BUS1514 Business Communication - Reflective Journal

For the module BUS1514 Business Communication, we are required to complete a business report about a company. The business report is a group assignment that required us to interview the company which we have chosen and gather information about the company’s background, marketing strategy, communication methods and so on.

We decided to interview a tuition center named TTC Education located at Jalan Gasing, Petaling Jaya. Before I embark on this assignment, I was expecting that the interview will be able to go smoothly and we as a group are able to finish the assignment in time. I also expect the business report to have a neat and tidy with high quality work from each and every one of us. After completing the assignment, I am happy to say that my expectations for this assignment are fulfilled as my group members are able to work together and complete the assignment. The interview had also gone well since that the founder of the tuition center is generous and honest. He gave us all the information we needed and answered all our questions. Therefore, we appreciate and are grateful for his cooperation.

The interview and the separation of task went well since that every one of us put in a lot of effort to complete the assignment. For my part, I was assigned to write about the internal and external communication of the company. To complete my part of the assignment, I did a lot of research in the communication methods used by business to communicate with their employees and the publics. There is not much issues faced since that every one of us are able to finish our part in time. The only issue that we faced is our word count for the report exceeds 2500 words. After our group leader compiles our parts into the report, we realized that the word count has reached approximately 3000 words. Hence, we have to take out unnecessary parts in out report to meet the requirement.

After completing and submitting this business report, I realized that there are a few things that I would do differently such as managing my time and preparation for this assignment. If I were to prepare this business report earlier, I would not have to rush in completing this report. I would have more time to double check on my part of the assignment and ensure that my grammar, key points and sentence structured are arranged in order.

However, I have learnt a lot during the process of completing this business report. I have understood and able to elaborate the difference between the internal and external communication methods. Moreover, after completing this business report, I found that I have improved my writing and communication skills. I am able to note down the important information and communicate with the founder of the company during the interview session. In conclusion, this module Business Communication is a useful subject and I am glad that I have learnt this subject.

(496 words)

BUS1104 Introduction to Accounting - Reflective Journal 3

The final exam is coming in a couple of week and I am confidence that I can pass the exam. However, there are some chapters that I am not that good in it such as the statement of cash flow. It is quite confusing but I believe with a little more practice, I can master this topic. I love this subject but the tutorials in myaccountinglab doesn't really satisfy me since it's online and the answer are given. I guess I prefer to have done my tutorials in class discussing more than online tutorials. 

(94 words)

BUS1404 Introduction to Management - Reflective Journal

For the first semester in my degree, it is a must to go through the module BUS1404 Introduction to Management. Before starting with the first lecture, I heard that Introduction to Management will be something like People and Organization that I have taken in foundation year. Hence, I wasn't worry too much about this subject. However, Introduction to Management wasn't easy like it sounds like. It is more depth and difficult compared to People and Organization.

For the first day of lecture, I was expecting to learn something similar to the topics covered in People and Organization. Topics such as learning about the managerial roles, skills, management function. Besides that, I was also expecting to learn about the organization structures and cultures, how does managers lead and motivate employees and more. I actually expect this subject to be quite interesting, despite all those theories that need a lot of memorizing.

However, after 12 weeks of lecture, I realize that Introduction to Management is something more specific when compared to People and Organization. For example, I learnt that the motivation theory is actually divided to process and content. In the module People and Organization, we actually had covered the content part in the motivation theory. However, the process part is something really new to me. It is actually quite confusing to me at first, but after going through lectures and tutorial I have manage to go with it. Moreover, there are also new topics that I have not learnt before. Topics such as managing human resources and introduction to controlling. I am really confused in these two topics. But I believe if I start reading more about this two topics, I will be able to understand it well.

Introduction to Management is actually an easy subject since it does not need complicated calculation and so. However, it actually requires a lot of reading in order to understand the theories. Not only that I have to understand the theories, I also have to learn how to apply all these concepts in real life too.

Although I am an Accounting and Finance student, and I am not majoring in International Business Marketing or other courses that is majored in management, I believe that by learning Introduction to Management will come in handy in my life including my business. Management acts as a guidance to work in different places with different kind of people. Other than that, the knowledge I gained from learning the subject will be helpful to manage my business effectively and efficiently. I would become a more understandable employer because I would know the needs of an employees and I will do what an employer would do to satisfy them. Therefore, Introduction to Management is an important subject and I am grateful to learn and have the knowledge in this subject. 

(470 words)

BUS1104 Introduction to Accounting - Reflective Journal 2

From the result I obtained from the mid-semester test, I am really satisfied with it. I think the weekly tutorial question really do help me alot. This is because while I'm doing the tutorial question, it helps me on revising the chapters that our lecturer has gone through for that week. Even if I face some problem answering the tutorial question, my Accounting lab has a “Help me solve this” button that guides me and helps me on my problem. Therefore, I think that doing my weekly homework does help me on my revision and preparation for the mid-term semester.

(100 words)

BUS1804 Quantitative Methods for Business - Reflective Journal

For this module BUS1804 Quantitative Methods for Business, we are required to form a group of 4 students to work on a group assignment. The group assignment benefits me a lot, because we get to help each other on the assignment and build relationship between our group members. The group assignment consists of 2 questions. After we form a group of 3 members, we divide the question according to everyone’s ability and strength over a group discussion.

After the group discussion, I am allocated to obtain the data for the first question and completing the second question. For the first question, it required us to log into a property website such as iproperty or propertyguru. From these websites, we obtained a set of data which include the price, sizes, and the date posted for 60 condominiums from Bandar Sunway. After I obtain the data and key in the data into Microsoft Excel, I passed the data obtained to one of our group members to work on the part A and part B in the first question.

