Wednesday 13 November 2013

Critical Reflection - Takeaways

I have always been aware that English language has been a weakness of mine. It was fortunate that I had failed the QET and had to take the Es1102 module because I do not think that there would be any other course available at this level that would go through such basic concept of academic writing again. From the start, I viewed this course as a platform to gain more understanding of the requirements of academic writing. This course has indeed improved my understanding of academic writing. Learning what constitutes a thesis, was probably one of the greatest takeaway of this module. Previously, my concept of a thesis was simply an agree or disagree statement, which was very different from what was taught in this course.

The takeaways mentioned are those that can be applied in the academic setting and are indeed valuable as it may help in our grades. However, more importantly, this course also imparted life lessons that are much more valuable than grades or credits that we students place so much emphasis on. Brad was able to teach this course in a relaxed environment while still maintaining teaching standards. It showed that we do not have to stress ourselves up for everything concerning academic studies. Indeed, grades are important and there is a need to maintain a certain standard for it. While it may not always be possible to adopt the more relaxed approach while maintaining academic grades, we can learn to tone down a little and only then can we enjoy the process of learning. At least, to me, the important thing is to enjoy the learning process.

3 comments:

  1. Hi Chin Hwee! Thank you for this post! :)

    I totally agree about enjoying the process of learning! I did enjoy attending this module and have learnt a lot! I am also thankful that I failed the QET because by attending the course, I got to learn things which I never knew about and helped me improve.

    Yes, learning in a stress-free environment did help us to be more engaged in class. Life lessons taught in this module, too, were beneficial and inspirational because like what you've said, we place so much emphasis on grades that we sometimes do not enjoy what we're doing and don't know the purpose of doing it.

    Thank you once again for this insightful post! Ive learnt a lot from this post. :)

    And all the best for your future endeavours (and exams) !

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  2. Thank you, Chin Hwee, for your honest reflection, one which is clearly focused on two ideas: that developing an effective thesis is so vital in academic writing and that stress levels can be controlled, even as standards are maintained.

    I appreciated all your contributions this term. Best of luck as you continue your learning journey.

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  3. Hi Chin Hwee! Here are some comments for you:
    - because I do not think that there would be any other course available>> because I did not think that...
    - It showed that we do not have to stress ourselves>> It showed that we did not have to stress ourselves

    I agree with you that the important thing is to enjoy the learning process although sometimes it can be quite hard to enjoy. Anyway, all the best for your final exam. =)

    Cheers,
    Foo Eng

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