Down to the last post

This module made me realize that both verbal and written communications are equally important. In the past, my focus was mainly on verbal communication because I thought that if one is able to master the art of this alone, he/she can be deemed as a skilful communicator. He/she would be able to understand a conversation better, avoid any conflicts or argument easily and present his/her ideas across better. If it was the old me, I would have said that this was sufficient. The reason for me having this mentality could be because I am a science student. For all the science reports that I had submitted, language was never an area which I would place my focus on. It was the content that I am more concerned about. My marks depend solely on my content. Even the language used in our lecture notes was not up to standard. That’s why I did not see the need to improve in the area of written communication. It was only through this module that I saw the essentiality of written communication.

I have to admit that I faced problems with trying to bring my ideas across for all the assignments that I have completed. I have little confidence for the language used and I have to make sure that my work is checked by someone before I submit them. Even for this blog entry, I am uncertain about the number of grammatical errors and incomplete sentences I have made. This module has a great emphasis on language and it is an area I am poor in. The fact that I have decided to take this module has showed that I have the intention of salvaging my language problem. I felt helpless when the number of written assignments came flooding in. The weekly blog entry, the written report, the resume and cover letters have forced me to practice my writing skills. I had to pay special attention to the language used. Every time I finish my assignment, I made it a point to source out as many grammatical errors as I could before letting another person vet through. At least, this was an effort that I had put in and I am definitely proud of myself. My friends said that I was making life difficult for myself and I have the same sentiments. However, the time spent would certainly be worth the while if I am able to improve myself further.

On a whole, I felt that the lesson on 7Cs was the most useful. These 7 words (Clarity, Coherence, ..) may seem easy to comprehend but putting them to use in our piece of writing is difficult. As I looked back at my blog entry, I realized that I have not been coherent in my writing. I wrote down everything that I thought of without hesitation.. Maybe it would be better if I plan my work and jot down the points before writing them in paragraphs. This is a good habit that everyone ought to cultivate.

To end off, I would like to say a big Thank you to everyone for making each and every lesson an enjoyable one. Thanks Weili and Miko for making our report writing and presentation a fruitful one. THE GREEN COMMITTEE ROCKS!! In the past, I would grumble about the number of points that I used to bid for this module. But right now, I would say that the 1009 points used was certainly worth it.

P.S. I have a love-hate relationship with this module. =/

This time, the story is about me

My name is Tan Zhenyun and I’m currently pursuing my studies in NUS, majoring in Life Science. I have opted to concentrate in Biomedical Science due to my immense interest in the discovery of the human body. This field has equipped me with both the analytical and logical skills which, I believe, will prepare me well for future challenges. My belief lies in the ability of Science to provide solutions to all the problems and mysteries on Earth.

Sport has always been part of my life. I was in the school’s team by the age of 13, the National Under-17 squad by the age of 16 and made it into the team which plays in the most prestigious league in Singapore by the age of 19. These experiences have shaped me into a different individual, one who has exceptional perseverance and discipline. Self motivation and a high level of energy are my assets and I am definitely a team player who is able to work well under pressure both individually as well as with others to achieve a common goal.

//Editted

My name is Tan Zhenyun and I’m currently pursuing my studies in NUS, majoring in Life Science. I have opted to concentrate in Biomedical Science due to my immerse interest in the discovery of the human body. This field has equipped me with both the analytical and logical skill which will prepare me well for future challenges. Apart from excelling academically, I had some achievements in the sports arena (Netball) as well. I was in the school’s team, by the age of 13, the National Under-17 squad by the age of 16 and made it into the team which plays in the most prestigious league in Singapore by the age of 19. These experiences have shaped me into a different individual, one who has exceptional perseverance and discipline. Self motivation and a high level of energy are my assets and I am definitely a team player who is able to work well under pressure both individually as well as with others to achieve a common goal.

Reflections

This report writing hasn’t been easy. From minutes writing, survey analysis to writing the whole report, it has been tedious and definitely, time consuming. I didn’t realize that writing this report will take up so much of my time. It was not what I had expected before taking up this module. But I suppose it doesn’t make any sense to think about that now because this report writing will soon come to an end in 2 days’ time.

Finally, the whole report is coming to an end.

