SEVEN.~ Final reflections.

This course definitely made an impact for me this semester. I’ve heard many stories from my friends who took this module last semester and truthfully, I had many doubts when I joined the class initially. I believed it to be a helpful module but one with a crazy high workload. As it turned out, I wasn’t entirely wrong. True, it was a module in the manner which Brad always emphasized: like being pushed into the deep end of the swimming pool without swimming lessons or even a life jacket. I felt helpless so many times during this course. But thankfully, the friends I made are really the ones saving me from drowning and bit by bit, I learn to swim with their guidance. I felt that the people I got to know in this class far outweigh the problems I had faced when trying to complete the module tasks.

Still, I know that I’ve learnt many skills in this course. First off, I managed to present myself to an accepting audience in a professional manner and this experience is something I would never be able to get outside of this class. I really enjoyed this, even though it meant a few sleepless nights and anxiety attacks for me. I really had zero confidence and this course definitely helped me grow in ways I never imagined. Another challenge I’ve learnt to deal with: empathizing and learning to work with people with very different personalities. I was not very surprised when I was met with interesting people in this course. I see interesting people everywhere in NUS. But because this module is one which requires interaction and small group discussions (an aspect that other courses in NUS could not provide), I found myself learning to adapt to different people’s way of speaking and thinking. This is a really sensitive and useful skill to pick up, and it is really necessary for me to grow in my people skills as I’ll definitely need this later on in life.

I must say that the 13 weeks really passed by in a flash. I never expected myself to complete so much within such a short span of time. And sad to speak, even though I put in a lot of effort in some of my work, I feel like the results I received do not reflect so. Once again, I know that results aren’t everything and the learning process is more important, but I still can’t get rid of that slight feeling that I’m not entirely satisfied. Then again, I DID learn so much! Even though it was just a short period, I was surprised that everything I’ve done stayed in my mind and I know that this knowledge would be put into good use time and time again.

I must emphasize that this module was really fun, and the friends I made are really great, plus the material I’ve learnt will really be useful. =) Thanks Brad and everyone! You all rock! This semester rocks because of you guys! 

SIX.~ reflection on OP

Totally exhilarating. This is the most serious presentation I’ve done so far in my life. And wow, it took me a while to adjust at the start before I took off on what I felt was really quite an interesting ride. Yes I was REALLY scared. And I really had ZERO confidence. But thankfully my team members really helped me prepare well. Thank you Faizal, Edwin and Kenneth! You three rock! And stone! Or boulder! =))

Even though I went through Project Work (also a presentation subject) in JC, it was really a different experience. This one that just passed pushed me past non-existent boundaries which I thought was always there to hold me back. Brad was right: it was really psychological. And no matter how many times I remind myself to treat the audience like carrots or potatoes (a method my friends told me to help me keep my cool) so as to calm myself, it was just so difficult. And I bet this is not going to be the last presentation that I will face for my entire life so I better get use to this feeling and train up!

So how did the presentation really go? To me, it went better than I thought. I really assumed that something horrible might crop up and I would just ruin the entire presentation. Once again, my lack of confidence shows. I thought the use of visuals like photos really explained things very clearly and it was no doubt true that a picture speaks a thousand words. And all I had to do was say something to point people in the direction in which I want them to see from the picture. The use of questions, taught to me by Faizal, Edwin and Kenneth, was a really good technique to set people thinking and to allow them to experience for themselves the setting of the presentation. It really made it easy for me to connect with my audience. And I really enjoyed it halfway through the presentation.

However, I felt that I didn’t start off well, nor did I transit well for the second speaker to come in. All these are skills I have picked up in this class, and I definitely need to brush up on them. I should have smiled more, to make the audience feel comfortable with me. But the stress I had in me at the beginning really just turned me into an emotionless zombie. I found it difficult to distribute my eye contact well too because I tried to make this a ‘checkpoint’ for myself. I would give myself a mental list of what I should do in the presentation but it’s easy to forget once you are nervous. Therefore, it is important to not force yourself to remember, but to internalize all this and let it flow out of you naturally. I guess this comes with A LOT of practice and patience. I think it’s important to speak slowly and pronounce your words carefully because this really shows professionalism and it helps if you want to make your audience understand what you’re saying.

