Blog Post 5: Communication
It is not difficult to realize that good communication is essential for everyone to finish our daily routine woks. Good communication can bring good understanding to us. Last week, we read about NTU student's suicidal case in the newspapers. When we examine this suicidal case, it can be seen that suicidal case is related to FYP project stress, scholarship problem and communication problem. Hence, it can be seen that communication plays an important role in our school environment. Students should have good communication and understanding with lecturers, project supervisors and other students for obtaining good achievements.
I would like to describe one dilemma (communication problem) that my friend faced.
My friend's name is Htun. He is a final year electrical student and he started his final year project (FYP) last August. Here, I would like to discuss about FYP project. FYP project is an individual project that weighs 12MC. We need to finish our FYP within one year (two semesters). Each student is assigned with a project supervisor.
My friend, Htun is doing AC to DC converter project. Although he is in final year, he still needs to learn other subjects. So, last semester (August), he took five modules and FYP. According to FYP's rules and regulations, students have to keep in contact with their respective project supervisors and maintain good communication with them. Although Htun's supervisor would like to meet him twice a month, he only met his supervisor four or five times last semester. He spent a lot of time on studying other modules rather than doing his FYP. So, his supervisor was not content and satisfactory for his project progress and not having regular meeting.
During school holidays (last December), he tried very hard to finish his FYP. But, he only finished 30% of project and his supervisor forced him to speed up his progress on the project. In this semester (January), he took three modules and so he could give more time for his FYP. Even though he tried very hard to do his project well, he could not get good output results because he faced with many problems in his circuit designs (converter).
In his meeting with supervisor last month, Htun was told that he was not hardworking and so project did not progress well. In addition, his supervisor commented that he only would like to see output results rather than project progress because the time is too tight and the project needed to be submitted by the end of March. Htun was very stressful for his FYP and he was afraid of meeting with his supervisor. He felt very sad because his supervisor did not recognize his contribution to the project although he spent most of the time in his FYP lab to get output results.
Last week, Htun told me that he was very afraid of failing his FYP. When I analyzed his project progress, I saw that he finished almost 75% of his project. All circuits were working except from small errors. Because of these small errors, he could not achieve final output results. I told him that it is possible for him to finish 85% to 90% of his project by this month (March). I have also suggested to him that regular meeting with supervisor is essential for establishing good communication and understanding.
Analyzing above problem
The main problem is that Htun did not have good communication and understanding with his supervisor since the beginning of project due to lack of regular meeting. Although he has finished 75% of his project, his supervisor did not recognize his contribution. Because of not having regular meeting and good communication, Htun’s supervisor perceived him as not a hardworking student and so project is not successful.
Basically, FYP is a very difficult project to finish 100% completely within one year (two semesters). Although we cannot finish 100% completely, we, students need to show our full contributions and commitments to the project by keeping in contact with our respective project supervisors regularly. By doing this, it can also lead to good communication and understanding between students and supervisors. Moreover, supervisors can also know easily their students' project progress and can give some suggestions and advices to their students. Although FYP project is not finished 100% completely, students can even obtain good grade if supervisors realize their students' contributions from regular meeting.
Therefore, good communication plays an important role in our individual's achievements.
Do you think that Htun can get good grade from his FYP if he even finishes 85% or 90% of project before end of March?
Hi Zaw,
ReplyDeleteI believe in your example on the dilemma faced by your friend Htun, it is undeniable that achieving a good grade in his FYP is of great importance given the significant weightage of this project. However, I feel that Htun's problems lie beyond just obtaining a good grade. Other issues such as possible lack of time management and effective communication with his project supervisor have surfaced as critical issues resulting in his present predicament.
I believe that one of the significant problems for him to address would be that of effective communication between him and his project supervisor. As mentioned, Htun's project supervisor is displeased with his irregular attendance at the project meetings and this may have been one of the factors leading to his supervisor's conclusion that he was not working hard and thus performing poorly in his own project. I believe the fundamental problem was that Htun did not let his supervisor understand the immense workload that he has been subjected to in the semester where he was juggling 5 modules and FYP simultaneously. Due to his supervisor's ignorance of the matter, his supervisor may have formed a poor impression of him. Consequently, this could have probably explained why his supervisor remained critical of his work despite the efforts he had made to improve himself.
Although, Htun's failure to communicate his problem to his professor could have been detrimental as explained above, I believe that Htun's supervisor had also not done enough to understand why Htun was not attending their meetings regularly. If Htun's supervisor had tried to ask Htun of his problems, he would have understood the pressure Htun was under and might not have dismissed Htun as being not hardworking.
However, while it cannot be said that Htun was solely at fault, he was also not totally freed of the blame. This is because had he communicated his problems to his supervisor even before his supervisor made efforts to understand the reason behind his irregular participation at their meetings, the misunderstanding between him and his professor could have been avoided.
Cheers
Caroline
I see your point. If Hun had built up his relationship with this supervisor he might have got more symapthy and help. From the supervisor's position, it looked as if your friend was not interested or motivated, initially at least.
ReplyDeleteIs it too late for Hun to approach his supervisor and'build a bridge'?
Mrs Richardson
Hi Zaw,
ReplyDeleteI think given the situation now, it may be too late to build the 'bridge' with the professor but communication is still the key to solving the issue.
Htun should try his best to his present his efforts and seek recognition for this efforts.
Hi Zaw,
ReplyDeleteIt will be more appropriate if your friend could have come up with a well-organised schedule to juggle between his FYP and other modules. Besides, he should have approached his supervisor more frequently in first semester to discuss how his FYP should progress throughout his final year. This could lessen his burden in his second semester. Like what you have mentioned, an effective communication between Htun and his supervisor should be established as it would definitely be easier in solving all the difficulties in achieving the desired output. In addition, Htun's supervisor would have acknowledged his effort better if he had shown his contribution to the project more clearly and enthusiastically.