We've come to the end of the road - ES2007S

This semester seemed to have zoom past in a blink of the eye, doesn't it? ):

I could recall frantically clicking around CORS website during the bidding period, trying to find for one last module to fit into my timetable and which would not 'cost' so much ( don't we hate CORS??!) when Aldrich suggested for us to take ES2007S together. We had both heard of the module in the previous semester as our group of close friends took it back then. We gathered feedback from them that although it was a demanding module which requires time and dedication (to our blogs), it was no doubt, enriching and fun. Upon further research, I also felt that ES2007S will be able to prepare me when I start job-hunting with all the resume and application letter writing practices. They also mentioned that Brad was the best tutor so advised us to choose a class under him, which we did!

This may sound cliche, but I definitely enjoyed myself during ES2007 classes. There was always something new to learn every week and I loved how the class was interactive instead of the usual boring seminar-styled lectures. Brad would make us stand up and arrange ourselves according to height, did random pairing-ups so everyone would get a chance to work with one another, give each other constructive feedback and such.. all of which were engaging and makes learning so much more fun! (:

And, who could ever forget the mock job interviews! I need to take this chance to apologise to Sarah again if I really did freak her out when Sheryl and I interviewed her. The poor girl was ignored by me the entire time! ):

However, fun aside, this module was also strapped with a heavy workload. As this module is non-examinable, it also meant that every piece of assignment that was to be handed up throughout the whole semester carried with it a significant weightage. And there was also the final proposal and presentation which we had to complete in the very limited time-span, talk about being stressed!

On a personal level, I'm really glad I took this module in the first place. Not only did I managed to learn valuable skills and tips on writing a good resume/application letter/personal statement, my presentation skills have also improved. And the amazing thing about this is that I did not just learn from Brad the man alone; I managed to learn from everyone in the class through feedback sessions! I definitely need to credit everybody for my improvements. (:

It is of my immense pleasure to have met everyone in this class and also given a chance to work with you guys. We may not have known each other for a long time but the concern you people showed for me (from my last post) really warmed my heart (: Let's meet up after the exams alright! (:

Reflections on Oral Presentation

Allow me to be honest, I may not be the best presenter ever but I have always loved presentations. (Am I weird?) I still get butterflies in my stomach when I have to stand in front of an audience and talk but I have always enjoyed the feeling after completing a presentation. So, yup, I was very very much looking forward to this final ES2007S presentation!

My team started working on our presentation a little later than the other teams and we were all feeling pretty stressed, especially when we saw that all the other 3 teams had notable progress with their slides and outlines on the wiki! But I'm glad my team-mates and I work pretty well under stress. We focused on how we can deliver an engaging presentation to the audience and decided to include a video which stars ourselves. (Kudos to Sheryl for editing the video!) We also decided to keep our slides minimalist, clean and distinctively black-and-white.

I was tasked to design the presentation slides and honestly, I enjoy doing so. However, we had a little problem because all three of us had our own presentation scripts, which may not flow well with the slides. Luckily, our team met up to iron out this little miscommunication and my teammates also sent me their final 'scripts' so that I could double-check and make changes. We did a 'time-check' and a mock presentation on Wednesday, two days before the presentation, to ensure that we do not over-shoot the time limit and that the presentation was coherent. The fact that the presentation was less than 48hours away finally sunk in and I was starting to feel jittery! I rehearsed my parts at home for the two nights, trying to remember as much as I could without looking at my cue cards and hoped for the best.

On the morning of our 'big day', we met up an hour earlier to have a final run-through of our presentation. That was also when I whipped out the tennis ball and explained my idea to Aldrich and Sheryl! We had zero rehearsals of the idea beforehand because we only decided to include it in at the very last minute. Before we knew it, it was time to go for class!

So, my laptop was slow but it worked fine. (Luckily!) Aldrich started on the introduction and gave an overview and went on to talk about some background information... it felt like he was talking too fast because IT WAS MY TURN, TOO SOON! I started off pretty confidently and made sure I had good posture and voice projection. (Did I, did I??) However, after the video and feeling embarrassed that I had my face all over the projector screen, I started to lose my focus and I found the need to peek at my cue cards. And I was definitely shocked when Aldrich threw the tennis ball back to me instead of Sheryl! After the presentation, I felt that I could have handled the situation much better. Instead of picking up the ball and instructing Aldrich to throw it to Sheryl, I should have just kept the ball and continued with the presentation and pretended like nothing went wrong! ): Be spontaneous be spontaneous!!