Anyway, this is the first time that I had worked on a report with a group of unfamiliar faces. (Surprise?) I always thought that working with friends is the best situation that one can ask for. But this report writing/ working with Weili and Miko had taught me that this is not always true. Having to work in an unfamiliar environment, out of my usual comfort zone, has ‘forced’ me to get used to their working styles, while incorporating mine. I have to admit that I found it hard to get used to. Don’t be misunderstood though; it is not because they are difficult to get along. They are really great people! I guess it’s just that I don’t like changes. Another thing is that I have the tendency to be too blunt at times. However, I have to clarify that I have no ill-intentions. My close friends are used to my blunt nature and that allowed me to voice out my opinion freely without fearing that I might offend anyone. That’s why I felt restricted in this group at times. Though restricted, this has allowed me to learn something useful instead and that was how to tactfully phrase my words so that I won’t sound harsh. This is definitely an important skill which is applicable in all cases, be it in doing group projects in school or at work.

To end this off, I would like to show my appreciation to Weili and Miko by saying thank you to them. All in all, I did learn a lot of things from them. For instance they gave me a different perspective on things. And most importantly, they showed me that a great report can still be churned out even without close friends. The next challenge that we have is the presentation. And of course, I hope that we can do a good job as well. =)

Have a smooth journey..

During the major changes in life, heightened emotions among people are inevitable. These stressful changes are usually connected with personal transitions between important stages that occur during our lives. It seems to me that all cultures have devised ways for individuals or the societies to deal with these emotions. And one of the ways includes the holding of a ceremony. Be it a wedding ceremony or a funeral, these ceremonies are held to observe a person’s entry to the next stage of life.

Chinese funerals are symbolic rites to reinforce the moral values of filial piety. This is also the last elaborate ceremony held for the decreased. The traditional Chinese believed that the soul of the decreased will make its way to the “Western Heaven” after death. Rituals are therefore conducted to assist ‘them’ in the journey. In the process, paper-made cars, TVs, bank notes and etc are also burned.

“So- and so would need the items in heaven.” Ask anyone and the reply will be the same.

Besides those mentioned above, there are several symbolic items and practices that we can observe during the ceremony as well. For instance, sweets and melon seeds are given to every mourner. Sweets are given so as to remove the bitterness brought about by the departure of the loved ones. As for melon seeds, they signify fertility- meant for the living ones to reproduce more to replace the ‘dead’. (These are just some of the stuffs I had researched on for my sociology assignment.)

I remembered attending a funeral with my friends. We were brought to the altar of the deceased to pay our respect the moment we stepped into the place. We were then handed 3 joss sticks each. However, my friend, being a Christian, politely declined the joss sticks offered and went on to bow 3 times without the joss-sticks. An uncle came to serve us food and approached my friend, asking, “Why didn’t you take the joss-sticks just now?” My friend replied plainly that he was a Christian and it was forbidden in their religion to hold joss sticks.

Their conversation made me realize that tolerance is important between cultures. We have the tendency to judge other cultures exclusively by our own standards of. What we fail to understand is that different cultures have different norms or ways of doing things. There is a need to understand the rationales behind these norms before we draw any conclusions. In this way, any misunderstandings can be avoided.

Likewise for communication, the most important aspect is to understand the message that the speaker is trying to bring across. We should approach with a polite tone if we are in doubt or if we do not agree with the speaker’s idea. I guess the last thing you would want is to let people think that you are forcing your idea on someone else. Imagine, what would have happened if the uncle had insisted on my friend taking the joss sticks?

Go Green. The Drive to a Green City

Global warming is undoubtedly here. Threats such as rising sea level and climate change can no longer be dismissed as just science fiction. We can no longer afford to sit back and do nothing about it. Although Singapore is a small country and the contributions that it has made towards saving the Earth might be negligible, its spirit of ‘Everything starts from me’ is nevertheless commendable. Singapore has taken action to show its concern for this fragile planet, something which cannot be said for many other countries.

Every year, the government comes up with several new and innovative measures to heighten the awareness of the heartland with regards to environmental issues. Just this year alone, measures including 10% Energy Challenge and Bring Your Own Bag Day are implemented. The annual event Clean and Green Week was also held. We can evaluate all of these individually for their effectiveness, practicality and total contribution towards saving the Earth.

Besides knowing more about these measures, we can also determine if Singaporeans have the right mentality towards environmental issues. The recent complaints over having to pay more for plastic bags for just one day of each month have shown that many Singaporean are missing out the point that the initiative is not to make life difficult. Rather, it serves to remind us that we can in fact do just as well, with fewer plastic bags and less packaging.