I thought the Q&A part went relatively fine because we stood our ground! I guess it’s important to have confidence in your product and know your proposal in and out VERY WELL so that it’s easy to process your answers because the questions asked might have already been those that you’ve thought of yourself during the initial brainstorming process of the project.

In the end, I’m really blessed to be put in such a FUN-tastic group and I really enjoyed working with my team mates! Thanks everyone! =)

FIVE.~ an intercultural situation~

My family has recently moved house and now we have two new neighbors! Both our neighbors are Indian families and our family has been interacting with one particular family relatively well recently. We’re always aware of the fact that Muslims do not eat pork for both religious and maybe health issues. So my family is really careful with food around them. It was only when my brother started playing more with that family’s children did we realize something interesting about their cuisine.

Every time our neighbor’s kids come over to find my brother for some afternoon fun, my mother will cook or bake to entertain them. Sometimes, my neighbor will bring outside food over and both families will enjoy dinner together. Once, my neighbor bought some burgers over and the kids stopped playing and rushed over to eat (something that they’re even better at than playing). I started distributing the food to them and knowing that the neighbors don’t eat pork, I passed them the chicken burgers and laid out all the other snacks in front of them. Just as I was about to get started on my burger, one of my neighbor’s kids, Brandon, pointed at the burger that my brother was holding and said “Can I have THAT one? It’s my favourite!” I looked at him and then at that burger and I was like “But that’s pork.” He stared at me and said “Yeah but it’s my favourite.” Just then his mum arrived and I quickly queried her about his ‘strange’ request and she just laughed! Seeing my confused and possibly dumbfounded expression, she gently explained that she’s rather lenient around with her kids and allow them to eat whatever’s to their comfort when the elders are not around. Besides, it’s the elders who are Muslim. She hardly considers herself a Muslim because she’s a Christian. OHHH. At home, it’s the grandparents who strictly stick to the pork restrictions so the kids are required to follow suit but once outside, they are allowed certain freedom to that.

This is really kind of similar to some habits in my family too. True, even if they don’t follow the restrictions closely, they do this discreetly and not in broad daylight, so we hardly hear of it. It seems like my Chinese family is not so different from my neighbor’s Indian family after all.

Actually, this brings me to another question. The older generation still holds firmly to their traditions, while the newer and younger generations tend to be more laxed around these laws. Is the changing or non-adherence of certain ‘rules’ diluting the traditions and social norms of a culture? Somehow I think not. Some traditions are really strange to begin with, like how some religious groups do not allow the cutting of hair, even for men. So I think it may not totally be a bad thing if some ‘rules’ are more laxed.

Feel free to comment:)

FOUR.~ Second draft of application letter

Tan Si Jia Jacqueline

Blk XX XXXXX Road

Singapore XXXXX

+65 XXXXXXX

XXXXX@hotmail.com

7^th February 2011

Rhodia Asia Pacific Pte Ltd

51 Science Park Road

#04-01, The Aries Singapore Science Park II

Singapore 117586

Dear Sir/Madam,

Application for Student Internship Programme


I read with great interest of Rhodia’s internship and career prospects on your company’s website. Rhodia offers top-notch career opportunities by acquiring the very best in innovation as well as providing a vibrant and fulfilling working environment for its  staff. The challenging Research and Development (R&D) projects that Rhodia is launching right now impressed me very much. Hence, I would like to be of assistance in my area of expertise for your company as I believe I could apply what I have learnt from my Junior College and University studies on the necessary skills you might require.


