Final Thoughts

ES2007S has finally come to an end!! I took this module initially because I just came back from student exchange program and need to readjust to studying in NUS. ES2007S do not need to memorise any information unlike my Life Sciences modules so I decided to give it a shot. A lot of my friends told me not to take this module, but I just choose to go ahead.

This module is quite fun initially, with all the very interesting class activities. The workload starts to get more and more along the weeks and till recess week I had yet to find time to revise my core modules at all. There are many drafts and re-edits till the final product be it resume, application letter, peer teaching lesson plan and the proposal. Really wanted to give up by week 8 but I could not because if I want to graduate this semester, I need to have enough modular credits.

Objectively, I did learn a few useful skills through this module. The constant drafts and reviews sharpen me to be careful about many details (alignment, using of bullets, choice of words etc. ) which will make my work look more professional. Through this module, I also have the chance to conduct interview with the Vice Dean of Science which is really refreshing! This module got me thinking how to “brand myself” too, which I am really bad at.

Thanks to Ms Lim, my teacher who is very dedicated in teaching. I was quite amazed that Ms Lim came to class before 7am every lesson to prepare for her lesson! In addition. Ms Lim also puts in a lot of hard work, getting back to replies sometimes even after midnight. When I was really down, Ms Lim took out time to have a little chat with me after class. She encouraged me and advised me that I need to learn how to manage stress better because multi tasking is the norm in the working world.

I would not have made it to the end if not for my wonderful classmates (: They are really awesome people who brought so much fun and energy to class! Thanks to Malathi as well who cheered me up when I am down.  The small class size and the close interactions with classmates which other modules may not be able to offer is what I really enjoyed about ES2007S. THE END!

Final Showdown

After so many weeks of coming out with proposal brief, conducting questionnaire, interviews and proposal writing, finally the last lap is here!! ORAL PRESENTATION

Preparation

My group met up once before the presentation. It was really useful as we can sit down together and run through the slides together, standardizing everything- types of bullets used, space between word and bullet, front size etc. During my first run through, I keep pausing and stuttering then realize the importance of coming up with a script to reduce “on-the-spot” jitters in needing to come up with proper sentences.

The day before…

Ok, so I admit in practicing my script only the night before! I practiced in front a mirror to observe my hand gestures. Every time my stop watch hits 4minute, I start to panic! The pre-presentation nervous-ness sets in. The memories of how my mind blank out during one of my mini dance performance terrors me. The disappointment in how I score poorly for all my CA’s thus far starts to kill me. All the negative voices keep lingering in my mind affecting me not getting enough rest.

Two hours before…

Oral presentation isn’t really that bad thinking it is just FIVE minutes. Team reached 7am to give ourselves ample time to set up the technology and to settle down. The last run through my team had did help me to be more confident.

It’s Showtime!

I made a conscious effort in reminding myself to smile more, to pause appropriately and to use more hand gestures. Stutter a little towards the end L Reminded myself too that my eye contact should be natural. 4 minutes reached and saw timekeeper HuiQi raising her hands. Somehow I knew that practice pays off as I did not start to get nervous when I knew I reached 4 minutes. Sitting up straight while teammates are presenting also helps to portray a more positive image.

Overall, I think that all my classmates had done their very best for their oral presentation. Candice and Malathi who were very sick stand through the end to put up a good fight. Kudos to them! To me, putting aside all the negative thoughts that burdened me (not thinking about  my grades thus far, and how will I be JUDGED in this presentation), relieves me from the stress.

As the Chinese saying goes, people observing from the side sees it best, I would really appreciate dear friends if you could give me some feedbacks perhaps on the area that I did not do well so I can improve. Don’t worry, my “face skin” is quite thick and I value more on improving myself (:

Hello~ SANTA! (Toronto Santa Claus Parade)

The Santa Claus Parade has been a Toronto tradition since 1905. Fantastic animated floats leave the corner of Christie and Bloor Street West in the company of two dozen marching bands and a couple of thousand costumed participants, cheered along by excited kids. (http://gocanada.about.com/od/canadiancities1/p/santaparadeTO.htm)


When I went to Toronto for student exchange program (SEP) last semester, I went to see this fantastic annual Santa Claus Parade! This parade was quite similar to the Chingay parade in Singapore. What I observed was:


1) People are really excited about this parade, and many crowd along the streets early to get a good view
2) All the little children were seated on the curb
3) Before the floats came in, logistic trucks will pull in and clowns will start to distribute free gift packages to all the little children who were seated in front


The whole parade gives a very joyful atmosphere and it was a heart warming experience besides the cold weather! I like the culture of bringing joy to the little children and the people in the crowd will let children to move to the front to get the best view. 

Many many people!

Giving Christmas packages

Children checking out what is inside

PANDA!

Marching band playing Christmas carols

and FINALLY..........Santa! (:

During my stay in Toronto, the people there are very friendly too. In every shop, you will be greeted by "Hi, how's your day?" and the cashiers and staff will wait for you to reply. Toronto is very environmentally friendly as well. The dustbins in subways and university has many holes for different rubbish (paper products, plastic products, glass products and general waste). On top of that, there will be trucks moving around to each household every week to collect recyclables. All in all, it was a memorable exchange experience for me!

Application letter!

