Saturday, April 20, 2013

Post #6: Final Reflections

Before I begin on my final post, I hope that everyone reads the quote above, and takes a moment to truly let it sink in.
 
To me, the importance of being a good speaker only dawned on me when I realized the power of speech. Indeed, the most monumental social changes in human history have always been initiated by exceptional speakers, who could galvanize crowds to believe the unbelievable (e.g. Hitler, Martin Luther King).
 
With that realization, I find that my biggest takeaway from this course is definitely improving my oral presentation skills. In fact, the 2 main ways that ES2007S has helped me are the frequent presentation opportunities and the constructive feedback from my peers.
 
Almost every facet of this course required some form of presentations, be it the oral presentation, peer-teching, or even the HR interview. These opportunities allowed me to discover the presentation skills that I already have, as well as the areas of weakness where I could work on. In fact, I believe that everybody has the potential to become a great speaker! It is a pity that very few people have the opportunities to develop their personal style and hone their skills. Furthermore, the peer evaluation in this course has allowed us to share and receive valuable feedback from each other. Consistent practice is pointless if we do not know what we are doing wrong!
 
I can still clearly remember my first presentation this semester, where I did a short presentation on "active listening" with Vaish. I remember receiving feedback for having a clear voice, but having poor eye contact and non-verbals - I did not realize it, but my presentation was almost as though I was reading a passage!
 
Subsequently, I have taken steps to slowly improve on many different aspects of communication. In terms on non-verbal communication, I have learned to accentuate my speech with suitable hand gestures and postures, and to maintain eye contact to better connect with my audience. I have also learned to speak in a more concise and structured manner, so that the audience can understand and remember my ideas.
 
Looking back, it has been a fantastic 3 months. I have had a fulfilling and inspiring time, and I personally felt that this course provided huge educational value. The course might be over, but the friendship and the fun times we had will stay with us forever! :) 
 
To all my coursemates and to Brad, I wish you all the best!

6 comments:

  1. This is a very well focused final overview, Peter. I like the way you zoom in on the various presenting experiences and describe your feelings about the tasks and the feedback garnered. You offer good insights as well ("Consistent practice is pointless if we do not know what we are doing wrong!") that illuminate the discussion.

    All in all, this is a clear, concise and fairly compelling post, one that has been a pleasure to read. It's also been fun working with you this term, and I've appreciated the seriousness that you've brought to the class and the tasks combined with your sense of humor and general positive attitude.

    Thank you, Peter, and all the best as you continue your journey into the working world.

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    1. Hi Brad,

      Thank you for your feedback. Due to the great experience I've had in this course, I actually had much more to say! Had to squeeze it all down and focus on what I felt most strongly about.

      All the best to you too, Brad! It has been a great semester learning from you!

      Cheers,
      Weizhe

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  2. Heys the only male in our group! :)

    To be very frank, I cannot remember all the flaws you've mentioned in your first presenation in class! Somehow I have always had the impression that you are quite a natural good speaker to begin with. So that was your advantage. And I can assure you that; forget the first presentation. You did a remarkable job for peer teaching and for our final OP. Keep your darlie smile flashing and I am sure you will continue to shine in toastmaster and in Chemical Engineering.

    Time to prove that Chemical Engineers CAN present perfectly well like our business counterparts!:D

    All the best!

    Cheers,
    Aster

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    1. Hi Aster,

      Thanks for your feedback. Haha I guess its always easier for me to pinpoint my own mistakes! I guess it helps me to learn and grow. It was great working with you too, aster! Keep your charm and flair on and you'll blast aside the competition any day ;)

      All the best to you too!

      Cheers,
      Weizhe

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  3. Hi Peter,

    It was a pleasure to work with you in this module. I really like how you point out that great speaking skills can leave a great impact on people. I believe you have the potential to be a great speaker as your final presentation was really good. Furthermore, you have a deep passion to improve your speaking and presentation skills and that is the most important factor to lead to success.

    As you are one of my first teammates in this course and we also did the acting together, I see that we can work really well with each other. I hope there will be a chance to collaborate with you again. All the best for exams!

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    1. Hi Chuong,

      Thanks for your feedback! I really had a great time with you this semester. It was really nice seeing how your humour slowly grew on us :D

      That aside, if you continue to grow and improve like how you did throughout this course, I am very sure you will achieve great things!

      Cheers,
      Weizhe

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