Hey Jay (it rhymes!),
Just some thoughts on application letter.
• I think you should write yours sincerely instead of faithfully since you have written the receiver’s name
• Perhaps you should begin with ‘I am a fresh graduate of Science majoring in Environmental Biology(Hons), since you have not clearly stated your degree
• I think somewhere in the second paragraph you should mention that you have gained a rich academic background through various related modules
• Since I have read your resume, I know you have done a lot of impressive things during your research, like write papers etc and documented new species if I remember correctly. You could add that into your second paragraph.
• ‘Any opportunity to discuss with you possible avenues for candidature at your research laboratory would be much appreciated.’ I feel maybe you should use greatly appreciated or something that sounds more grateful;p
That’s all! :))
Xoxo, Jigna
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
Saturday, February 13, 2010
Blog post #4
In this blog post about evaluating intercultural behaviour, I have chosen to reflect upon one of the many intercultural interactions I have experienced in multi-cultural Singapore. I would like to add that this was actually an isolated incident and I do not base my views of racial harmony on this one incident. I hope that all of you will read the post with an open mind and put yourselves in the shoes of both the characters in the scenario without harbouring any ill feelings towards any of us. :))
Like several other ‘freshies’ I joined one of the many orientation camps organised by the Science faculty. We were divided into groups of 12. My group was made up of 11 Chinese people and 1 Indian person (me!). Don’t take me wrongly, this was a usual situation that we as a minority race faced thus I was completely at home with the idea. The days went on well enough although I faced some situations where I found myself trying to understand Chinese. I could empathise with them as that is their mother tongue which many of them are more comfortable in and even so many of them realised that I was around and apologized for the slip-up.
One day, after a long day, all of us including the seniors gathered to have dinner at a restaurant. I was seated opposite S, perhaps unfortunately. A regular banter started up as we all began eating. S was talking about his NS days when he had to deal with all the feedback of the trainees. Being a naturally emotive speaker he was relating his experiences with much gusto. Eventually he began saying how some Indian trainees came to complain about small issues that according to him could have been ignored. I had a few experiences with such whiny Indians myself so I did not take offense. He then continued to say that all Indians are just like that and that they think that just because they are paying(for instance in a restaurant) they can complain about everything. While he might have had some bad encounters, I did not think it was fair to judge all Indians in the same manner. Now a little rattled I countered saying that even I was Indian so did he think of me that way too? I said it jokingly to keep the conversation light-hearted. He then seemed to realise that I was offended and thus tried to salvage the situation by saying that we (fair-skinned) were different from the dark-skinned Indians. Instead of appeasing me, this statement just made the situation worse. I did not appreciate my race and culture being dissected and judged according to our appearance. I felt it was unnecessary to bring our colour into the conversation. Now thoroughly aggravated I told him that I had seen several Chinese people also complaining and making a fuss about something small. Unable to take an attack on his race, he rebutted immediately saying that this wasn’t true and that Indians were way worse. A heated argument had now ensued with me defending myself by saying that if he wanted to comment about other races he should be able to take it when people do the same. The other group mates surrounding us quickly broke up the argument and told us to relax. Thus the conflict ended right there.
I felt that it was alright if he was just jokingly making a comment about Indians and their whininess but it became too much when he judged all Indians that way without a hint of a smile in his expression. Perhaps his tone might have become to condescending due to his emotive way of speaking or perhaps he has had really bad experiences in the past. When he went on to say that fair-skinned Indians were different from dark-skinned ones, I felt twinge of irritation which he might not have understood. This annoyance had probably stemmed from the fact that in the past few days several people had asked me that how come I was so fair, or what race I was, or if I spoke ‘Indian’ if I was fair. I could not fathom why everyone was so interested in the colour of the skin and why that should relate to any of our other personal qualities. Perhaps the problem in this case was that S had never really had the chance to know about the Indian community and thus he made his judgements based on the bad experiences he had come across and appearance. This was an isolated incident thus my shock in this case intensified my emotions and reactions since I have never really had to deal with a situation like this.
