They say no one is where he is by chance or accident. This was foremost on my mind as I was reflecting back on how I landed up with this module. ES2007S sure wasn't my first choice for my 6th module that I was intent on taking up. I applied for 2 other modules in which I was painfully outbidded for in the earlier rounds of CORS. 5 it shall be, I reassured myself. Cue then, the mass mail informing us about Professional Communication. Like a moth to a flame, I was instantly attracted to the module description and frantically emailed Brad and Ms Regina, facilitator of CELC about the possiblility of signing up for it. I got a positive approval on the Friday of Week 1. An uncharacteristic leap of faith at the eleventh hour it may have been, but here I stand at the finish line with only 1 regret. I could have got the module for 1 point had I just browsed through my mails earlier :P
In my first post, I highlighted my desire to be an effective communicator with friends, family and in a professional setting as the key reasons for taking up this module. After 13 weeks, I stand by this main idea and can safely say that I've come a long way. The communicator in me is definitely far from the finished article and leaves much to be desired, but the most crucial experience is the exposure to the learning curve. And it has been steep at times. Prime example being that of writing resumes, application letters and handling job interviews.
I have scourged for plenty of tips and tricks to ace the above mentioned from a wide variety of sources be it a guidebook, online material and even friends' sample letters and resumes. All of them though paled in comparison to what ES2007S had to offer. I take immense satisfaction from being more knowledgeable about the do's and dont's regarding these topics. Whether it was the peer teaching session or Brad's straightforward, detailed and at times brutal treatment of the content, there were plenty of takeaway points. All of which hold me in good stead for a successful application for an internship programme during the next 3 month vacation period.
A nagging inner compulsion also means that I have to render a glowing tribute to the sometimes underplayed life skills that we have picked up over the course of this module. The lesson on emotional intelligence was especially useful. Know yourself, choose yourself, give yourself is something I'll take with me for the rest of my life. Developing interpersonal and intercultural communication skills through the various life activities were also memorable. More so considering that our class had a wide range of students from different cultural backgrounds with whom we had to interact with frequently.
Oral and verbal communication was heavily emphasised throughout the 13 weeks and we had plenty of opportunities to put to practise the skills learnt. This for me was one of the key attractions of the entire module considering my immense admiration for great speakers combined with an overly ambitious ideal to emulate them. Tasked with 3 kinds of presentations( impromptu, peer teaching and oral presentation for proposal), this was my time to shine. Naturally I evolved as a better presenter with each passing experience, which basically could be attributed to the rise in confidence as we progressed. With each presentation, I seemed to gather more composure and satisfaction from being thrust into the spotlight, rather than being overawed by the expectations of the audience. Say whay you mean and mean what you say was something I adhered closely to in my presentations.
I would finally wish to take this opportunity to express gratitude to all who have been involved in this journey and have in 1 way or another made a difference to this course being all the more enjoyable. Yanling, Xiaoshi and Guo Chen during peer teaching, Alicia, Alvin and Xixi during the proposal for being wonderful teammates; Yanling again for being a wonderful blog buddy, and all other classmates who gave me useful input on my blog posts. Brad too for being a lecturer who taught and inspired many amongst us and did it so with a touch of humour. Everyone's contributions to the everlasting memories of ES2007S are much appreciated and will be cherished fondly in many years to come.
In the spirit of communicating, I'd just like to leave one and all with a final question to ponder about.
Why does it only take a minute to say hello but forever to say goodbye?
Till we meet again....
Hi Vinod!
ReplyDeleteLet me attempt an answer to your question: when we said hello, we were still strangers. But at the point when it was finally time for goodbye, we realized we'd grown so accustomed to each others' faces that the notion of separation was just heart-wrenchingly impossible.
Your question sounds familiar though. Haha! I think you ought to start paying Xiaoshi royalties for the quote! :P Or is it the other way round, that she got it from you? ;)
Thanks for yet another great read! Your blog has always been a source of engaging entertainment (: I agree 100% with your view that no-one is ever where he is by chance of accident; everything always happens for a reason (regardless of how random the event may be). And I'm very glad you managed to get this module in the end, according all of us the privilege of working alongside you throughout this course.
