Module Summary: It's a wrap!

To be honest, it wasn't exactly a personal first choice to undertake this module as the scope of the workload had really frightened me. The only ray of hope that seemed to peek through for the module's case, in Saras's own words, was "SUMIII, NO EXAMS!". Without the burden to cram information at the end of the semester for a paper and the significant relevance to the fact that  I was going to graduate, the module would prove to be highly beneficial to meet this ends and an useful tool in preparing better for the next few months of relentless job-seeking 'adventure'. With that, I dived head first into the module with my fingers crossed.

Overall, the classes turned out to be interactive and highly engaging with frequent dialogues and discussions among classmates and Dr. Radikha. Initially, I must admit that it was pretty awkward to come out of the shell and communicate any self-held opinions as I had not really been exposed to this type of class dynamics in the bulk of my modules. However, I gradually found myself taking a stand in class discussions and taking stock what was being taught without finding myself zoning out or becoming a doodling-expert in the midst of the lessons. Furthermore, the pertinent topics covered such as the cover letter writing, interview questions demonstrations and presentation skills proved to be a humongous boon as I have come out of this module, more aware and better prepared for the various aspects of the job-seeking world that awaits. I immensely appreciate that the module turned out to be very closely aligned with practical applications outside class and it has really helped in one way or another to relate to us the importance of effectively communicating ourselves to the masses.

Moreover, the peer teaching and the proposal group interactions helped to further establish working relations and friendships with classmates outside class with the shared responsibilities to brainstorm, write-up, edit and rehearse for presentations together. Although time was tight with incompatible time-tables and personal project commitments, I am glad that we still persisted to find the time, be it early in the morning or late in the evening, to come together every now and then to collate our parts and take on new directions for the proposal. I believe we came out of this project more appreciative of one another's effort and with a greater unity fostered as the oral presentation came to its end.

The most vital take-away that I have undertaken from the module would be the realization that communication is both a learned and practiced skill. For most of us, it's not something that is inherent or a natural god's gift. Instead, more often than not, it requires conscious effort to evaluate and improve yourself with the aid of all the constructive feedback that comes your way. I like to believe that I have attempted to better myself to some extent where presentation skills are concerned. However, I do accept the fact that the learning process to attaining 100% satisfactory fluency in communication is an on-going experience that still needs to be consistently worked on even after this semester draws to a close.

Thank you, Dr. Radhika for the vital lessons learned and the guidance throughout the semester. And thank you, friends for all those interactive discussions that NEVER made any session a snooze-fest!