Time to say goodbye or what I learnt in ES2007S

In a few days my exchange semester at NUS is coming to an end, which means it is time to complete my assignments. One of them demands to reflect on my learning in module ES2007S. So here we go!

ES2007S was a beneficial module in many ways. Since it is an interactive class it made me step out of my comfort zone and participate actively in class. For a non-native speaker, worried about her vocabulary and pronunciation, that is a big step. Actually the module did not only demand to participate actively but also to contribute to the lessons by delivering several presentations. That was the even bigger challenge since giving a presentation means elaborating on a topic and in best case engaging the audience.

Thanks to different techniques introduced to us in class, constructive feedback sessions and lots of practice I feel way more confident now than back in January. Of course I am still nervous before and during a presentation but I guess this inner tension is necessary to perform best.

Besides making me more confident in speaking in public ES2007S gave me a valuable insight in Singaporean student life. Through our different group assignments I had the opportunity to work with local students and to get to know their life and working style. Working together means spending time together and during the time spent together you get to know the other person better. Since all my other classes did not expect me to engage in group projects this is a feature that sets ES2007S apart.

As an exchange student it is often difficult to meet local students since our daily lives differ tremendously. Mainly busy with exploring Singapore, meeting new exciting people and travelling, we exchange students tend to live in our own ‘exchange bubble’, whereas local students seem to work constantly to meet all the deadline NUS imposes on them. No wonder the two groups interact rarely!

By mixing local students with exchangers, ES2007S provided a basis for interaction, a thing I am very grateful for. Spending time together, talking about Singapore, its citizens’ lifestyle and student life gave me an insight into Singapore society I would not have gotten anywhere else.

This positive effect was enhanced by the final projects we were working on. Since our business proposals all targeted current developments in Singapore, working on our own proposal and listening to the other groups’ presentations extended my knowledge about the country I am living in right now and helped to pop the exchange bubble.

As you can see taking ES2007S contributed to my personal development as well as to my exchange experience. Now that it is coming to an end, all that remains is to say ‘thank you guys’ it was a pleasure studying with you!

Reflexion on Project Proposal: Challenges and lessons learnt

Group projects are almost never easy. Different schedules, attitudes towards work and opinions what constitutes a good project demand good communication skills and patience. 

These observations can also be applied to planning and writing our business proposal. Finding a time suitable to meet for the four of us, all being occupied with mid-terms, assignments, tutorials and classes, was the first challenge. Once we managed to get together we quickly agreed on a topic

.

Since we were all busy we quickly came to the decision that it is easiest to split the work and collate our results in Google Drive, which allows users to store files as well as to share and edit them collaboratively. This style of working proved to be very efficient. Simultaneously it created high transparency since every member had access to the same amount of information.

Once we collected all information we met our second challenge: writing the business proposal. I guess we all know how difficult it sometimes is to write scientific papers or essays when we are on our own. Writing a coherent text, reconciling people’s different writing styles, avoiding repetitions and ensuring consistent formatting in a group essay is even a greater challenge. To master this challenge we created a ready formatted template every group member could work in. Moreover we set several internal deadlines after which one of the group’s members reconciled the written parts and harmonized the citations. Lastly every group member was encouraged to proof read the essay once finalized.

Adapting all these different techniques allowed us to master all the challenges connected to writing our proposal as a group. Of course not everything went perfect, but I feel that is normal, since we all gather experiences through studying.

That’s why I am also curious to hear what your suggestions for successful teamwork are, fellow readers?

Interaction between women and men: A comparison of Germany and Singapore

Having grown up in Germany and having lived in Russia, I noticed that the ways men and women interact in these cultures differ tremendously. 

I still remember my first days in Moscow when I met new people - among them were men - and tried to shake hands with them, which is the usual way of introducing yourself to someone in Germany. First people looked at me in confusion. Then they shook my hand reluctantly, which confused me. Did I do something wrong? 

Later during my exchange it turned out that it is very uncommon to shake hands with the opposite sex in Russia. But it does not stop there. Let me give you a few more examples of how the interaction between men and women differs.

To Russians tradition and etiquette are of high importance. It is still very common to hold the door, help a woman to put on her coat, pay the cheque for dinner and give up your seat in the subway. Getting offered a seat in the subway is a thing that has only happened to me in Russia. In Germany elderly or pregnant women can consider themselves lucky if they get offered a seat at all.

Same goes for holding doors or helping women to put on their coats. These are things that do not happen to women in Germany often. So when I and my Russian girlfriends met male exchange students from Germany in Moscow we were puzzled.  Why were these boys so rude?

Then we realized it is just not common to behave this way in Germany. Apparently the German boys did not know about those differences between the cultures and therefore could not adapt.

But isn’t it essential to adapt to a foreign culture once you arrive? Or are these out-dated rules that can be ignored?

What do you think dear readers?

Organizing a student conference: an example of interpersonal conflict

Imagine you are the head of an organizational committee. Motivated to make an impact you start to work with a team of four on organizing a conference. All of you are volunteers. All of you are dedicating their spare time to this project. At least that’s what it seems like. Soon you realize that one of your group mates has a different understanding of team work. When splitting tasks he refuses to offer his help. If a task is assigned to him he misses the deadline without explanation.


Your group members are frustrated and you as the head of the team have to resolve the conflict quickly before the others lose their motivation.


So you start wondering about the reason for your team mate’s behaviour. You do some research and read about the reasons for interpersonal conflict.


You learn that interpersonal conflict can arise from behavioural norms. These norms help to maintain a professional culture in the group but they might also inhibit your team mate to express criticism. Your team member might be unsatisfied with the split of tasks but does not feel the right to address this issue.


Another reason could be the different amount of power in relationships. You as the group leader have more power than your team members. It is you who makes the final decision. In a group where everybody is volunteering and on the same hierarchy level - you are all students - it can be difficult for a member to accept this imbalance of power between you and him.


A third possible reason is ineffective communication. You might have missed to set clear limits in the relationship concerning the split of responsibilities and the commitment to tasks. Or your team member did not make clear that he is too occupied with university to do his fair share for the project.


Now, having a better understanding of the issue you start to work on a solution for the problem.
Unsure of the right solution you turn to experts of effective interpersonal communication. 

So fellow readers; what do you think? How should the conflict be resolved without losing the member?



Read more about the reasons for interpersonal conflict here: http://kathleenlawman.efoliomn.com/2