Week 9 Biodata (Blog Post #6)

Using what you have learned about the 7Cs of effective communication and “Discovering Self”, plan and write a 100-word biodata. Be sure to have your blogging buddy evaluate and comment on the strengths and weaknesses of your biodata based on the criteria found on page 6 of the Skill Builders. Also, be sure to give constructive and detailed feedback to your buddy.

I am Seow Hui Kee Joceyln, age 19, female, currently in my second year of study at National University of Singapore (NUS). I believe myself to be a sociable person, as I enjoy interacting with people and making new friends. Being empathetic and sensitive, I am generally able to mediate in conflicts as well as provide comfort to troubled friends. Building rapport is usually not difficult for me. Self-motivated and results-driven, I always desire to excel in things I partake.

Having done relief teaching in CHIJ Saint Nicholas Girls’ School for three months, I have learnt to communicate effectively with both adolescents and adults. Teaching has also made me more meticulous and patient, which I believe are qualities that will benefit me greatly in future assignments.

Reflecting on the Research Project Experience (Blog Post #5)

For this post, look at Appendix 2 of the skill builder Documenting Reports 6: Peer Review. Use the questions there as a guide for writing about one aspect of your learning experience, be that your success in teamwork, communication amongst your group, problems encountered, etc.

This research project has been an enriching experience; I have learnt the proper way of writing a professional report and ways to better communicate with others. This project made me see the importance of bringing my message across clearly every time. Sometimes text messages and emails could be misinterpreted, resulting in misunderstandings and reduced efficiency. Hence, I preferred speaking face-to-face and I made it a point to clarify whenever in doubt. Patience was vital, especially since each of us had different working styles. It was, therefore, important that we took the effort and time to know each other better and work along each others’ working styles.

Being part of the team meant every member had a part to play. It was fortunate that both of us in the project group understood that. We did what was assigned to us efficiently and to the best of our abilities.

When doing research, it was important to find reliable sources and get specific information; too much irrelevant information only caused confusion. I also learnt to support my hypotheses and results with substantial secondary data so that it would be convincing.

In preparation for the oral presentation, I wish to adopt a positive and spontaneous attitude. Listening actively to others’ opinions and suggestions, resolving conflicts by finding win-win solutions and understanding what needs to be done will allow me to contribute more to the project at hand.