2hours. 30 MCQs. Countless photos taken. Priceless laughter. (egg tarts and banana cakes included).
That was how we concluded this ES2007s Professional Communication course this morning.
In my very first post, I ended off with this particular paragraph.
"Everyone can communicate, but not everyone is an effective communicator. Realising that effective communication skills are important in our lives brings us one step closer to being one."
Upon revisiting my first post, I post myself a question...
"Has this 12-weeks course brought me any closer in becoming an effective communicator?"
No doubt about it. A definite yes. Not a 100% effective communicator, but definitely one step closer.
This 12weeks course had remodelled my previous perspective of communication. I began the course as an individual who took everyday's communication for granted. To put it bluntly, communication then was just plain talking. Listening was just "words into the left ear, words out from the right."
However, the understanding of effective communication after taking this course, made me more conscious of my actions and behaviour during a conversation. I am now more careful with my choice of words, taking into consideration how the other party may feel. And also, I learn to pay closer attention to whatever the other party is saying. In short, this course made me realise the importance of active listening. I had learnt to take a step back and be more observant of other people's behavioural characteristcs during communication situations. Empathy and mutual respect were two key values that I had brought home from this course.
TWO THUMBS UP!
The skills taught to us in this course are life long skills which will not only benefit us now, but also in the future working environment. The component of this course that I found most useful has to be the few sessions related to job searching. The mock interview forced us to think on the spot and it was a very enriching experience as we got to play duo roles during that particular tutorial session. In addition, the skills taught with regards to the proper construction of our own resume and job application letter will definitely come in handy in the near future! With this relevant experience and the skills, job application in the future will be less daunting.
THUMBS DOWN? (noticed how I cushioned the negative impact of this section using positive topics in the previous section? Uh huh! This is another skill we have learnt from this course.)
Endless datelines and heavy workload. Alot had been said on this. So I shall not harp on it. Well.. at least at the end of the day, we grew stronger mentally.
Finally, I know it's abit clich'e. But seriously, I enjoyed making new friends from this course. It had been great getting to know 16 individuals, each with their own unique character.
To everyone, Good luck for your examinations.
To Ms Kim: Thank you for your guidance throughout this 12weeks. It has been a pleasure working with you!
Timbre anyone?
My Blog List
Some travel shots...
In Beijing
In Australia
In Thailand
The man himself
- Edwin
- I have a serious obsession with rockclimbing (extreme sports), hoping to travel the world and perhaps conquer Mount Everest some day. Oh... I love mugging for exams too.
6 comments:
hello...
timbre, timbre, timbre...it's beginning to sound like some imaginary place.haha.
Anw, I do agree that we all are one step closer to becoming effective communicators. For me, maybe even 2 steps. haha. Nevertheless, I think this is a learning process that is ongoing in our everyday lives as we meet and interact with different people in different situations. So, let's hope that we can apply what we have learnt thus far to these situations.
Good luck for your exams!!! and yes, timbre..haha.
Hey Edwin! We are all eagerly waiting for you to organize the outing to Timbre. Haha.
On a more serious note, I agree that this course has brought us much closer to becoming effective communicators. "Life was already tough, so why not make it tougher." I remember you mentioning that this was your outlook in life in one of your previous posts. Therefore, even though we have gone through 12 weeks of hard work and training, I feel that at the end of the day, it is all worth it.
Let's put whatever we have learnt from this course to use and strive towards becoming even more effective communicators!
Timbre anyone? haha. All the best for the exams.
Hmm...Timbre...such a familiar word...haha...
Anyway, after all these weeks, I totally agree that we are definitely one step closer to being a more effective communicator. All the skills that we got to learn from this module will certainly be useful in the future, especially during our job search or when in the working environment.
I guess it's not easy to be a 100% effective communicator. What I think is important is the constant improvement in ourselves to be a better communicator and being able to work well with people.
By the way, very glad to have worked with you, Jia Hwa and Chen Xin in the group assignment. Had great fun! All the best!
hey Edwin,
I guess all of us have definitely brought home with us certain skills and lessons and have definitely been a step closer to being an effective communicator.
I belive it'd have to be a concious effort to make us an even better communicator. Just like how you mention that you are now being more careful with the words you use etc..
I hope you and I and all of us continue to work towards to being a 100% effective communicator =D
All the best!
Dear Edwin,
Thanks for the detailed and well thought out reflection.
I have enjoyed reading your seven posts which not only showed the amount of time and effort put in, but also revealed a maturity of thought.
Am glad that the heavy workload and endless deadlines have made you "mentally stronger" and "definitely one step closer" towards becoming a more effective communicator.
Thanks for all the hard work and effort put in throughout the course.
All the best as a sports physiotherapist!
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