Surveys can also be conducted to find out how much Singaporeans know about these measures and their practicality. We can also interview the chairman of the NUSSU SAVE (Students Against Violation of the Earth) about his views towards these measures. We will also find out his views on the typical resistance of Singaporean towards new measures. We can also ask him to share with us his experiences in coming up with those impactful green initiatives which include the OneDegree Project and the Rebate2earth campaigns on campus.

Finally, after collating all these information, we hope we can come out with something different or improve on existing measures to help the Earth.

***

Hypothesis: The measures implemented by the government with regards to the global climate change are effective.

Problem Statement: The objective of this research study is to determine the effectiveness of the measures implemented by the government with regards to the global climate change.

Purpose Statement: The objective of this report is to highlight the importance of the measures implemented, thus ensuring that the right knowledge/values of global climate change are given/inculcated to the public.

Go Green. The Drive to a Green City (Preview)

Why we’re going green. It won’t be simple and it won’t be cheap but the war on global warming must be won. – Richard Stengel

**Coming up**

When passion wasn't acknowledged

This incident happened 4 years ago when I was still a year 1 student in JC. I was an avid netball player then. During that year, I was selected for the National Under-17 squad and was given the opportunity to go to New Zealand for training.

I was elated when I was informed. This was definitely a chance for me to maximize my potential and expose myself to a higher level of play. Although I have to train almost everyday, I was confident that I can cope by sacrificing my leisure time. I knew my dad would be happy for me, for he is always the one supporting me in whatever I do. My mum was the stumbling block in my bid to go for this overseas trip. I needed to get her consent.

So one night, I plucked up the courage and broke the news to them. To my astonishment, I got a straight ‘no’ from my mum. I was expecting her to probe further before giving me an answer. Upset, I asked her for an explanation. And her reply to me was “No means no. No further discussion needed” I believe anyone would be angry or irritated upon hearing that sort of reply. Fuming with anger, I complained about how she was never open to discussion and how she has never been supportive of me. I had to admit that I raised my voice at her. After saying my piece, I stormed back to my room and broke into tears.

I didn’t talk to my mother for the next few days. In the end, my dad, the peacemaker in the family, came and explained to me that my mum was just being worried about me going overseas alone as I’ve never left their side before. Besides, my mum wanted me to focus more on my studies. Trying not to make things difficult for my dad, I nodded, but deep down, I still could not accept my mother’s reasons.

As the deadline drew nearer, I had no choice but to talk to her again. I headed to their room with tears, telling them how badly I wanted to go. After a few minutes of silence, my mum finally said, “Your dad will make the decision”. There was a smile on my dad’s face and I knew it was as good as a yes.

Quarrels are inevitable in a family and my experience is an example of how miscommunication eventually leads to disagreements and arguments. In my opinion, sometimes parents have the mentality that whatever they do or decide is in our best interests. As in my case, there was nothing wrong in my mother’s intentions. But she failed to realize that I do need a life apart from studies. Her refusal to communicate with me became the turning point that soured our relationship.

This conflict could very well be avoided if I were to communicate more with my mum. However, communication is a two-way process; one willing party is certainly not enough.

Back to the scenario, if you were me, how would you deal with the situation when you have a mother who is not so willing to communicate with you?

Starting off...

To a large extent, the purpose of developing effective communication is to prevent any misunderstandings. Since infancy, we have been communicating with others and this practice will go on well into adulthood. People just can’t do without communicating with each other for there are simply too many thoughts, ideas and feelings to be shared. It is only through communication that relationships between people are built, work within a company done, messages between people passed and the list goes on and on. Therefore, acquiring the right communication skills will be essential, be it at the interpersonal, inter/intra-group or organization level.

Eventually, most of us, once completed our education studies will enter the work force one day. Moving on to an unfamiliar and competitive environment, vastly different from school, will prove to be challenging. There will be more interactions between people as work orders are passed down. However, at the same time, communication becomes complicated by the complex and often conflicting relationships that exist at work. Therefore, by developing effective communication, one will be able to tactfully avoid any unnecessary conflicts or arguments that arise. Besides, one would rather spend more time in work impressing the bosses rather than being involved in some senseless office politics, isn’t it?

To end this off, in my opinion, I think being a skilful communicator would be really important in understanding conversations better. Picking up body languages (non-verbal communication skill) will further enhance this understanding. Being sensitive to the feelings of others and giving the appropriate replies at times might just save the day for you. =)