The lecture program will be held from September 13, 2021 – January 31, 2022 (1 semester). I took two courses, namely Presentation Skill (3 credits) and Introduction to Cellular Mechanisms of Signal Transduction (2 credits). In this program, I participate in international transfer credit so that the credits I take can be converted into my studies in Indonesia. Besides that, I also took additional classes to learn Chinese. This class is held every weekend.
For the Introduction to Cellular Mechanisms of Signal Transduction course, I study and discuss the mechanisms of classical signal transduction pathways. It’s very good for me to be able to get a new learning experience outside the subject of Chemistry education. I gained a lot of new knowledge and insight during my learning. The lecturers for this course are also fun and very professional. I will be forever grateful to Dr. Lee, Dr. Ken, and Dr. Wang.
The Presentation Skills course is my favorite course during student exchange. In this course, I study how to plan a presentation, use the body language, and increase my communication skills. The course give me knowledge of good presentation principles for creating the structure, using visual aids and tools and managing my use of English. This course is important for me as a prospective teacher. I must be able to convey, share, and present the learning materials well so that all messages and learning objectives can be conveyed. In addition, the learning process carried out was very fun and challenging. We always do a group presentation every 3 meetings. It made me interact a lot with international friends. It’s great to know the different characters and perspectives on each person. This has also made me develop the leadership and teamwork skills in a small scope but very different from what I usually do in Indonesia.
The Chinese class that I take every weekend is also very fun. Although Chinese is known for its difficulties, the learning process that I experienced was very enjoyable. The most memorable assignment I’ve ever had while taking this class was when I had to call my classmate and practice the Chinese we had studied. I paired up with Avery, someone from America. We tried our best to practice what we had learned, but because we were not proficient in speaking Chinese, the results were not satisfactory. However, during the process of working on the assignment, I felt very happy because we often joked and got to know each other better. I remember that moment very well.
Other than the fun stuff, I also had some difficulties. Difficulty in learning materials, of course, I often encounter. In addition, the courses I took were not in line with my field of Chemistry Education. Moreover, the time difference between Taiwan and Indonesia makes me have to really pay attention to the time because the people there are very disciplined. In addition, the cultural differences that exist also make me very careful in speaking and acting. But, these things are difficulties that I can face. I really hope to be able to meet in person with my friends, professors, and my lecturers there. I will forever be grateful to Chemistry Education, UNS International Office, and NCUE for the most precious experiences in my life.