Critical Reflection

At the start of this module, I set a goal to improve my writing skills, and able to present confidently to an audience. As our course mainly deals with numbers, other than writing reports, there was no other exposure to sharpen my language skills. As such, I always had a hard time phrasing my sentences. Throughout the past 12 weeks with Professor Bradstone’s guidance and increased exposure through assignments and class activities, my sentence structure and vocabulary has improved greatly, allowing me to write confidently and express my feelings through my words.

Apart from writing, we were also tasked to give a professional presentation in front of an audience. To make sure the audience understands the topic, much background preparation for the topic was required to make sure the message is properly conveyed. I learnt that little things such as maintaining eye contact, posture and hand gestures also affects the overall presentation. Fortunately, after practicing multiple times in front of the mirror and gathering some feedback from my friends, I was able to present and deliver the content of my slides confidently to my classmates without even using the script that I prepared in advance.

Writing a technical report is always a big challenge for me due to my weak writing skills. As everyone thinks differently and has different opinions, having all members research on multiple articles at the same time, and then condensing them into a paragraph was a struggle. This makes the flow of the report disorganized and has multiple overlapping information. As a secretary, supporting and initiating the dates for our meeting is part of my job.

From there, I realised the importance of having meetings, as it gathers us together and solves outstanding issues on the spot. The one thing I learnt from this project is the importance of teamwork. In a team, every individual has their own strengths, which allows us to help to cover each other’s weaknesses. If everyone did not help contribute to the report, it would not have been as complete as it is.

All in all, this module helped me write and speak confidently, which will be beneficial when I enter the workforce. Applying the skills that I have learnt from this module, such as giving a professional presentation or writing a technical report, I feel that I am better prepared at dealing with these tasks when handed to me.