I graduated from Raffles Institution Junior College (RIJC) with a distinction in Higher-level 3 (H3) Pharmaceutical Chemistry and am currently studying in National University of Singapore (NUS), with a major in Pure Chemistry. In RIJC, I had been trained in the skills and theories of pharmacology, drug development, clinical trials and quality assurance. These concepts have provided me with a strong background which would enrich my application towards the internship projects that you offered. Furthermore, my willingness to learn more complex and sophisticated procedures had broadened my knowledge as I continue to strive for greater achievement in the sciences. This was also the reason why I was selected for a science attachment trip to the University of Western Australia in December 2007. During this month-long trip, I was exposed to the essentials of plant biology and experimented with techniques like gel electrophoresis, allowing me to discover the future prospects a career in scientific research could bring. This trip enhanced my knowledge in theoretical and specialized skills which would otherwise not be taught in my course of study. The combination of biomedical sciences and chemistry thus became an added-on advantage towards my study in NUS.


In NUS, I am exposed to many aspects of Chemistry such as Organic chemistry, Inorganic chemistry, Spectroscopy, Analytical Chemistry etc. With these different aspects of Chemistry, I have built a strong foundation of lab skills: working with Nuclear Magnetic resonance (NMR) machines, column chromatography, gas chromatography, Thin layer chromatography (TLC), ultraviolet-visible (UV-vis) spectroscopy, X-Ray Diffraction, mass spectrometer etc. I also possess the skill of performing various testing methods which include solubility, purity, viscosity tests, vacuum filtration, purification, crystallization, and polymerisation. In addition, NUS combines chemistry with computer IT which allowed me to study the 3-D nature of molecular shapes, vibrational and rotational modes, and bond lengths via the HyperChem program.


While studying at NUS, I handled many projects and lab reports in a given time frame, hence learning to work under tight deadlines. It is also a habit of mine to maintain a schedule of my time and continually check my progress to make sure that I am on the right track. This strength will be helpful in the future if I have a chance to be a part of the Rhodia family, as this organizing skill increases the efficiency of work and ensure no delay of the delegated work.


The enclosed resume is a brief description of my qualifications. I look forward to your reply with great anticipation. Please do not hesitate to contact me at XXXXXX or e-mail me at XXXXXX@hotmail.com for further clarifications. Thank you for your time.


Yours faithfully,

Tan Si Jia Jacqueline

Enclosed: Resume, transcript

THREE.~ First draft of application letter

Tan Si Jia Jacqueline

Blk XX XXXXXXXX Road

Singapore XXXXXX

+65 XXXXXXXX

XXXXXXXX@hotmail.com

7^th February 2011

Rhodia Asia Pacific Pte Ltd

51 Science Park Road

#04-01, The Aries Singapore Science Park II

Singapore 117586

Dear Sir/ Madam,

Application for Student Internship Programme

I read with great interest of Rhodia’s career prospect on your company website. Rhodia offers top-notch career opportunities by acquiring the very best in innovation as well as provide a vibrant and fulfilling working environment for the Rhodia staff. I am very impressed by the challenging projects that Rhodia are launching right now. Hence, I would like to be of assistance in my area of expertise for your company as I believe I can apply what I have learnt from Junior College and University studies on the necessary skills you might require.

I graduated from Raffles Institution Junior College (RIJC) with a distinction in Higher-level 3 (H3) Pharmaceutical Chemistry and am currently studying in National University of Singapore (NUS), majoring in Pure Chemistry. In RIJC, I had been trained in skills and theories of pharmacology, drugs development, clinical trials and quality assurance. I believe these concepts will provide me with a strong background which will enhance my application towards the internship projects that you offered. Furthermore, my willingness to learn more complex and sophisticated procedures had broadened my knowledge as I continued to strive for greater achievement in the sciences. This was also the reason why I was selected for a science attachment trip to the University of Western Australia in December 2007. During this month-long trip, I was exposed to the essentials in plant biology and experimented with techniques like gel electrophoresis, allowing me to discover the future prospects a career in scientific research could bring. This trip enhanced my knowledge in theoretical and specialized skills which would otherwise not be taught in my course of study. I believed this became an add-on advantage towards my study in NUS, combining biomedical with chemistry, in which I will have a broader view of things.

