The end can also means a start

When I begin to write this post, I feel some pain in my heart. This blog post marks the end of this module. However, I think it is also the beginning of our way to enhance our soft skills. I heard of one saying that really describes my feeling: “When in retrospect, what you really value and feel happy is not the happiest time you experience, but the time when you put a lot of effort in and the time sometimes even makes you feel pains that you will remember and appreciate about”.

This module is actually an extra module for me and I do not need its 4MC. Some people might ask, why you give yourself some extra work to do? I think I choose the module because I think it is the time I need to enhance my soft skills.  During my four years study in the Faulty of Engineering, I feel there is no module designed to enhance my soft skills. There is no attention paid to the language usage and presentation skill even though we do have projects.  As English is my second language, I feel it remains an obstacle for me in every aspects of my life. Thus I decide to take the module and enhance my communication skills.

Though this semester I have some improvement in the following aspects:

1). Written Skill

I have to admit that my writing skill was quite bad at the beginning and even if I have some improvement, it is still far from a satisfactory level and I have a long way to go. I think the blogs contribute much to this improvement. It seems it is the first time I write in English to express feelings and thoughts. All the reports I have written before are technical and I have not paid attention to the language at all. It is until the blog post that I realize I feel some difficulty in expressing myself in English. I tried to alter the words and sentences to find the best way and I checked my post for language mistakes before posting.

2). Spoken language

I also have to admit my spoken language is far from good. For the projects and discussion I have in my engineering modules, I tend to group myself with my Chinese friends thus the language is purely Chinese. I choose this module because I know there is no one I knew and I force myself to speak more in English with classmates. I feel I have improvement a lot through this semester through chats and presentation. Especially for the preparation of peer teaching and final presentation, I force myself not to memorize it but to think and speak on the way.

3). Presentation Skill

Through learning, practicing and feedback, I think my presentation skill have improved a lot. By watching the video of Ken Robinson and Steve Jobs, I have some ideas of a good presentation. By watching the video of myself, I found weak points that I can never realize. The three steps cycle repeats for peer teaching and final presentation and I think it is really an effective way to improvement.

4). Team Work

I think Brad does an excellent job in grouping us, by which I mean we have different team members for different projects and we also sit in different groups during class. I think it is a good way to force us to meet and communicate with different classmates. Though working with different persons, I have learnt how teamwork and team building is important and how to communicate, negotiate when some problems arise.

5). Resume, Application Letter and Interview Skills

 While this may seem not so important to some of our classmates, I really want to tell you from a ‘senior’ prospective that it is indeed useful when you are in my stage trying to find a job. I am busy with job application this semester and until now I realize how hard you need to try to get only one of interview opportunity and how hard you need to try if you want to stand out during this interview. The peer review of resume and application letters, peer teaching on interview skills and mock interview have gained me a lot.

Some final thoughts:

I really think this is an excellent module. Although there is a lot of work needs to do, I think they really worth it because I can feel the progress I have. What is more, I think this module really improves my awareness of soft skills and that is why I say it is also a start. The module ends however the learning and improving never stops. I will always pay attention to my communication skills.

Last but not least, besides all the skills I have learnt, the people are also what I value the most. We work together, eat together and play together. We share our thoughts and feelings. I think it is an asset of my life!