However, we still help each other on the questions. From the data obtain, we started on calculating the mean, median, mode, interquartile rage, variance and standard deviation of both selling price and square feet. From this assignment, we also learnt how to calculate the coefficient of variation (CV) and coefficient of determination (R²). CV is a statistical measure of the dispersion of data points in a data series around the mean. While on the other hand, R² is a measure used in statistical model analysis to access how well a model explains and predicts future outcomes. We also leant on how to do the frequency distribution. Moreover, from this assignment, we improved our Microsoft Excel skills. It taught us on how to create graphs such as histogram by just putting in the data and frequency.

The second question is a probability question. For this probability question, I spent quite a lot of time on it. Although the question is easy and straight forward, but I spend a lot of time on double checking the answer. Probability is a measure or estimation of how likely it is for something to happen or that a statement is true. From this question, it taught us on how to predict outcome of event using different formulae for different situation. For example, to calculate the probability for both events to occur, I applied the addition rule for two events on the question.

In conclusion, the group assignment taught us a lot that is very useful for us business student. I am sure that the knowledge we gained will benefits us in our future academic purposes. Besides that, after completing this group assignment, we understood the importance of working together in a group to get things done. Like what people said, two heads are better than one. Working in a group enables us to get things done faster and more efficient. Lastly, I hope that we can obtain a good result for our group assignment and pass our exam with flying colours.

(512 words)

BUS1604 Microeconomics - Reflective Journal

Throughout the whole semester, I have learnt a lot from the module subject BUS1604 Microeconomics. It is quite similar from the economics we learnt in foundation in business except it is more in depth and of course, much more difficult. However, I found that Microeconomics is actually a very interesting subject. I learnt about how businesses allocate their resources efficiently and how they face problems such as scarcity. I learnt about how scarcity is linked to opportunity cost and then linked to the demand and supply in the market. Besides that, Microeconomics also taught me on the economic problem, the type of market, and also how to draw economic graph and much more. 

Within all the chapters I have learnt in this subject. The chapter that I love the most will be the concept of demand and supply. This is because that it is all logic thinking in this chapter. The law of demand teaches us on how the price change can easily affect the quantity demanded. I think that it is very easy to understand. For instance, if the price of the shoes in Aldo suddenly drops to only RM20 for a pair of shoes, I guess Aldo is going to have a stampede of ladies running to their outlets. This is because from the concept of law of demand, it is define when a price of a good decrease, the quantity demand will increase. However, there are also some chapters that I’m not very good at such as the market structures where we have to look at the complicated graph given and make assumption.  For example, I am still unsure about determining the marginal social benefits and marginal social costs and what is it for. 

For my microeconomics individual assignment, I did the demand and supply for cigarettes and it really requires me to do a lot of reading.  I went online to search on news and articles on the rise in price of cigarettes, the illegal cigarettes sold in Malaysia and other relevant articles that can help me on completing my assignment. It is quite a rush while completing my assignment since the due date of the assignments for every subject is pack all together. But Miss Marina is kind enough to extend the due date from Friday 2pm to Sunday 8pm. I manage to complete my microeconomics assignment in time and submit it in a Saturday afternoon. After completing my assignment, I felt a sudden joy and a sense of accomplishment. Although the assignment is quite difficult, I am still joyful because I had learnt a lot from this assignment. 

In conclusion, I think that Microeconomics is quite an interesting but tough subject. Although I am not majoring in Economics, but I am sure that this knowledge I learnt can be apply in my daily life and future too. There is no harm from learning microeconomics and I am glad that I have learnt this subject.

(490 words)

BUS1504 English for Business Purpose - Reflective Journal

The Importance of Academic Integrity


From the module BUS1504 English for Business Purpose, I have leant that academic integrity is fulfilling my academic requirement with trust and being honest about my responsibilities in my studies. It shows me the importance of having commitment to the values of honesty, trust, fairness, respect and responsibilities towards my studies. Academic integrity also taught me not to have any academic dishonestly such as cheating, lying, and plagiarizing.

Based on my opinion, I think it is important that each and every one of us to adhere the rule of academic integrity. I think that it is a must for everyone to have commit these 5 ethical values including honesty, trust, fairness, respect and responsibilities when completing activities related to their studies. This is because students are expected to have a high quality learning experience in their studies. Students need to feel that their hard work is being recognized and fairly evaluated, and that the other students that choose the easy way out such as cheating and plagiarizing do not have an unfair advantage. Other than that, academic integrity helps and guides us on identifying the materials that is needed for referencing. It gave us a direction on what is needed to be done. Besides that, it also teaches us to use in-text citation and referencing to avoid plagiarism.

After what I have leant about academic integrity, I will apply this rule in my studies by having my work done on my own. I will not copy some other students work or cheat by buying a paper on the internet or so. I will think up a new idea and not use other people's idea because it would be cheating as well. Even if I had taken some ideas or sentences from another people works, I will make sure that I had done my in-text citation and referencing to avoid plagiarism.

By practicing academic integrity, I think I had equipped with the first Taylor's Graduate Capabilities which is "Discipline Specific Knowledge". I am able to put theories into practice such as avoiding plagiarism and having my referencing done while I'm working on my assignments. Besides that, by practicing academic integrity, it also relates me to the second Taylor's Graduate Capabilities that is "Lifelong Learning". I am able to learn independently and be more intellectually engaged and not emotional engaged. I have also learned how to locate, extract, synthesize and utilize information effectively. Last but not least, practicing academic integrity had me equipped with the capabilities of "Thinking and Problem Solving skills". After what I had learnt in academic integrity, I am now able to think critically and creatively in any situation I faced. I am also able to identify and analyses the problems to come out with an effective solution to solve it. For instance, after my tutor finish marking my essay, I am able to define what I have done wrong in an essay and solve it by not performing the same mistake again.