Cheers,
Jigna:))
Like several other ‘freshies’ I joined one of the many orientation camps organised by the Science faculty. We were divided into groups of 12. My group was made up of 11 Chinese people and 1 Indian person (me!). Don’t take me wrongly, this was a usual situation that we as a minority race faced thus I was completely at home with the idea. The days went on well enough although I faced some situations where I found myself trying to understand Chinese. I could empathise with them as that is their mother tongue which many of them are more comfortable in and even so many of them realised that I was around and apologized for the slip-up.
One day, after a long day, all of us including the seniors gathered to have dinner at a restaurant. I was seated opposite S, perhaps unfortunately. A regular banter started up as we all began eating. S was talking about his NS days when he had to deal with all the feedback of the trainees. Being a naturally emotive speaker he was relating his experiences with much gusto. Eventually he began saying how some Indian trainees came to complain about small issues that according to him could have been ignored. I had a few experiences with such whiny Indians myself so I did not take offense. He then continued to say that all Indians are just like that and that they think that just because they are paying(for instance in a restaurant) they can complain about everything. While he might have had some bad encounters, I did not think it was fair to judge all Indians in the same manner. Now a little rattled I countered saying that even I was Indian so did he think of me that way too? I said it jokingly to keep the conversation light-hearted. He then seemed to realise that I was offended and thus tried to salvage the situation by saying that we (fair-skinned) were different from the dark-skinned Indians. Instead of appeasing me, this statement just made the situation worse. I did not appreciate my race and culture being dissected and judged according to our appearance. I felt it was unnecessary to bring our colour into the conversation. Now thoroughly aggravated I told him that I had seen several Chinese people also complaining and making a fuss about something small. Unable to take an attack on his race, he rebutted immediately saying that this wasn’t true and that Indians were way worse. A heated argument had now ensued with me defending myself by saying that if he wanted to comment about other races he should be able to take it when people do the same. The other group mates surrounding us quickly broke up the argument and told us to relax. Thus the conflict ended right there.
I felt that it was alright if he was just jokingly making a comment about Indians and their whininess but it became too much when he judged all Indians that way without a hint of a smile in his expression. Perhaps his tone might have become to condescending due to his emotive way of speaking or perhaps he has had really bad experiences in the past. When he went on to say that fair-skinned Indians were different from dark-skinned ones, I felt twinge of irritation which he might not have understood. This annoyance had probably stemmed from the fact that in the past few days several people had asked me that how come I was so fair, or what race I was, or if I spoke ‘Indian’ if I was fair. I could not fathom why everyone was so interested in the colour of the skin and why that should relate to any of our other personal qualities. Perhaps the problem in this case was that S had never really had the chance to know about the Indian community and thus he made his judgements based on the bad experiences he had come across and appearance. This was an isolated incident thus my shock in this case intensified my emotions and reactions since I have never really had to deal with a situation like this.
Cheers,
Jigna:))
Saturday, February 6, 2010
Application Letter!
Dear Sir/Mam,
I would like to vie for the highly sought after A*STAR Graduate (NUS/NTU) Scholarship. An illuminating talk by A*STAR in NUS allowed me to appreciate how seamlessly the programme suited my aspirations. Being a graduate of Bachelor of Science (Hons) specialising in the Biomedical Sciences, possessing keen intellectual curiosity and diligence, I believe that I am a strong contender for your graduate programme.
In many ways, biology has been my first love. In Junior college, I came across a Higher 3 subject titled Pharmaceutical Chemistry. Although this was not strictly biology, I was very interested in the drug-making process, and how drugs affect the body. Learning these processes allowed me to see how the drug molecules could be manipulated to tweak the effects on the patient’s body. This lit a desire in me to earn a degree in Biomedical Sciences. Coming into NUS, I managed to obtain advanced placements in two of my first year core modules. In my first year itself, I wanted to try my hand at research through Undergraduate Research Opportunities Programme in Science (UROPS). The UROPs project was in the field of cancer research. This project targeted to isolate the Hes1 gene and translate it in a bacteria/baculovirus and subsequently analyse the Hes1 protein structure through X-ray crystallography. I had taken the module earlier than most thus, it was highly challenging. However, as a testament to my tenacious character, I persevered on and achieved a distinction for the entire project. Another experience that I feel verifies my interest in research is my summer research stint with Massachusetts’ Institute of Technology. This was a 10 weeks long intensive research attachment in the field of neurobiology. I believe I am well-versed in the field of research as I have worked with both minute genetic details as well as animal models.