Thanks Vinod, for making ES2007S that extra-special with your own brand of wit and humor, plus the unique way in which you command everyone's attention when you speak. I'm trying to pinpoint what it is exactly, that makes everyone sit up and listen (be it in a class/group discussion, or while you are giving a formal presentation) and I've come to a conclusion that it's your tone+appropriate pauses for effect+pure wittiness in your words which really gets people thinking. Genius. (:
Hi Vinod,
ReplyDeleteTo answer you question, it takes very little emotion to say hello, but a full emotion to say good-bye.
This post again carries that Vinod style of elaborate writing and emotional touch that you always have. I am always a fan of your post and I could literally imagine you saying these words in front of me. I think you are an even better in communication now. It's time for you to be the next Obama. :)
I still remembered the first day I came into the class. I talked to you about our interests. You seem to be a very interesting person. (not only because you are a ManU fan) haha. At the end of the module, I think you have made a lot of difference in many people experience of this module, including mine too. I couldn't imagine this class without you. Thank you for everything. All the best for your future. See you around.
Cheers,
Billet
Hi Vinod,
ReplyDeleteThis is a very detailed reflection for ES2007S and I am glad that you have made so much progress along the way. I am very proud to have you with us throughout this journey because you are very humorous and can always bring delight to every one of us. As a Science student majoring in Statistics, I tend to be over serious sometimes in life and I should learn from you to be more humorous next time.
Regarding the quote “Giving is more blessed than receiving”, I would recommend you to read the book Purpose Driven Life by Rick Warren. Although I am not a Christian, I found this book very encouraging and it really can help us to live life more meaningfully and peacefully. For myself, what I believe is to make a difference in this world, whether the difference is small or big. And it all starts with trivial things first, making a difference in the life of people around you, your family, your friends, your classmates and so on. Once we have set a good example for others, we can naturally be influencing to others, and making a difference in his/her life.
Hope we all can make a small difference in others’ lives and you have made a difference in me :)
Hi Noddy!
ReplyDeleteNow then I realised that noddy and naughty sounds alike, probably that explains your witty nature. Don't try to deny and twist my words again like how you always do! You've been a great source of entertainment for me as well. The messages that we exchanged are highly entertaining HAHA especially when you attempted to create a joke out of chem and math majors. Not forgetting those wise words that came out of your mouth, and I was really touched when you said you were affected knowing that I was down. There's just this invisible bond that we share given that we knew each other for barely 13 weeks.
Needless to say, I am always amazed by the way you write and speak. You caught my attention way back during Day 1! Naturally we become closer as the course progresses which explains the agony in saying goodbye now. I believe that we will still keep in touch and all, especially our pool challenge and our chillax session in bars! Oh please YOU are the one who needs to do some secret training before playing with me, don't you ever blame the cue stick or table when I trash you.
No one is here by chance. Sounds familiar? I believe that it's not by coincidence or chance that we are both taking this module together. In fact, I am a strong believer of affinity, given that we manage to hit it off so well since Day 1. I can't wait for our pool/drinking session, for now let's put our 101% effort in studying!
Thanks noddy, for all your jokes and being a joke yourself, for all the words of encouragement and for all your concern!
7-11! (HAHAHAHA YOU STILL REMEMBER)
Hi May,
ReplyDeleteyep i think that about explains it all, the notion of initially getting to know someone and then the heartwrenching separation that follows suit. And that's where this module has been unique in giving us plenty of opportunities to interact with one another and at the same time forge close bonds. Xiaoshi did post up first and so yes i should be paying royalties :)
Huge thanks for the kind compliments though i think genius is taking it a tad too far. Glad to have made that kind of impact on everyone though provided the rest felt the same way haha
Hi Billet,
ReplyDeleteThe praises and nice gestures are really flying in thick and fast now. Thanks alot for following my blog and I'm immensely satisfied to have captured your attention and interest levels through my writing. Obama? I did mention about him in my first post but man ater 13 weeks he's still a pretty far stretch away. No worries though, I'll get there one fine day :P
You have similarly made a difference to many in our class and your constant participation in class activities makes yourself endearing to many. Loved the analogy about why Thailand is called the land of smiles on the last day as well :))
Hi Nanhai,
ReplyDeleteOnce again, glad to have made an unforgettable impression on you and many thanks to your kind words all round. I don't get your claim about you not being humorous though since you're always smiling and making witty jokes through some sayings and cracking me up constantly haha.