After the presentation, our team was prepared to be bombarded by questions during Q&A session but surprisingly, the floor was kind to us. We took turns to answer the questions (and completed each other's sentences, like twins!!) and were glad that it was over within the next few minutes!

I felt that our team did generally well for the presentation. We may not have been perfect and fantastic out there because we were nervous, but I felt that we managed to deliver our ideas across. On a personal level, I was also coping with the heartache of a breakup of a relationship of 2years plus and was a little disoriented throughout the week. Hence, I am grateful for team-mates like Aldrich and Sheryl, their presence definitely gave me a little confidence boost and the strength to stay strong!

Happy Birthday DaddyPeet!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY BRAD!!!!!! (:

Intercultural Conflict

Back in secondary school, I had a Japanese penpal named Mai. During one of her summer holidays, her family decided to come over to Singapore and I had the chance to meet her and to bring them around Singapore's tourism hotspots.

However, after only a day here, her mother fell sick due to the humidity and unbearable weather in Singapore and had to stay in the hotel room while the rest of us continued with our tour. On the last day of their holiday, I wanted to get something memorable for Mai's mother as it is a Chinese custom for the host to present the guests with souvenirs. After much deliberation, I decided on a pot of orchids, as it is Singapore's national flower and also not as perishable as compared to a bouquet of orchids. In fact, I even thought that she could bring it home as an unique souvenir and was pretty proud of my decision!

But alas, I had a shock when when I presented Mai's mum with the potted plant! Instead of thanking me, she took a look at the planted and commanded Mai to take it out of her sight. Her husband started saying something in Japanese and he too, had fire burning in his eyes. I could feel the tension in the room rise and I knew I had done something wrong. But, what? I tried to ask Mai but her parents were so furious that they literally pulled her away from me and boarded the cab to the airport, leaving me at the hotel lobby with the potted plant.

I wrote Mai a letter of apology when she got back to Japan and asked her what did I do wrong to offend her parents. It was only after a week or so when she replied me. She explained that in Japan, it is considered bad luck to give a potted plant to a patient. The word 根付く (nezuku) meaning "to take root" is similar to the word 寝付く (netsuku) meaning "to be bedridden"! Her parents had taken it the wrong way and thought that I was cursing her mother when I presented them with the potted plant!

Although I have since apologised for the incident, I did not hear from Mai from then on. A friendship was jeopardised due to an intercultural conflict which could have been avoided if I had consulted Mai about the choice of souvenir beforehand. I learnt from this experience that Japanese are very particular when it comes to culture and superstitions, so be sure to do your research thoroughly when interacting with them in order to avoid misunderstandings. In fact, this applies to people all over the world. Each and every country or race has its own set of unique cultures and it will be greatly appreciated if everyone learns to respect and embrace each other's differences.

Personal Statement

As a child, my friends would call me Teapot because I was short and stout and had always been the chubby one in my classes. The baby fats stayed with me until I entered Junior College and I decided it was time to lose the flab. I started on a rigorous exercise regime and cut down on my calories and the pounds came off soon after. However, I was unable to stop. I was addicted to exercising and my eating habits worsened. Before I knew it, my weight had nosedived to a mere 36kg and I looked scarily underweight. I was a victim of the eating disorder – Anorexia Nervosa.

I knew I had to do something to battle the devil within before it literally eats me up. Instead of seeking medical help and to undergo counseling like most anorexia patients do, I was determined to depend on myself. I taught myself how to bake and in the midst of the process, to discover the art behind cooking and food appreciation. I made sure I had a sufficient and healthy diet by keeping a nutrition diary and was careful not to fall back into the days where I would torture my body into starvation and feed my mind with distorted body images.

