Tradition goes that long ago, in London, a man who was about to be executed would have to walk the length of a particular street to go from the prison to the gallows. As luck would have it, this street was where all the pubs and bars were located. The condemed man had but one privilege, that he could stop at any of the bars and ask for one last drink. They called this particular privilege "the one for the road." A saying that has persisted into modernity.
Its a morbid story to start with and yet it mirrors my situation remarkably well (not the death part of course). This is the last semester I have in NUS and I will be moving on to the next stage of my life. Its also interesting that a module like ES2007S would be the last gateway into my entry to the workforce.
I did this module because I wanted to accquire the skills necessary for the workforce. Engineering, while a tough course to navigate, is remarkable at sheltering its students from the truth of the real world. Resumes, cover letters and the nuances of the job application process were unknown to me (as those who read my various submissions will attest) and I reckoned I shouldn't be going in blind. Certainly, this module has taught me all the necessary skills for that aspect.
What I didnt expect to learn was the other soft skills. I was never afraid of public speaking (Because of my inherent shamelessness) but I learnt what people looked out for and what to expect and hence improved myself. I had written proposals for engin modules before but for the first time I learnt exactly what the marker or recipients of the proposals looked for. I had worked on projects before but I learnt how differently people think and how difficulties are overcome with as little animosity as possible (thanks Team Bookies!). And last but most importantly, I learned to accept criticism from peers and my tutors. I've always had a very bad temper and a decidedly defensive streak. But the real improvements that resulted from implementing suggestions certainly convinced me to listen and consider criticism before rejecting it outright.
Thank you to Ms Lim and all my classmates for the refreshing and decidedly unique experience in NUS. It's one hell of a way to end my NUS life.
Sunday 15 April 2012
Saturday 7 April 2012
On Oral Presentations and Oratory
Oral Presentations. As I wrote this blog post, I reflected on all the presentations I have given over my four years in NUS. Most were group based, and a few involved me facing the firing squad on my own. The things I learned from those and this proposal are skills that I feel, will stay with me throughout the course of my life.
The first thing that struck me about the oral presentation was the sheer amount of effort involved in preparation. We edited the slides and then assigned the work for sections of the slideshow to the individual members. Rehearsing the presentation however, showed us that certain sections needed to be ironed out. My part for the presentation seemed too short for the five minute allocation whilst there were others who had parts which were too long. Furthermore, the flow between the parts wasn't quite as smooth as we'd hoped for. So we spent the day ironing out the details.
I started my Monday not by arriving on time and rehearsing but rather caught in a traffic jam. It was particularly disconcerting but I was determined to make the most of it and read the script to myself. This might have been my first problem. As my part started for the presentation, I mentally checked off the list of presentation skills as I'd learnt from my peer teaching experience. My voice was loud, I smiled and I had sit down during the presentation so as to not distract the audience from my fellow presenters. The sheer amount of memory work though, meant that I was trying to remember the script throughout the first half of my presentation. I then ended up appearing nervous in the first part. Although I gradually warmed up, I reckoned the audience could sense my trepidation.
The question and answer session was easier for me. Since I had no script, I now answered based on the knowledge I had from the project. To be fair, the team had hypothesized some of the possible questions and that action came to good use.
Overall, I reckoned that it was a good presentation and more importantly, a good team effort.
The first thing that struck me about the oral presentation was the sheer amount of effort involved in preparation. We edited the slides and then assigned the work for sections of the slideshow to the individual members. Rehearsing the presentation however, showed us that certain sections needed to be ironed out. My part for the presentation seemed too short for the five minute allocation whilst there were others who had parts which were too long. Furthermore, the flow between the parts wasn't quite as smooth as we'd hoped for. So we spent the day ironing out the details.
I started my Monday not by arriving on time and rehearsing but rather caught in a traffic jam. It was particularly disconcerting but I was determined to make the most of it and read the script to myself. This might have been my first problem. As my part started for the presentation, I mentally checked off the list of presentation skills as I'd learnt from my peer teaching experience. My voice was loud, I smiled and I had sit down during the presentation so as to not distract the audience from my fellow presenters. The sheer amount of memory work though, meant that I was trying to remember the script throughout the first half of my presentation. I then ended up appearing nervous in the first part. Although I gradually warmed up, I reckoned the audience could sense my trepidation.
The question and answer session was easier for me. Since I had no script, I now answered based on the knowledge I had from the project. To be fair, the team had hypothesized some of the possible questions and that action came to good use.
Overall, I reckoned that it was a good presentation and more importantly, a good team effort.
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