Regarding the book, I can assure you I'll find time to get it during the holidays and read it before producing a literature review on this very blog site. Hope you'll see it then. Just a small token of appreciation to your suggestion I guess :)
Hi XS,
ReplyDeletei've already paid my sincerest and also most informal tribute to you on your post and mentioning them here again would be a repeat. Anyways once again thanks for your extremely good hearted comments and I sincerely value them from the jokes about chem and maths majors to the more serious ones and also the fact that we were able to connect on many different levels. UP & ON indeed!
Well, here I am at the end of commenting on ES2007S Group 2 blog posts (unless one of our Chinese comrades comes through with a belated post very soon). If no one is where he is by chance or accident, then nothing probably ever happens by chance or accident either. So it's probably fitting that your post, again filled with classic wit, fine story-telling and characteristic insight, would be the last one I read. It brings a smile to my face, for in your sweeping overview of your presence and the value of your efforts in the course, you demonstrate to me yet again why my presence as the facilitator of so much communication (and quite a bit of learning) is so satisfying.
ReplyDeleteStudents like you and the others are just at that stage where you're really "bursting at the seams" with knowledge and, more importantly, personality. You're looking for ways to better communicate everything that's been bubbling inside since you began transitioning from the roles of dependent children (and leaving the nest) into the expectations and responsibilities of full adulthood (hence, our focus on the workplace). And then you walk into a course like this. yes, some might talk about all the world being a stage; but in ES2007S we see that played out in flesh and blood in so many ways twice a week for 12 weeks! Geez! Imagine other venues where people are assigned tasks, given specific roles, then asked to perform, only to be critically evaluated in follow up by the entire group. That a helluva stage, I'd say.
Anyway, you have made major contributions this term, Vinod, as demonstrated by the feedback you've garnered from me and your classmates. I really appreciate the products and the effort, and I wish you all the best as you continue your remarkable journey!
Hi Brad,
ReplyDeleteYou know I've come to realise that I'm actually jealous of your job as course instructor for this module. I know that it may not be as smooth and rosy as it looks, but your passion and satisfaction for the job clearly comes through in your comments. You manage to bring us into your school of thoughts and range of emotions about how students evolve through the course and I'm able to relate to it almost instantly. So there you have it, is there an internship position available for comunication course assistant? :))
Besides that, thanks for all the encouraging and at times flattering comments. I truly value the genuinity in them and would relish a chance to catch up with you soon. Cheers!
Hey Vinod,
ReplyDeletePardon my lateness in this, I've been caught up with other commitments, but I would definitely not miss commenting here.
I'm seriously going to miss all that thought provoking exercise from reading your TIME-magazine-worthy blogposts..how?? Since I have heard of the how much free time exchange students really have, what about keeping this blog alive? :) And the visit to that tribe? You have to keep this blog alive in order to chronicle your experience. Haha, being evil knowing how much pain blogging has brought to poor Engine students like us.
Oh well, in my state of confusion for materials and design, I shall think of your question next time we meet again! Perhaps the hello then would be longer compared to the goodbye, because I'd be complaining about how crappy the exams were! :)
Anyway, it was such a stress relief looking at you and XS banter about the funniest things! Oh and yeah, your comments made me laugh out loud at the screen that day I read it. AHEM. What desperate housewife? Fret not my dear friend, rest assured that desperate phase wouldn't exist in that near future!
There still so much more to debate, but so little time to express. But to me, farewells are never finality if friends are convinced of the worth in one another! So there, take care and study hard for the finals, I understand the misery in Year 3. Meet up once the torture is over! :)