In NUS, I am exposed to many aspects of Chemistry: Organic chemistry, Inorganic chemistry, Spectroscopy, Analytical Chemistry etc. With these different aspects of Chemistry, I am able to build a strong foundation of lab skills: working with Nuclear Magnetic resonance (NMR) machine, column chromatography, gas chromatography, Thin layer chromatography (TLC), ultraviolet-visible (UV-vis) spectroscopy, X-Ray Diffraction, mass spectrometer etc. I also possess the skill of performing various testing methods which include solubility, purity, viscosity tests, vacuum filtration, purification, crystallization, and polymerisation. In addition, NUS combines chemistry with computer IT; the HyperChem program, which allows me to study the 3-D nature of molecular shapes, vibrational and rotational modes, and bond lengths.

I am confident that my ability to work well with others and my initiative qualifies me to handle the responsibilities of the position. While studying at NUS, I handled many projects and lab reports at a given amount of time, hence disciplining me to work under tight deadlines. I always plan my time ahead and continually check my progress to make sure that I am on the right track. I believe this strength of mine will be helpful in the future if I have a chance to be a part of the Rhodia family, as this organizing skill increases the efficiency of work and ensure no delay of the delegated work. I am a well-organized, highly motivated individual who enjoys the challenges of working in a fast-paced work environment. My personal ability encompasses strong communication and computer skills, including a working knowledge of Windows 7 and Microsoft Word, Excel, power point, outlook as well as Adobe. Rhodia is a world leader in the development and production of specialty chemicals, providing added-value products and high-performance solutions to diversified markets through its 11 Global Business Units (GBUs). My experience, perseverance, and curiosity coupled with the passion and enthusiasm that I will bring to the job makes me the right person for the position you are looking to fill.

The enclosed resume is a brief description of my qualifications. I look forward to your reply with great anticipation. If there are any doubts, please do not hesitate to contact me at XXXXXXXX or e-mail me at XXXXXXXX@hotmail.com.

Yours faithfully,

Tan Si Jia Jacqueline

Enclosed: Resume, publication, transcript

TWO.~ -an-interpersonal-conflict-

I worked as a teaching intern in a neighborhood secondary school right after my ‘A’ levels. It was really something I anticipated as I thought this would give me much perspective into a possible teaching career in the future.  Because it was the long holiday break after ‘A’ levels, many JC graduates also came and worked part-time as relief teachers in secondary schools. Hence, I was not surprised to see five other young teachers in the school I was posted to. They all came in earlier than me and had all gotten to know each other quite well before my arrival. I even knew one or two of them as they came from the same secondary school as I did. Nonetheless, it was still easy for me to fit in and I was rather comfortable mingling with the students and teachers alike. The young teachers would usually eat together during lunch and whenever we had lunch, I would listen more than talk because I was really exhausted from all the teaching in the early mornings.

Then, another teaching intern joined us and she was able to get along well with us too. After about three months of teaching, I started falling ill and when I consulted a doctor, he advised me to take a break from the hectic routine and concentrate on getting well first. I was alarmed by the seriousness of this and immediately asked for leave. The next day I went to school and informed my friends and the teachers that I’ll be taking a week long break and apologized for all the work I left behind for the other teaching intern who now shared my workload. All of them were fine with this arrangement and asked me not to worry. During that week that I was away, I messaged the other teaching intern to ask how everyone is coping and she reassured that all is fine and told me to get well soon. It was only when I returned to school did I realize that NOTHING was fine.

