Reflections on ES2007S

As I look back on the past thirteen weeks or so, I see a marked improvement in my written and verbal communication skills. Before taking ES2007S, I always felt confident about my writing. However, through this course, I learnt that good communication does not necessarily end with good grammar, vocabulary and punctuation. In order to communicate effectively, one needs to understand and cater to one's audience and situation.

As we leave our university career behind in order to pursue our goals in the job market, the skills acquired in ES2007S will no doubt be of tremendous use, maybe even more so than our core modules. In today's job market, a huge importance is placed on handling interpersonal relationships well, resolving conflicts and emotional intelligence. Through the group project, I learnt to communicate effectively with my group members and resolve minor conflicts that arose due to differences in our schedules and manage time well when meeting deadlines. With the presentation, I managed to improve my public speaking and to hold the interest of the audience.

As science students cooped up in the laboratory most of our days, these talents are not easy to come by. Therefore, I feel that ES2007S is a must for science undergraduates in order to improve their marketability.