It has been a long journey for the subject Social Economic Studies. Ever since I first came in touch with it in Term 1, I have to admit that this journey was not a particularly smooth one. During the first few tutorials, the lessons were probably manageable for my part because the topics of discussion were issues I was already quite familiar with. Cultural Intelligence and its importance was a concept that I had already grasped. However, the first tutorial of SES has introduced me to a way to classify cultural intelligence, namely that four aspects of CQ- Drive, Knowledge, Action and Strategy. Therefore, SES was very manageable at that point of time.
In the second tutorial regarding Google, I could manage as well because we were studying something concrete. In other words, I was able to narrow down my research by a lot. This made it easier for me to do research. However, in the later tutorials, ranging from Confucianism to Western Ideologies to Social-Economic policies of China by Mao Zedong and Deng Xiaoping, the research scope was admittedly to wide for my ability. I was thus unable to cover every aspect of the issue and was only able to come to class half-prepared. This snowballed into me being in a loss most of the time during the presenters' speech. Fortunately, I was able to follow after hearing other's comments, and I was at least able to contribute in class discussions. (On a side note, my knowledge of Japanese history has surprisingly helped, especially in the area of the policies implemented in China. I cross-referenced to Japan, although apparently it was a digression)
This brings me to my next point : assessment. Frankly speaking, I am not at all comfortable with the current assessment system. Although this might be a break from taking exams, I think that it has actually added more stress to us, rather than removing that stress. I say this because we are required to prepare for every lessons, so that we are able to discuss. Discussion in turn will affect 20% of the term grade. This is like taking tests every lesson! It adds a considerable amount of work to our already dangerously packed workload. In the event I did not prepare, I always taking lessons in trepidation of the scolding I was going to receive during the SES lesson - there, added stress levels.
There was improvement though, after the compromise of allocating one question to everyone was implemented. This considerably reduced our workload, which helped us a lot in relieving our work levels. As SES is still in its first year, perhaps this could continue for the years to come.
The research paper and term paper is a good part of the assessment. This is because it makes sure that students are not smoking through the module. In addition, it is a good alternative to the end-of-year exams. The reflective journals also are beneficial in the sense that it allows us to look back at the previous lessons and consolidate our thoughts.
Some difficulties I faced during the module was mostly my lack of time management. Somehow, because of my large pile of work and commitments and being unable to plan time properly, I was almost never able to research thoroughly. This really hindered my learning of the module.
In time to come, SES will definitely be applicable to my life (I hope). I am planning to study overseas in the future, and it is important for me to be able to adapt and understand different cultures. Although I most probably will not be going to China or America, what I have learnt in SES will definitely help in letting me understand how to deal with other cultures and practices. Whenever I get in touch with other cultures, I would also try to relate back to whatever I have learnt in SES. This module could also allow me to make new friends, create stronger ties et cetera. I can probably avoid many misunderstandings with this module.
All in all, SES is a very useful and interesting subject, and should continue for years to come.
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