MY SELF REFLECTION

ADAPTABILITY SKILL

         Adaptability is one of the graduate’s attributes that should students have but what is the definition adaptability? How can student practices adaptability if they do not know the meaning beyond the word? Based on Oxford Dictionary, adaptability is the quality of being able to adjust to new conditions. Meanwhile, adaptability also means individual’s capacity to modify behavior according to the requirements, new environments, situations or events (Johnsons, 2012).

          Adaptability skill is an ability of a person to change his actions, course or approach to doing things in order to suit a new situation. In other words, they can fit and adjust their life to any situation. It is really important for us, students to develop adaptability. Nowadays, we can see that the world is changing over centuries. Likewise, people’s life and their working environments also change and require far more than thinking skills and content knowledge. For example, a secondary school student wants to pursue his studies in the university so he must have the ability to adapt with new culture, communities and environment. The environment in the university and the previous school is really different.

          There are multiple generation, multiracial and multi-ethnic that exist in the university. Students from different races, ethnics and religions also further their studies in the same university as us. Adaptability skills help us to mix around with them. Adaptable student tends to meet other peoples’ needs as well as their own. They know how to negotiate relationships without being hurt or hurt others. This is because adaptable people are the one who has learnt through experience and apply it in their daily life. They keep an open mind because they show willingness to learn new techniques, methods and procedures. Besides, they are able to work effectively under pressure.

• Life Before Entering the University

         My life before entering the university is 360 degree different from university life. For example, even though I always set my alarm early in the morning, I wouldn’t wake up if my mother didn’t call upon my name. I still rely on my parent a lot when I was at home. My father will be the one who’s nagging me whenever I can’t even wake up on my own. Actually, he’s worried if I can’t adapt with university life. Besides, my mother will do the laundry everyday and I just do it rarely if the clothes are already full in the washing machine. Usually, my mother will cook for me in the morning, afternoon and evening when I was at home but it is exactly different when I enter university. No more mom’s delicious cooking.

          I’m a last-minute person. I sometimes take things for granted and do it late than the supposed time I need to finish it. In the university, I have to change this habit to be a successful person. I need to be proactive just like Dr Mastura mentioned before. This means, I can’t delay in doing my assignment.

• Life After Entering the University

         I do not eat spicy food at all. Whenever I eat it, I suddenly have hiccup. When I come to University Technology of Malaysia for the first time, I felt very surprised with Johor’s food. It was really spicy and I cannot even eat it. The food here does not suit my taste but my friends always bring me to eat at Arced Lestari so I do not have any other choices unless to taste it. First attempt was very bad. I cannot finish the food and had to throw it away. After a few days, I try it again and again but with different menus. To my surprise, I can eat the spicy food and really enjoy it. Adaptability is a skill that we must have in order to stay longer in certain situation and the most important is it legal for everyone to develop it.

          Apart from that, I have to look for my own food and had to walk out from the room. What is even worst is I have to spend some money on food. This situation never ever happens to me when I was at home. My mother is a good cooker and I love her food meanwhile the cooker here that I do not know their backgrounds will be my next ‘mother’. What I need to do is to adapt my tummy with the food here.

         To be honest, I’ve always scared to live as a university student. I’m afraid that I cannot survive here. Well, I do not have strong communication skills and I’m also an introvert. I sometimes open to only someone I know such as roommate, classmates, and close friends. I cannot stand being in public too long, it’s making me uncomfortable. I can’t relax at all – panic attack. That is why adaptability is so much important to me to survive here in University Technology of Malaysia (UTM). By hook or by crook, I need to interact with lot of people in order to polish my communication skills. It does not matter if I make mistake as long as I’m ready to accept judgment and advice from others in order to fix it.

         Therefore, I join sports such as kayak and Persatuan Silat Seni Gayong UTM (PSSGUTM) to polish my communication skills and have better knowledge about self-defense. I join kayak because it makes me feel close to nature. At the same time, nature helps me to decrease my stress with assignments, presentation and group task. I’ll feel great and energetic again after that. Besides, sport helps me to maintain my stamina and keeps me fit and healthy. I also interact a lot with my members of kayak and silat to improve my confidence and communication skill (Inside, 2018).

• Ways to Boost Mt Adaptability Skill (Willkomm, 2019)

1. Change My Thought Process

         Change can be scary and intimidating, I need to embrace it and look at change as an opportunity to improve, learn, and grow. The concept is simple, if I think that thing is hard, then I’ll really feel hard to do it. Besides, it can open the door to creativity as well. Flexibility is also important for me in being open to the thoughts and opinions of others from different perspectives. No ideas are bad ideas.

2. Force Yourself to Take Risks.

         I’m not scare of failing, that is how I motivate myself. The one who already scares to take any risk is a coward and never has a chance to move forward and grow into a better person. Dare to take risk, and you’ll know how much is your strength.

3. Encourage Others to Be Open Minded

          In order to be adaptable person, I need to influence others to do the same thing I do. This creates a more open atmosphere in and around me. For example, I’ll encourage my friend to come early to class. At the same time, I motivate myself too to come early to class.

That’s all from me for the self-reflection of adaptability skill, thank you.

REFERENCES

Inside, I. S. (2018). 15 Health Benefits of Sports. Retrieved from In Sports The Game Is Inside: http://insportscenters.com/15-health-benefits-of-sports/

Willkomm, A. C. (2019). 4 Ways to Boost Your Adaptability Skills. Retrieved from Drexel University Goodwin College of Professional Studies: https://drexel.edu/goodwin/professional-studies-blog/overview/2019/September/4-ways-to-boost-your-adaptability-skills/