Reflection on Oral presentation

Trying to find a place to hide, even if there was a mouse hole i would try to hide inside there.

This is what exactlly i felt after the presentation...

Our group since there is two exchange student and one full time student me and shine tried our best not to block Lionel's way. At least we should help him in a good way not in a way that he would be exhuasted or deducted in score. Even though evidence show(our wikis) that lionel did all the huge works, such as, finalizing the whole purposal, I can say I have did my best on this project. (I think including my life in Korea University, this semester is the 2nd hardest semester and hardworking semester to me... My 1st rank is the 5th semester which I took about 22 credits...)
This is not only because I really wanted to achieve something from this module but also because I loved my own group and wanted to help them out.


D-day finally came.... I was standing in the same place as I did last week and 2 months ago. But this time I felt like thousands of truck running toward me. Making me feel dizzy. Through all my 4 years of study and presentation this one is the most toughest.



- Delivery
: Compared to what I have done in past two presentation, my delivery didn't improve that much. The tone of my voice wasn't that large enough, eye-contacted with several people instead of all the audience, taking a deep breath which was very very large take away the audience attention and so on. But learned from this presentation that the ment I have used in the beginning helps alot gathering attention.

- Fluence
: Due to less preparation for the presentation, I have missed 1 whole prase I have practiced. And since it was my first time using a cue card I had trouble finding myself.
(Parts I have memorized just go on but suddenly when I cannot remember what I am spose to talk I need to use the cue card. But since I forgot to keep on shifting the cue card, I was standing there trying to find the right cue card)

- Group work
: As a group (not sure what others will think) I think I have done quite well. As I learned in Korea every single member should be responsible in his/her own work and I did what I have learned. Also I tried to match others time, and tried to avoid conflict. And whenever it occurs I listened more than talking my own opinion.


Overall, this time presentation and this module have introduced me a wonderful world of 'Professional Communication'. How to improve myself, how to work as a team, and how to deal with intercultural problems.

Would like to say Thank you Lionel, Shine !
Thank you Dr. Jaidev and Thank you Class !!!!!!!!!!

After I go back to Korea I will miss all the memories...... T_T.....

Intercultural communication problems

Hello, xin nian kuai le (Happy New Year ~!!!)

Today I also had a long day, How was your's day? ^_^

As almost (maybe everyone?) everyone in class knows, me myself is a exchange student from Korea. It will take like 5 hours to write every difference and so on... (little bit joke? kk)

Before starting about my own experience, I think i should give some basic information about myself to help everyone about why i can feel like that. I was born in Korea but when I was 1 yrs old my family went to United State. And then around 12 yrs old I went back to Korea and stayed there until I came to Singapore. So mostly my character was built in U.S. and 40% of Korean Style.

May I start?

When I first came to singapore I didn't have that much problem talking or interacting with peoples here. It might because Singaporeans are used to so many people from all over the world, and they know how to communicate with them. And maybe because Korea and Singapore shares similar culture that is called 'Asian Country Common Culture', such as, Being in hurry when they need to, likes to hang out with friends not only one or two in big group.
In addition, 'Korean Wave' might have helped me out. Korean soap drama, singers.

But there was some conflict with others. The major problem I had was some misunderstood with Europian, even Americans.

Here is one example, I was in a group project. We had 5 peoples in our group. It was my chinese module and we were spose to do a play in chinese for our final term presentation.
At first there wasn't any problem, spliting up assignment for each person, deciding how often we should meet. We were satisfied with our group the atmosphere was very smooth going, very comfortable. And even though we had 1 month left for the presentation everyone put one's hardest effort.

After our draft was made, we needed to gather and practice since we are doing a play in front of the class. Having some practice on tuesday we decided to practice on wednsday, since our play was on thursday. But one of the American friend said that he can only show up at 12 pm to 1 pm. And the reason was that he needed to attend class from 9 to 11:30, and need to have lunch, and after that from 1 pm he need to meet all of his 6 class tutor for questions he had.

So we asked 'when is your test?', he said 'after 2 weeks'... We were all standing there with a WHAT?? face. We told him since our play is tomorrow and we really need to practice if we want to do the performance smoothly. And he said his meeting with his tutor is also important, so he can't take up more than one hour for practice.

We tried to make him understand since he is the one that wanted the main role we gave the role to him, but now he is acting like he is someone that isn't that important in the senario.. So me and couple of friends gave up, and was upset since we skipped several lecture because of this.