Eventually, my hard work paid off and I recovered within a year without the help of medication. It was a tough and long process but my determination and discipline saw me through. I strongly believe that these two particular strengths of mine are the key in the field of research. Discoveries of vaccines and formulation of pharmeceutical drugs did not happen overnight - they are the result of continuous hard work and perserverance, of several tries after multiple failed attempts, of years of research.

Failures are inevitable in scientific research, but when one does not throw in the sack easily, at the end of the day, victory will be his.

Because Science can never be limited by Time, only by Determination and Enthusiasm.

Covering Letter and Resume Draft #02

Covering Letter (Solicited)

In response to job advertisement which can be found here.

Chong Yuan Ru

Block 232 Yishun Street 21 #06-552

Singapore 760232

September 3, 2009

Jean-Pierre ABASTADO

Principal Investigator

Agency for Science, Technology & Research (A*STAR)

Singapore Immunology Network

8A Biomedical Grove

IMMUNOS Building #3-4, BIOPOLIS

Singapore 138648

Dear Mr. Jean-Pierre Abastado,

Research Officer, Job Reference No. SIgN/MLF/270809

I am enclosing my CV in response to the online advertisement for the above post which appeared on the A*STAR website on 28th August 2009.

I have recently graduated from the National University of Singapore (NUS) with a Bachelor in Science, majoring in Life Sciences with a specialization in Biomedical Science. Throughout the past three years as an undergraduate, I was given the opportunity to experience extensive laboratory sessions which equipped me with the essential skills required for processes such as PCR, protein purification, tissue culture work and cellular assays. These are techniques useful for interdisciplinary Life Science research in your laboratory. Apart from academic achievements, I also served as a Publicity Officer in one of NUS’s adventure club (NUS Rovers) for a year where I was given the chance to hone my organizational and communication skills as well as grasped the essence of teamwork.

Amidst my academic and Rovers club’s commitments, I also strived to establish a well balanced time management and held several tutoring jobs throughout the past year. The ability to manage my time well is also evidently important for the success of scientific research which requires precision and accurate timing. I also held a job in the NUS Centre for Life Sciences for six months where I was responsible for ensuring the availability of laboratory equipments and chemicals; hence, I am confident that I will be familiar with the equipments, machines and the working environment in the laboratory.

I have a natural strong aptitude for taking initiatives and am not afraid to suggest new ways to approach new tasks. My quick thinking is also something I pride myself upon, having faced and also solved the many unexpected obstacles when I led treks with the Rovers club.

An interview will grant me the opportunity to demonstrate my abilities. You may contact me at 9297 1717 or yuan_ru@hotmail.com to schedule an interview. It will be my honor to be given a chance to work for you.

Thank you in advance for your time and kind consideration.

Sincerely,

Chong Yuan Ru

Resume

CHONG YUAN RU

BLK 232 Yishun St21 #06-552 Mobile: 92971717

SINGAPORE 760232 Email: yuan_ru@hotmail.com

PERSONAL PARTICULARS:

Age : 21 years Date of Birth : 16 May 1988

Nationality : Singaporean Gender : Female

Marital Status : Single I/C Number : S8816824J

Permanent Residence : Singapore

COURSE COMPLETED

• Organic Chemistry
• Biochemistry
• Biodiversity
• Molecular Genetics
• Metabolism and Regulation
• Molecular Biology
• Cell Biology
• Introductory Biostatistics

EDUCATION

University of Singapore

Third Year Student

Major : Life Sciences

Graduation Date : June, 2010

Innova Junior College

Major : Science

Certificate Attained : A’Levels

Graduation Date : December, 2007

Anderson Secondary School

Certificate Attained : O’Levels

Graduation Date : December, 2004

WORKING EXPERIENCE

Sept 09– Present NUS Centre for Life Sciences

Lab Technician

· Ensured the availability of plastic wares and chemical stocks

· Responsible for liaising with drug companies and to place orders

May – July 08 Lane Crawford Group, Singapore – On Pedder Boutique

March –July 07 Retail Assistant

· Assisted to develop marketing strategies for new product launched in July 2004

· Assisted to analyze market analysis information using computer software Microsoft Excel

