Reflective Journal Entry 1

You have attended the first tutorial of Socio-Economic Studies. Reflect on the elective and your expectations. You might want to consider the syllabus, the mode of assessment, lessons, (possible apprehension), etc.

Social-Economic Studies is a field of study that examines social and economic factors that makes up a country.

Syllabus

The syllabus for this subject mainly focuses on the social and economic aspects of the republic of China in relation to the United States, although other states, like Britain is involved. I feel that this mixture of the east and the west is a perfect combination to study. I believe this so as I personally feel that the east and west should interact more as they hold many answers to each other's problem.

Furthermore, my takeaway from this curriculum is that I would be able to interact with people from the east to west more naturally, fruitfully and in a less awkward and offensive manner.

Mode of assessment

The structure of this subject disturbs me, especially the thought of leading a class discussion, consisting a full 20% of my marks. On the bright side, I would say that the 5 minutes presentation is nothing new. However, I must admit that I am, to a certain extent, worried about engaging the class for a whole ten minutes, doing nothing but rebutting questions, clarifying doubts, and staying firm to my points. Yet, I cannot deny that this must be done so as to break down the reluctance to share in the real world in the future. The only way out in the end, is to face such obstacles with sufficient preparation and practice.

The other 80%, comes from reflective journals, term papers and research papers. As I have yet to understand the format of these papers, I am a little afraid and worried about this as well.

Luckily for me, however, I feel that the watching of programmes from national geographic or history channels have given me a boost to reflect and write such essays. For example, there was a show about Deng XiaoPing, who first normalised the relations between the United States of America with the Republic of China.

SES, a friend or foe?

In a word, I would classify SES as unparalleled. This is because in all my years of schooling, it is the only subject that would visibly interplay the crude world of dollars and cents with the humane world of culture and practices.

At times, I would really be thankful I had this subject befallen on me. This is because I can expect myself to be better prepared for the future to interact with people from major superpowers like the Republic of China and the United States of America, as I am sure the theory behind this subject will greatly aid me when I am doing the hands-on.

Besides that, I actually have an interest in the cultural diversity in this world. Proof of this, I obtained a relatively high score in the CQ test for the sub group of "CQ drive". At my own leisurely pace, I actually enjoy learning about new cultures, that broaden my scope and horizon about the world that I know of. Therefore, this subject has actually a huge potential to be yet gruelling but interesting at the same time.

Yet, at times, I would really wish that this subject had never existed. Along with the unfamiliarity of the topic, terminology only exacerbates my fear for the subject. Take for instance, "western philosophical construct". Indeed, I understand the meaning of this phrase, but it is actually the difficulty of getting used to hearing these words, using this words in a presentation, or reading articles plagued with such terminology that makes learning this subject such a chore.

Ultimately, I tell myself, I do not have a choice in the matter. Friend or foe, it is like a responsibility being thrust at me, no matter whether I like it or not. Therefore, I guess only hard work, in the face of overwhelming hatred, and at the same time, love for the subject that can bring me to the end of this chapter in my life.

In all, I hope that I can push my worries aside and experience the true essence of what this subject has to offer, having fun and at the same time, coping well.