Reflection on the course

As I look back at this course I am reminded of the things I have done well and also the things I’ve done not so well. My objective to take course was to improve my communication skills to be successful in life. There are so many things I wish I would have done better. But hindsight is 20/20, so I am glad at the fact I have made a decision to. So many times I have been looking at my computer and I cannot think of anything to say, I found that to be the case especially with the personal statement. For me it is so much harder to write about myself than to write about something. So my goal coming into this class was to learn how to express myself better, and I think I have done that a lot better than when I started. I’m not saying that’s its perfect. There has been improvement nonetheless.

So much has happened since I started. I have become more in tuned to what my body is saying compared to what my words are saying. This for me was not always the same thing. But now that I know that I can change the way my body sends messages so I only send out the ones I was intending to. So many times I thought, “Oh! This should be easy!” but when it came to practice, I found it to be harder than I first thought. In this class I have met several students with various backgrounds, which is good because it provides a different outlook on my writing than I would normally have otherwise. I think that posting on the blogs and getting feedback are great tools for me to see how well or how the audience receives the message I am trying to convey.

In today’s world big companies are looking not just for a bright mind, but also a person with communication skills, like leadership as well as good adaptability. That is more important than ever before as we become globalised, we have to work with people who might not have the same background as us. Although soft skills like I have mentioned are becoming more important, we still have to remain professional at the same time, which can be a very hard thing to do. That is what I have tried to make the most of this course. Also emails are another subject of interest for me as it is too easy to send a casual e-mail. It is a shame that we as young people have been doing. Even more so with text messages, we can’t even be bothered to type full words like Monday for example.

I’ve learned how to evaluate situations from a neutral point of view. I’ve learned when discussing conflicts and problems within a work setting, it is critical to use the third person point of view. While it is important to own your own feelings, it is imperative to professional relationships to consider both sides of the story and listen to the other person’s side of the story to discover the root of the problem. The things I learned will help me so much when I get a job. It is hard for me to think of not only my feelings but also of the others’. So I hope I can use the skills I have learned.

I would also like to express my deepest gratitude to Mrs. Richardson for always being there to guide us all along the journey. I would like to say thank you for all the feedback I have gotten from all of my classmates. It was a pleasure to have met all of you. I hope all your dreams will come true.

Reflection on the Presentation of our Proposal

This whole experience has taught me a lot more than I thought it would. Before the presentation, I was not aware of how much improvement I needed, from designing the slides to having the talk under control. When I began brainstorming for the presentation, I thought that I had known most of what we would cover in the class. On the contrary I was totally wrong. Giving talks is completely different from writing. One needs to rehearse it again and again in order not to get stage fright.

During the presentation I realized that being a good listener is as important as being a good presenter. To be honest I was very nervous at the very beginning of the presentation because I was hoping to give a professional presentation. As a result I was even more stressed out when I saw the negative response from some of my friends from their uninterested look. Sometimes I heard someone chuckling; I panicked as I thought, “Oh! No! Did I do anything silly? Is something going wrong?” My confidence was about to get lost then I saw the friendly smile on our teacher’s face. It was very encouraging and inspiring whenever I looked at Mrs. Richardson. She always shows a lot of interest, enthusiasm and appreciation in any group’s topic. I thought I had to perform better as at least there was one person looking forward to the show. I had a feeling that the ice was broken and I now could go on like the ship sailing on the windy ocean. I appreciate Nigel’s support a lot when he said, “Yes!” in agreement with my questions to the audience as he was the only one who talked. It was one of those cliff hanger moments when if no one said anything, it would be hard to get back on track. It is almost as bad as telling a joke at the start of the presentation but no one laughs.

I have learned so much about myself and how to communicate in a professional fashion. Moreover I find all the strategies we have used during the presentation useful as we might be required to present in our future jobs. I have understood that there is more to effective communication than just listing all the points out and keeping on talking. It also involves understanding the other person’s points of view and feelings.

I have gained so many new skills that will help me in life. I feel that my confidence when speaking to a crowd has improved thanks to this project of giving a presentation. I’m so glad that I have taken this class as it has helped me grow as a person.