This was not the end. On presentation day, even after class had started he didn't show up. Our class was from 4 pm to 6 pm, and he said he have a field trip from 12 pm to 4 pm, and show up no later than 4:15. Since our group number was quite the last one we said o.k. The problem was he showed up at 5:10(our presentation spose to be on 4:50, and because he didn't show up we ask our next group to do first) drunked.. Not heavly, but quite drunked that he kept on forgoting when he should act, which place that he is spose to be standing, didn't memorize his script.

Is this because of cultural difference? Or is this something else?

If you were in my Situation what would you have done?

我的好朋友维旸 (Post For Chinese Level2)

This post is for Chinese level2. (LAC2201 - Kyungho Kim)


你好你们！我姓金，叫金庚浩。我来介绍自己给大家认识。我是韩国人，在一九八七年一月十八日，星期天，出生，属虎。我家里有四口人， 我爸爸，妈妈，妹妹和我。他们都在首尔(seoul)。 我爸爸是名教授，妈妈是家庭主妇，妹妹是大学生。我的主修是工程专业。去年起，我来新加坡做交流(exchange)，现在在新加坡国立大学学习汉语。
在新加坡，我认识了一个好朋友。我来介绍我的好朋友，他叫维旸。他是新加坡人，今年二十三岁。我们是在上个学期时，在学校的食堂里认识的。我们也参加了同一个校园(outside school)的课外活动(cca)。我们大部分(almost)的时间都在校园外和好的朋友聚在一起。 12月31日那一天，我们都去了marina bay看烟火(fireworks)。
他向我介绍了很多新加坡的事物。 下个学期， 他来韩国高麗大学(My home university, Korea University)做交流。我会向他介绍首尔的事物和美食。

Application for UIUC graduate school

Hello everyone, one of my life long goal is to get a permission for UIUC material science and engineering graduate school. But as I need several qualification; tofel (103 ibt), GRE (no minimun score), IELTS (7.0 in total, at least 6.0 in each), GPA (3.0 above out of 4.0)....

The most problem for me is English Writing !!!!!!! Help me out ^_^

Also this application letter is really in a rough way... Didn't put that much time on my writing this time.... I ll make sure I can post this one again this week. even though it's for h.w. or not.

Getting help from other classmates really give me the feeling that i can do it ~ !


Kyungho Kim
B68 yo:HA @ Commonwealth Drive #01-233
Singapore, Singapore 140068
H.P. 65)9612-8837
E-mail : whitesnow1255@hanmail.net

Graduate Admissions
Department of Materials Science and Engineering
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
1304 West Green Street
Urbana, IL 61801

Date : 07/02/2010

Dear Officer

Hello, I am very interested in UIUC graduate school of Material Science and Engineering PhD program. I'm really eager to take part of electronic material research as well as plastic electronics, since MSE PhD program let me take courses that is one of the top 3 graduate program and also UIUC was a school I wanted to attend from very young.

From 2009 fall to 2010 may semester, I was in Singapore National University for non-graduate exchange student program. During this experience I have attended one electric engineering course, two of my major course. It was my first time attending class that everything is done in english. By getting a A grade, I've got self-confident that I can be competible with other students from the world.
Also, during this period of my life I participated in 3 different clubs. nuSTUDIOS (a film making club), KCIS (Korean Culture Interested Society), Tennis club. I learned about inter-cultural, inter-personal communication, how to deliver my thinking in english effectively, what it would be like to be a major member of the society I am in. This in return helped me to do effective social networking inside the lab, school, local society and the country I'm staying.

All these experience I have done, will lead me to be one of the members and student that have responsibility, passion about one's goal, figuring out new atmosphere effectively. Which UIUC is expecting.

Yours Sincerely
Kyungho Kim

P.S. I am attaching academic transcript, statement of purpose, resume, and 3 letters of reference.

Dealing with conflict (Week 3, Post #2)

Hello, nice to see you readers again on my blog.
Thanks for visiting again ~ !!

As we have discussed before in week 2 post, effective communication is of course very important, but even though you have managed to communicate effectively what if there is some personallity difference. In this case effective communication might come out to have little help.

Here is some problem I had with my girlfriend long time ago. (Saying like this since i don't have one now... T_T)

It was my birthday. I had double appointment, one from the morning to dinner and one from 8 p.m. till next morning. The earlier one is for my girlfriend and the later one is for my friends. So the day before my birthday I gave a full explanation to my G.F about my plan tomorrow and also I have a appointment with my friends at night. I used phone call and face-by-face channel and my G.F. said o.k.