I believe that I will be able to contribute greatly to A*STAR through my love for learning and ability to follow through. My consistent academic grades throughout my education substantiate my diligence and astuteness. I have achieved distinctions in various Biology modules relating greatly to the field of research that I want to pursue. This illustrates my proficiency in the afore mentioned areas. Sterling results in my GCE ‘A’ and ‘O’ Level have granted me the NUS Faculty Award, as well as academic honours such as being the top national Indian student during the ‘O’ Level and being offered a place in the National Society of High School Scholars for meritorious scholastic achievement. I believe that I will be able to excel in A*STAR as it is a vibrant scientific research ‘headquarters’ of Singapore where I can hone my research skills putting my theoretical knowledge into practice, simultaneously advancing A*STAR’s ascent.
In addition to my research stints and academia, I also partake in several community and cultural outreach programmes. These have allowed to me to nurture my interpersonal skills and contribute back to the society. Events such as a charity dance concert organised completely by Gujarati youths, where I played a pivotal role as a member of the sponsorship team as well as the costume manager, have cultivated leadership qualities and an ability to perform under pressure. These are life skills that would be nifty in any field. Through various buddy-reading and tutoring underprivileged children programmes, I have tried to use my talent at hand to assist the community in any way I can. A sense of responsibility and loyalty to the society is a quality that I feel, will be useful in the long run especially in my service commitment period to A*STAR.
Thus far, I have highlighted the essence of my character that will be an asset to A*STAR. My strong desire to conduct research, together with my determination and astute academic understanding in the field makes me a strong candidate for this programme. Over and above, I truly want to learn. We are an embodiment of biology, thus, studying biology is not really studying at all. An innate desire to understand more about ourselves is why I would be a compelling candidate for this programme. I would be very appreciative if you would consider me for an interview where I would be glad to elaborate on any of my experiences. Please feel free contact me at 97564744 or U0805643@nus.edu.sg. I will be eager to follow-up with a phone call in a couple of days. Thank you for your time and attention.
Yours Sincerely,
Jigna Rajesh Kumar
*P.S. I have not been able to find the name of the person i am writing to yet coz the whole process of application is all through an online portal but i am will be trying to find out the name next week so please excuse that! thank you!
**The brochure for the programme can be found at this link
http://www.a-star.edu.sg/Portals/0/Awards/forms_brochures/AGS_Brochure.pdf
I would like to vie for the highly sought after A*STAR Graduate (NUS/NTU) Scholarship. An illuminating talk by A*STAR in NUS allowed me to appreciate how seamlessly the programme suited my aspirations. Being a graduate of Bachelor of Science (Hons) specialising in the Biomedical Sciences, possessing keen intellectual curiosity and diligence, I believe that I am a strong contender for your graduate programme.
In many ways, biology has been my first love. In Junior college, I came across a Higher 3 subject titled Pharmaceutical Chemistry. Although this was not strictly biology, I was very interested in the drug-making process, and how drugs affect the body. Learning these processes allowed me to see how the drug molecules could be manipulated to tweak the effects on the patient’s body. This lit a desire in me to earn a degree in Biomedical Sciences. Coming into NUS, I managed to obtain advanced placements in two of my first year core modules. In my first year itself, I wanted to try my hand at research through Undergraduate Research Opportunities Programme in Science (UROPS). The UROPs project was in the field of cancer research. This project targeted to isolate the Hes1 gene and translate it in a bacteria/baculovirus and subsequently analyse the Hes1 protein structure through X-ray crystallography. I had taken the module earlier than most thus, it was highly challenging. However, as a testament to my tenacious character, I persevered on and achieved a distinction for the entire project. Another experience that I feel verifies my interest in research is my summer research stint with Massachusetts’ Institute of Technology. This was a 10 weeks long intensive research attachment in the field of neurobiology. I believe I am well-versed in the field of research as I have worked with both minute genetic details as well as animal models.
