems in the laptop, the front interviews with the student  was not well heard by many and that actually affected the emotions of some of our presenters at the beginning who were all geared up to give a wonderful presentation.

For my part, I think I could have done a better job in presenting although my part was mainly just presenting data and analyzing the results in a news reporter style. The tone used could be more professional like covering data for stock markets. In my opinion, I felt that the idea of presenting the information to the committee to sell our idea in news fashion was highly relevant and refreshing. Having information reported in news style requires high professionalism as seen on television. In addition, viewers would be able to obtain the concise and direct information instead of having an overload of information. Since we have adopted a news report style to present our information, sentences had to be kept short but straight to the point. Hence, the length of presentation for each presenter will be short too.

Lastly, I would like to give a personal note to my group mates:

Though our presentation was not smooth on the day itself, I believed that ‘our unique and fresh concept far outweigh any undesirable factors’ as quoted from my SMS to my groupmates. It is sure a long journey since we started off with our project proposal on skywalks and underground tunnels to this awesome presentation we have, seeing everyone dressed formally. I still could remember the time where we jokingly said that if our proposal on skywalk and underground tunnel was accepted by NUS and that the idea was patented by us, we would become famous overnight and just quit school. :D

The times shared during the meetings that invoked joy and laughter was beyond description. If I hope to be in this awesome team and retain this fabulous name, Team STEP UP if we take any similar modules in future for the memories shared will definitely etch a place in my heart…

  

When “East Meets West” goes wrong… :X

The incident took place recently, just a few weeks ago when I had a dinner appointment with a friend at a Chinese Restaurant. As usual, he was late and I was waiting patiently at the table. On my left, there was a Chinese family sitting at another table. Apparently, the table was occupied by a group of elderly. So any conversation that arose from that table could actually be overheard clearly. Everyone was dressed at their best. I noticed one of them was anxiously looking at his watch and was grumbling to the lady beside him about someone being late and that his behavior was totally unacceptable. It appeared to me that they were sort of expecting someone to arrive but the person was late. Amidst of all the conversation happening at the table, a young girl brought someone along and acknowledged the people sitting at the table. It was later known that the girl was named Joanne and her boyfriend was James.

At that point of time, I thought to myself that this could be a situation of a girl introducing her boyfriend to her family over dinner. To my surprise, my prediction was spot on. It turned out to be Joanne had brought her new boyfriend, James to attend the ‘meet the folks’ session for the first time. The male partner that the girl has brought was apparently an American. The moment once James greeted the girl’s parents, he immediately lurched forward to give them a kiss on the cheek. The girl’s father felt disgusted and immediately shoved the boyfriend away and shouted, “What do you think you are doing!” His thunderous voice soon filled the whole restaurant and all eyes were on that particular table.  Everyone was taken aback when the father actually flared up. James carried on to say that such interaction was considered normal back at his hometown.

Several attempts from the rest of the family were made to cool the situation and finally at long last, the family proceeded on with the dinner. At that time, I could sense the uneasiness in the girl and the situation definitely put her in a difficult spot. As seen from her facial expression that her parent’s reaction was not within her area of expectation. The matter was made worse when the boyfriend actually started eating once all the dishes had been served. Upon seeing this, both the parents were furious. They immediately left the table and walked away. It stirred up quite a huge commotion in the restaurant.

My interpretation of this whole incident was that James had not been equipped with the necessary cultural knowledge he should know of a typical Chinese family. He had unknowingly crossed many lines and that contributed to the build-up of pique in Joanne’s parents.

I went back home and gave a recount of the incident to my parents. Both my parents agreed with my interpretation and highlighted the following points:

Firstly, Chinese family actually places heavy emphasis on moral and cultural values like punctuality and this is especially true in the context when the male is meeting the girl’s parents for the first time. Chinese view the value of punctuality more than anything. By being late for the first meeting, the male has actually disregarded the important cultural value which Chinese adhered strongly to.

Secondly, it did not come across to James that Joanne came from a conservative Chinese family. Naturally, Joanne’s family was not receptive to such warm and passionate greetings from James. James originated from America and the greeting culture from Western countries differed significantly from Asian cultures especially the Chinese. A handshake would suffice to avoid cultural misunderstandings for a formal meeting.

Lastly, James had actually skipped the part of addressing everyone at the table to eat. In the setting of a traditional Chinese family dinner, Chinese usually have the culture of asking everyone at the table to eat, starting from the most senior member of the family right to the person that is the youngest. The process is repeated until everyone at the table has been acknowledged. This was basic table manners and respect for elders at the dining table for the Chinese.