So the next Monday I returned to work and it suddenly dawned on me that all the young teachers were either averting their eyes away from me or pointedly ignoring me. I thought it was probably just Monday blues and went about doing my work. But the feeling that something was wrong quickly gripped me and I knew I had to ask someone about it. It was only when I consulted a young teacher who was closer to me did I realize that something was amiss. Apparently, another young teacher thought I was being irresponsible for leaving just like that and told many people that, coupled with the fact that I was from a rather prestigious junior college, said that I was probably always looking down on them and had no interest in being around with them. The young teacher whom I consulted also told me that the other person always felt jealous that I graduated from the same secondary school as her but ended up in a better JC and hence leading ‘a better life’ right now. I thought that was rather ridiculous but at that moment in time, I was distraught. Everyone chose to believe her and was thoroughly against me as I was unable to retort during that week that I was away. In retrospect, I also realized that that other person got along much better with the other teaching intern than with me. What do you suggest I do then?

ONE.~ -why-effective-communication-is-important-to-me-

Why is effective and professional communication important to me? I think it’s mainly because of what I’m doing and what I’m about to do. What I’m doing: missionary and making new friends. What I’m about to do: become a teacher and hopefully interest my future students in whatever I will be imparting to them. Right now that I’m in university, I think it’s finally time to take that big step and GROW UP! No one is probably going to tolerate a crazy naive little girl ranting on about her life. If I don't start speaking well and professionally, hardly anyone will start taking me seriously; especially when I’m involved in missionaries where I visit overseas campuses like in New Zealand. The people that I’m conversing over there were mainly professors and university graduates and that when I realized the importance of speaking smartly and fluently to get your point across in a short amount of time. Plus, religion is not an easily accepted and understood topic, so it IS important to really communicate well with a well-balanced dose of emotions and gestures without sounding too unsure of what one is saying! Sometimes, when faced with a difficult problem, continuing on that conversation professionally would be tough too!

And this doesn't just end here! Oh my! The profession I chose for my future is going to prove the need for me to learn to speak professionally even more! Students. Colleagues. Principals. Head of Departments. My life is immersed in so many various social circles and its imperative to behave as accordingly in wherever I’m placed. This is definitely the hard part. I really feel intimidated when pushed into a sometimes high-flyer and completely unknown environment! I want to build up my confidence when conversing with important people. I want to effectively transfer knowledge to my students in a fun and accurate manner. I want to hang out with friends without worrying that anything I say might hurt their feelings. If even this proves difficult sometimes, what about fulfilling my aspirations?

Despite the importance of knowing how to communicate professionally, firstly understanding how effective communication works is vital too. Just last week, I had a communication breakdown which visibly demonstrated how much I’m lacking in communicating clearly, not even to mention professionally. My church was involved in a house cleaning community service program just last Saturday. Two of us were unable to arrive at the designated time so we were separated from the main group and travelled together. We took instructions from a friend who said, "Take Bus 123 and alight 2 stops later I think.... (pause for one minute)... WAIT! No no take Bus 123 and alight when you see BLK 105, probably about 3 or 4 stops later!"

Eh..... Ok... and lo and behold, when I surveyed the directory for Bus 123, there was no Blk 105! It only said Blk 109 4 stops later! When we tried calling back there was no response so we assumed that we had to walk to Blk 105 from the bus stop. So we set off and when we reached the area, we found no one. We called another friend and he said, "There are 2 Blk 105 in bukit purmei! I think you're at the wrong one!". Crap.....was what came into my mind. Great, we should have asked clearly just how this Blk 105 looked like in the first place and look out for other landmarks along the way! Even when supplied with information, it should be validated first before swallowing it whole. I guess I have to work on the part where the receiver of the message has to be well-informed too or else the decoding of the message would be inaccurate!

Believe it or not, I have always been painfully shy. Maybe I’ve always been afraid of communicating in fear of the blunders I will make along the way just like the one above. Nonetheless, not facing the problem is just going to create an even bigger one in the future. Keeping in mind all the things I still dream of doing in the future, I better start opening up: time to get rid of little miss shy. =)

Nevertheless, no matter how much I wish for professional communication to be second nature for me, I do want it to be infused with my own flavor and personality, hence not only demonstrating my charm and poise to others, but also helping myself feel comfortable with it=).