I believe that I will be able to contribute greatly to A*STAR through my love for learning and ability to follow through. My consistent academic grades throughout my education substantiate my diligence and astuteness. I have achieved distinctions in various Biology modules relating greatly to the field of research that I want to pursue. This illustrates my proficiency in the afore mentioned areas. Sterling results in my GCE ‘A’ and ‘O’ Level have granted me the NUS Faculty Award, as well as academic honours such as being the top national Indian student during the ‘O’ Level and being offered a place in the National Society of High School Scholars for meritorious scholastic achievement. I believe that I will be able to excel in A*STAR as it is a vibrant scientific research ‘headquarters’ of Singapore where I can hone my research skills putting my theoretical knowledge into practice, simultaneously advancing A*STAR’s ascent.
In addition to my research stints and academia, I also partake in several community and cultural outreach programmes. These have allowed to me to nurture my interpersonal skills and contribute back to the society. Events such as a charity dance concert organised completely by Gujarati youths, where I played a pivotal role as a member of the sponsorship team as well as the costume manager, have cultivated leadership qualities and an ability to perform under pressure. These are life skills that would be nifty in any field. Through various buddy-reading and tutoring underprivileged children programmes, I have tried to use my talent at hand to assist the community in any way I can. A sense of responsibility and loyalty to the society is a quality that I feel, will be useful in the long run especially in my service commitment period to A*STAR.
Thus far, I have highlighted the essence of my character that will be an asset to A*STAR. My strong desire to conduct research, together with my determination and astute academic understanding in the field makes me a strong candidate for this programme. Over and above, I truly want to learn. We are an embodiment of biology, thus, studying biology is not really studying at all. An innate desire to understand more about ourselves is why I would be a compelling candidate for this programme. I would be very appreciative if you would consider me for an interview where I would be glad to elaborate on any of my experiences. Please feel free contact me at 97564744 or U0805643@nus.edu.sg. I will be eager to follow-up with a phone call in a couple of days. Thank you for your time and attention.
Yours Sincerely,
Jigna Rajesh Kumar
*P.S. I have not been able to find the name of the person i am writing to yet coz the whole process of application is all through an online portal but i am will be trying to find out the name next week so please excuse that! thank you!
**The brochure for the programme can be found at this link
http://www.a-star.edu.sg/Portals/0/Awards/forms_brochures/AGS_Brochure.pdf
Friday, February 5, 2010
Comment for Aishwarya's Blog post #2
Hey all, i could not post the comment i wrote for aishwarya on her blog so i just posted it here instead:) hope you don't mind!
Hey Aishwarya,
Every one of us has probably faced this issue of not knowing how to tell someone that they are not doing their share of work in a project. And this becomes even harder when the person in question is our friend.
I feel that sometimes when we try to tell people something, they by default will take it in an accusatory manner. Consequentially their approach would be defensive. After this normally the conversation goes nowhere. I thus feel that it is important to tell a person what you feel together with concrete evidence. For instance in your case, perhaps, you could have pointed out to her when she was saying that she did not have time to complete her assignment that she should not have gone out the last night then. While it might not be kind to point this out when she is already stressed but it does hit a nerve and would help her realise that you may just be right. Speaking from experience, I think many a times when your friend may be disagreeing with what you say and defending her point, she could very well be considering that you are right. We usually find it very hard to accept that what we have been saying or doing is wrong. So even though you might feel that your confrontation has had little effect on your friend. You may never know how much your message has impacted your friend on the inside. She could also have tried to better her ways.
Cheers,
Jigna
Hey Aishwarya,
Every one of us has probably faced this issue of not knowing how to tell someone that they are not doing their share of work in a project. And this becomes even harder when the person in question is our friend.
I feel that sometimes when we try to tell people something, they by default will take it in an accusatory manner. Consequentially their approach would be defensive. After this normally the conversation goes nowhere. I thus feel that it is important to tell a person what you feel together with concrete evidence. For instance in your case, perhaps, you could have pointed out to her when she was saying that she did not have time to complete her assignment that she should not have gone out the last night then. While it might not be kind to point this out when she is already stressed but it does hit a nerve and would help her realise that you may just be right. Speaking from experience, I think many a times when your friend may be disagreeing with what you say and defending her point, she could very well be considering that you are right. We usually find it very hard to accept that what we have been saying or doing is wrong. So even though you might feel that your confrontation has had little effect on your friend. You may never know how much your message has impacted your friend on the inside. She could also have tried to better her ways.
Cheers,
Jigna
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