Hence, I honestly believed that, had James known how to bridge intercultural differences and be more sensitive towards other cultures and his actions, none of those would have happened. :/

Application letter for internship position (edited)

About Akzo Nobel Surface Chemistry Ptd Ltd

Welcome to the fascinating world of Surface Chemistry. The science that can make all the difference in the quest for more environmentally sound and cost-effective industrial processes.

We are a member of the worldwide AkzoNobel group and one of the world’s leading suppliers of specialty surfactants. Using a combination of chemical expertise, process technology and application know-how, we solve problems for a multitude of manufacturers and formulators.

Our products range from formulations for industrial and household cleaning to pelleting aids for animal feed, systems for road paving, flotation agents for the purification of minerals and personal care.

Innovative and sustainable surface chemistry solutions

We combine broad application know-how with expertise in cationic, anionic, amphoteric and nonionic surfactants as well as synthetic and bio-polymer additives. Our integrated knowledge base means that, in addition to our existing products, we can also create new solutions in an extensive range of industries and applications using the most appropriate technologies. With vertically integrated production and coordinated R&D on four continents we bring global strength to our partnerships with our customers.


Job Title: Internship for Akzo Nobel Surface Chemistry Pte Ltd

Project Title

Compatibility of Anionic Polymer in Cationic System

Project Scope

• To do literature studies on polymers and develop new process/material for incorporating anionic polymer into cationic system
• To be able to handle day-to-day technical issues in the laboratory
• To be able to understand the nature of bitumen emulsion for developing new  material to increase viscosity
• Maintain laboratory equipment in working condition and assure safety in the laboratory

Prerequisites

• To have a basic understanding in surface chemistry
• Chemical background
• Physically strong

_________________________________________________________________________________________

Sylvester Gabriel Lee Kwok Loong 
Blk XXX Jordan Ave X
#11-1111 Singapore XXXXXX
91110000
u0902423@nus.edu.sg

30^th August 2010

Jennifer Li (Ms)

Application Chemist (Agro)

Akzo Nobel Surface Chemistry Pte Ltd

41 Science Park Road #03-03/12 The Gemini

Singapore Science Park II

Singapore 117610

Dear Ms Li,

                                                Application for Internship position

I am interested in applying for the internship position for the project title: Compatibility of Anionic Polymer in Cationic System that was listed through the National University of Singapore, Chemistry Department Career Service Office Website.

I am a year 2 chemistry undergraduate hoping to explore new avenues to further develop my interest in Chemistry, particularly in the area of surface chemistry. I have had a great deal of laboratory experience in Chemistry and Life Sciences in school. I have performed chemical reactions and learnt to operate several high precision instruments in the laboratories in NUS which include the UV-vis spectrophotometer and NMR spectroscopy. Precision and accuracy are the key principles that I adhere to when performing a laboratory experiment.

Despite not having any prior experience in research, I believe that my great interest in this study of surface chemistry and positive learning attitude will help me familiarize to the job scope quickly. I have always been intrigued by the fact how surface chemistry deals with the creation of new materials. To expand my horizons in the area of material synthesis, I am actually considering a specialization in surface chemistry. Under my assistance, I believe that I have the means and capability to bring Akzo Nobel Surface Chemistry to greater heights. Thus, I am seeking to complement my interest in surface chemistry with a research internship in order to acquire the background necessary for a future career in scientific research.

With my keen passion in Chemistry, I believe that I would be an asset to your program. This internship would definitely provide me with the ideal opportunity to assist at your organization and to expand my research skills.

The enclosed resume shows my skills and achievements track record. I can be contacted at the following numbers indicated in the enclosed resume. If so, I hope to schedule an interview at a mutually convenient time. I look forward to speaking with you.

Thank you for your consideration.

Respectfully Yours,

Sylvester Gabriel Lee Kwok Loong

Interpersonal Conflict

More often than not, conflicts arise because of a clash of interest, actions or even due to a lack of effective communication.

I have an example which actually involves two of my good friends within my clique which I normally hang out with during my time as a student in NUS.

I shall address the parties involved as Jack and Jill. Jack was a fellow bandsman with the army band during my years in National Service. Jill apparently was a friend of Jessica who was her schoolmate in Junior College. My opinion on Jack was that he was an intelligent and amusing person who never fails to come up with a good joke. Jill, on the other hand was a bubbly person.

As a result, my group of friends from my course of study grew with the addition of the two of them.  There were joy and laughter seen once the two were added to the clique. We studied and played together. Things were looking on the bright side until one fine day when things started to get ugly.