But the problem happened that day. After dinner, around 7:30 p.m., I needed to move to the next place and told that to my G.F. Guess what? She said 'No you can't go now'. Her idea was even though i have appointment i should go there like after 9:30 p.m. And the reason for saying like that was my number 1 priority should be her not my other friends..

In my situation, of course my G.F. is important, yes, she is my number one treasure (excluding my family in this grading thing). But I still have that kind of trust 'Friendship is first than love'. This doesn't count for my future wife or kids, my parents and family. But between my G.F. and friends? They are both the same on my list. So I thought that since i have made up meeting at 8 p.m. I should be on time. And also I have gave plently of explaining to my G.F.

What I think about this problem is me and her differences in balancing love and friendship. In her case she would rather spend the whole day with me, even though her friends would like to meet her at birthday. But for me since both are important, I would like to meet both of them.

What should I do in this situation?

'ES2007S Professional Communication, Week 2 Project'

'Why Effective Communication is Important?'

'Having some problem dealing with someone?' 'Been in trouble cause of misunderstanding?' 'Have fantastic career, but can't get a job offer'... Almost every person might have experience these kind of problem. What is the problem for those? Can we find anything in common?

I think it is because those people don't have enough communication skill. Not just normal kind of communication, effective communication. In our world, everyday we meet people from different background. Every single person have different character, so we should use different communication skills. Here is several cases that can explain why effective communication is important.

First, everyday life have different kind of pattern and situation. Everyday is 24 hours, everyweek is 7 days, a month is 30 or 31 days, and a year is average 365 days. These things are repeated during one's whole life. But if one takes a look at day by day situation. It is a total 'Chaos'. There isn't a day that can be just the same as a previous days.
For example, High school students have repeated course with a period of 4 or 5 days. But everyday you learn different things, and even though you play with your friends you won't do the exact same thing as the day before. So even though you do the same act as the previous day to your friends, one day your friend takes it as a joke, but one day your friend can recieve it seriously.
This might because your friend is in different kind of mood than yesterday. And even though you know about it, you didn't know the right way to act.

Second, let's take a look at business case. A employee went to a important meeting and wanted to smoothen the atmosphere. And said a joke that he used to use to his/her friend. Would this really helps him in that meeting?

Finally, in my case, soon i will have to write a resume for graduate school. What should I do to appeal myself better and give professor a confident about me?

In these several cases, what would be the solution? There isn't a exact solution for every situation. As professor told us, there isn't a book like a dictonary for us to look up. Individual should deal every single case with one's previous experience, knowledge and so on. But what if we know basic knowledge about effective way to communicate with others. Knowing which words or phrase selection is proper in business, personal relation, talking with seniors, we can organize things out the way we want it to be organized.
So effective communication ; knowing which situation I'm in and choosing the right communication channels, writing skills. We can set up a better life. That is the reason I'm taking this course.

P.S. even in this project there is errors that I didn't realize and just write. I want to reduce these errors as possbile as I can. That's My GOAL !! ^___^

Things I'm are learning (2010 Semester 2)

This Post is just a post for course outline, my week2 'Effective communication skills' will be on another post ~~

Module code : ES2007S, Professional Communication : Principles & Practice.
Year : 2010 Semester 2

Feeling : One of my goal to achieve in NUS is to improve my writing skills. Since my home university doesn't serve that nice course about 'Academic purpose in English'. And at last got a nice module recommended by the officer at English Center. (forgot the full name of that department...) In few words, wonderful, excited, looking forward for it !!


Week 2 : process, models&channels, listening & telling & questioning
-> learned importance of communication skills and process. Also took a look of different situation discussed in class.
-> we will discuss how active listening is important in communication. (Exciting !)

Week 3 : interpersonal & intercultural , effective business & good bad messages
-> Wow, impressive things i learned from the websites.... EI (stands for emotional intelligence) is nowadays research topics. EI definition in short sentence ; it is a standard for emotional intelligence. used to measure how one can control its self emotion when dealing with person or things in different situation.
Quite several interesting results have been found. Those who can control themselves usually gives more benefit to the group or society one is belonging to !!

Week 4 : mostly about position search
Week 5 : mostly about how to make up or arrange a effective meeting
Week 6 : designing survey questions
Week 7 : effective way to deal with job interview.

Rest of the weeks are for oral test, presentation and so on.

Wow - ! Looks quite tough but after the semester i do believe that i could improve my english very well.