LEADERSHIP SKILLS

2008 - Current Publicity Cell Member, NUS Rovers

2005 - 2007 Secretary and Team Player, Innova Hockey Team (Girls)

Vice-chairperson, Innova Junior College Class S41

2003 - 2004 Welfare cum Uniform-In-Charge Officer, Anderson Military Band

COMPUTER SKILLS

MS Office, Excel, Powerpoint, Multimedia & Internet

LANGUAGE SKILLS

Spoken Written

English Excellent Excellent

Mandarin Fair Fair

Interpersonal Relationship

I am in the committee for one of the adventure clubs in NUS and have had the first hand experience of leading treks and organising camps for the freshmen. Not only had I gained exposure throughout the past one year, I also managed to find valuable friendships in my fellow committee members.

However, there has been a recent turn of events. Relationships between friends have been strained and suspicion and distrust arose within the committee. It all started when Bob* decided to re-run for the next committee after the current members have stepped down.

Bob had always been everybody's friend. He was always the entertainer, the food expert and "the nice guy". Hence, you can imagine the shock the judging panel suffered, when he spoke ill of his fellow committee members during an interview, specifically of those who he had encouraged to re-run for the next election with him. He picked on their flaws and shortcomings, informed the panel of his ideal "elite committee members" and criticized the people who he wanted out.

His ideals for the club's future directions were also entirely different from what the club had been for the past two decades; it was as if he wanted a major revolution and transform the club into something corporate, something that will yield a high profit turnover.

After the interview, the panel came together and had many discussions about Bob. On one hand, Bob, with his experience,leadership skills and popularity with the candidates, he definitely stand a high chance of winning the election. On the other hand, the judging panel is reluctant to handover the reins to Bob and many have expressed concern and unhappiness towards his two-faced personality.

As I was not there during his interview and all that I know of are hear-say, I have no right to make any comments or to take anybody's side. Maybe Bob had the club interests in mind and he felt that he had to be honest during the interview but unfortunately, put his ideas across wrongly and was misunderstood? But fact is that his speech had outraged all 14 of the members of the judging panel. The panel wants him to withdraw from the election, but has no idea how to put it across to him without use of underhand methods, but nobody is brave enough to step forward to confront Bob in fear of causing bad blood between the club and him.

What do you think the panel should do? Do you think its fair to judge based on hear-say and be swayed towards the majority, since the majority cannot be "too wrong", right? Or not?



*Name has been changed.

Effective Communication Skills

Effective communication, in my opinion, refers to the thorough and accurate encoding and decoding of both verbal and non-verbal messages that one sends and receives in order for complete understanding. However, what if the parties involved spoke differing languages? Verbal communication is almost as good as none. This is when non-verbal communication comes into play. Imagining being in a foreign country where language is a huge barrier! That was exactly what happened to me when I was in Italy a few years back...

At one of the train stations in Italy, I did an action stunt ala Jackie Chan by leaping off a moving train with my suitcase. No damage done to my physical self as I was heavily padded by the coat I had on but was emotionally shakened. I was brought into the station office by an Italian officer who asked me tons of questions in Italian but all I could do was stare at him wide-eyed, unable to recover from the shock plus I could not understand him anyway. He exchanged a few sentences with another lady officer who spoke a little English and was told that they needed to photocopy my passport as they were convinced that I was either trying to commit suicide or was an illegal immigrant! I wished I speak Italian at that moment, honestly! It was a huge misunderstanding due to the lack of verbal communication!

So, for the next week or so in Italy, I tried to learn as much Italian phrases as possible but alas, I got so hooked on Italian that when I bought my Metro ticket in France two weeks later, I blurted out "Grazie" instead of "Merci". This was when non-verbal communication worked for me. I doubt the counter lady could make out the distorted pronounciation of "Grazie" even if she knew Italian but my smile and little goodbye wave made it known to her that I meant "Merci"!

From these two incidents, I realized the importance of both effective verbal and non-verbal communication skills, especially for someone like me who enjoys travelling to different countries. When language barriers exist, flash a smile!

And just in case you may be interested to know, I alighted at the wrong train station which meant I jumped for nothing! ): Here's a picture of a very unhappy me at the said station:

Testing

Hello hello.