Blk 777 Happy Lane 77 #17-717

Singapore 777777

7 July 2007

Human Resource Manager

Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau (CPIB)

2 Lengkok Bahru, Singapore 159047

Dear Ms Tan,

Application for CPIB Investigation Officer

I am interested in joining CPIB as an Investigation Officer, posted on Careers@gov on 12 January 2012. Having a strong sense of justice, I empathize with people whose rights are compromised or denied due to the dishonest act of others. Black sheep are always among us in the society. My motivation; however, is not to punish those who conduct corrupt practices but rather to find out the whole truth in its entity and leave the judgment to the court. My passion and persistency makes me an ideal candidate for the position as an Investigation Officer.

Currently, I am doing my 3^rd Year of studies on Biology in the National University of Singapore, and have also completed my Minor in Forensic Science. Through the Forensic Science program in NUS, I learnt to be more meticulous in my work. The program has also enhanced my analytical skills in putting pieces of evidences together to come up with a bigger picture of the truth.

Past travelling experiences have equipped me with essential life skills. Last August I was given the opportunity to live and study in Toronto for four months under the Student Exchange Program (SEP) in Forensic Science. This experience has taught me how to be independent, how to think critically and how to be flexible in adapting to changes and challenges in a new environment. SEP also taught me how to communicate effectively with people from diverse cultures.

Activities which I have participated in schools have strengthened my interpersonal skills. Through playing floorball, I learnt how to communicate and work as a team with each player faithfully playing their best for their assigned roles to achieve a common goal. Completing a 42.195km full marathon is a big challenge to me, and through this my willpower, determination and self-discipline grew stronger. It would be an honor to join your team of investigators to keep Singapore corruption free with strong determination and focus.

Enclosed is my resume outlining my details and qualifications. I look forward to speaking with you about this opportunity. Thank you for your time and consideration.

Sincerely,

Josephine Chang

Chang Zhong Yun (Josephine) 

Job advertisement CPIB

Job Advertisement
Position Corrupt Practices Investigation Officer
Organisation Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau
Location 2 Lengkok Bahru,Singapore 159047

The Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau (CPIB) is a department under Prime Minister's Office. It is an independent body which investigates and aims to prevent corruption in the public and private sectors in Singapore. The bureau is headed by a director who is directly responsible to the Prime Minister.

Help keep Singapore free from Corruption. Join the CPIB!

Responsibilities:
As a Corrupt Practices Investigation Officer, you will be part of a dynamic team of officers dedicated to the mission of combating corruption. You will be given training in the fundamentals of laws and basic investigative skills. You are required to fulfil a 2-year bond after the training.

CPIB will provide you with the opportunity to realise your potential. Apart from investigation duties, there will be exposure to other areas of work such as international affairs, policy formulation and public education.

Requirements:
If you meet the following requirements and can identify with our mission, join us now!
• A good degree in any discipline from a recognised university
• Good communication (both verbal and written) and interpersonal skills
• Motivated, independent and able to work effectively with others in a team environment
• Have the passion for investigation work
• Singapore citizen
Shortlisted candidates will be notified.

Resolving Interpersonal conflict

Interpersonal conflicts are part and parcel of my life such as disagreement of ideas, desires and priorities. Keeping peace is one of the values that I hold dear to, thus below are some ways of how I deal with resolving conflicts in daily life.

1.  Recognising when am I most defensive (lack of sleep, periods of stress, ill etc) and be extra conscious of my actions and behaviour in these situations.
2. Time. During a heated argument, both parties need to cool down. My personal remedy of cooling down is to take a stroll outdoor, breathing in fresh air.
3.   Listen. To what others have to say without interrupting and find out what is the motivation behind their thoughts.
4.  Understand. Find out more about the person’s background, which may give clues to why he/she is acting or thinking in a particular way.

One conflict that I am still resolv-ing and yet ‘resolved’ in my life is about my future career. Since young, I have been driven to work towards being a crime scene investigator. Many people thought I got inspired by the famous drama CSI or that I think that it is a cool or glamorous job. In fact, I dislike watching police drama or horror films. I understand that crime scene can sometimes be gory, strong smell and insects infested.

My parents are strongly against me working as a crime scene investigator. I try to understand their point of view. They do not like the idea of irregular working hours and me dealing with violent deaths (though not all crime scenes are violent death e.g robbery). Honouring their decision, I choose not to apply for the police force scholarship and assure them that my conviction is not 100% firm.

Being a peace lover, many times I thought of giving up my dream and just please my parents by doing what they like but what I really dislike- office job or teacher. This conflict with my parents causes an ongoing conflict within me.

Recently during NUS career fair, I spoke to a Forensic Management Branch Officer. He shared with me that parental support is very important.  I froze. I knew that I will most probably fail my future interview if the interviewer asks me if my parents support me being a CSI.

In situation like this, what will you do? Especially when parental consent is the KEY factor in getting your dream job.

The art of listening

Just want to share what my two blogging group buddies shared about the Chinese word "听” （listen).


Candice: "the ancient writing of 'listen' in Chinese, 聽, is a useful word to highlight the idea of listening with sincerity and empathy. The word itself comprises of the ears ‘耳’, eyes ’目‘, and undivided ’一‘ attention ’心‘. Quite an interesting word huh!"

Chee Kian: "In addition to what Candice had mentioned, I think the modern '听' means how much you weigh '斤' what is spoken '口' is through listening '听'."

Indeed, listening is  a skill which involves our undivided attention! You can sense it when someone is not listening to you when he/she does not give you his/her undivided attention (staring into space, preoccupied with own thoughts, playing the phone when you speak etc.). This often discourages the speaker from communicating. A sincere listener encourages communication and strengthens relationships too!