We were having lunch at that point of time and as usual, I was having bananas after my meal. Out of nowhere, Leonard made a joke out of the fruit. The males in our group being their usual self started to relate the bananas as a sensitive organ in the context of the male human reproductive health. The girls felt awkward upon listening to dirty jokes like this and soon started to avoid participating in the senseless conversation. Some of us stopped harping on the topic as we could sense the uneasiness from some of the girls. However, Jack with his playful nature, did not sense the state of the situation at which it has evolved to and continued playing around with the joke. After which, he shifted the focus on Jill and repeatedly mentioned in a joking fashion that Jill liked bananas. Oblivious to the fact that Jill was not open to such sensitive joke, Jill soon felt angry and started to ignore Jack from that day onwards.

Jack felt apologetic and made several attempts to seek for forgiveness but he was shunned by her each time they saw each other in school. The others tried to intervene and mediate talks between the two but nothing seemed to work out. For an entire semester, they did not utter a single word to one another. The problem was still left unsolved.. 

So dear readers, what do you think should be the best course of action taken to approach the issue? :p

Why are Effective Communication Skills important to me?

To a practical and realistic person like me, I tend to conform to social norms and I feel that one of the most important things that one has to be equipped with and to move on in life is to have effective communication skills. To some, they may feel that good communication skills merely mean conveying the message across to the other person successfully and that spells the end of the story. Somewhat like the telegraphic model of communication where there is basically just a sender and a receiver. However, there is still some form of an invisible barrier in between and there would be some kind of cold and hard feelings involved. Personally, I feel that the idea of having effective or good communication skills extend beyond just a mere sender/receiver relationship and even with the modified idea of a role reversal between the two. I believe that qualities like self development, interpersonal skills, mutual understanding, mutual cooperation and trust should be tied in with good speaking skills to complete the idea of having good communication skills. 

Good communication skills plays an important role in various issues in life such as employment, relationships and even right down to simple matters like ordering a meal. Clear instructions have to be passed down to get the right order registered. Furthermore, effective communication skills are there for a reason- to assume the role of ‘police officers’ in maintaining law and order. Imagine a world without the use of effective communication, confusions and misunderstandings are bound to arise, which may lead to conflicts or even public disorder. Everything will be in a total mess! Hence, we can see the importance of having effective communication skills in life.

Firstly, the importance of good communication skills cannot be ignored in the context of working. These are the keys to executing excellent management skills and also adopting better presentation skills at work. With good management skills, there will be a team of members who can create an environment where there is open communication; instructions could be passed down effectively and most importantly, the idea of welfare like basically understanding the needs of the workers. Ultimately if you think for a second, having good communication between employers and employee is actually a win-win situation, work is done and the workers’ welfare is being taken care of. In my opinion, this will result in members working efficiently under immediate orders from the superior. No one would want to work under an employer who is not able to communicate with his subordinates properly and but just aim to achieve the targeted results at the end of the day. Trust me, it will be a mundane working experience!

Individually, as a working professional, with effective communication skills, one would be able to deliver his presentation in the best possible manner and thus would leave a good impression to the client. A well planned proposal is nothing without a good oral delivery to introduce the proposal. I am sure no one will want to leave a bad impression in front of his colleagues or boss for that matter. 

Secondly, having good communication is definitely vital in relationships between couples and also between families. I personally have never been in a relationship but I have learnt one important fact that keeps relationships alive and that is having adequate and good communication among couples. One will agree that having effective communication skills will lead to a blissful love life between couples and strengthen familial ties between members of the family as there is mutual understanding amongst each other.  Poor or strained relationships are often victims of breakdown of communication between couples and also between families though there are factors to look upon which I am not going to cover here in my post. 

On my part, I have been keeping up with having good communication skills. I begin to speak more confidently in front of people. This includes clear articulation, varied tone and also maintaining frequent eye contacts with others which I hardly did in the past. Despite the limitations of my vocabulary, I constantly seek for new avenues to upgrade myself. For that matter I have also started reading articles in order to brush up on the command of the language. I also started to keep a lookout on things happening around me like reading deeply into people’s thoughts.

All in all, effective communication skills do help improve prospects and ties for that matter and what it actually does is to break down barriers! Knowing what good promises good communication skills will offer me in future for my career and also my personal life, I will definitely hone my communication skills by speaking more confidently, learn to look from various points of view and be a better communicator in life! I believe that ES2007S will provide me with ample opportunities to develop my skills in this area and I am looking forward to what it has to offer me.. :D