Personal Reflection on Work-Life Balance and Class Presentations

The author reflects on their experiences in the HR program, specifically on work-life balance and class presentations. They share how they learned to manage their time effectively and gained confidence in public speaking.

Running Head: PERSONAL REFLECTION 1
Personal Reflection
Student’s Name
University Affiliation

PERSONAL REFLECTION 2
The experiences I have gone through in the HR program have been very engaging and
informative. I must admit that I am not the same person I was before experiencing the program.
Personally, I have developed new skills that have helped me grow in my academic, career and
social life. I will ensure that these skills gained will not only help me but also those around me as
a way of giving back to the society and making the world a better place. In my own context, I
will make it my ambition to mentor others as I have also been mentored in many ways. The
following is my reflection on two significant areas that had a significant impact on me in the
HRM program: work-life balance and class presentations.
When I was new in Canada, I found it challenging to manage my studies and work at the
same time. Also, it took me some time to adjust to the new country and shift my focus on what
brought me there which was not that easy. People have different views on work-life balance and
to me, it seemed like an impossible feat. I discovered that I was making the mistake of
scheduling by allocating personal activities and various work the same amount of time which
would end up by frustrating me. The practice was unrealistic and unrewarding yet I knew that
life should be more fluid than that.
Not until I started learning about work-life balance in the HRM program did my life
begin to change. The first thing I came to embrace is accounting the amount of time I spend on
every activity. I made a list which brought my time usage on various day-to-day activities into
perspective. From this, I discovered that much time was being lost on activities that were not of
much priority like surfing Facebook and cat blogs rather than using that time for constructive
tasks. I also discovered that I had the habit of spending too much time with less constructive
people. After working on my time management, my work-life balance started to improve that I

PERSONAL REFLECTION 3
would even have time to exercise, meditate, and rest to free up my mind. I came to appreciate
effective time management which yields productivity.
The HRM program gave me the opportunity to gain confidence in standing in front of
people and addressing them. I have always admired how speakers like politicians and activists
stand before a mass of people and address them in eloquence and boldness. Initially, I lacked the
courage to stand before many people and address them but this changed after having the
privilege of having class presentations. Even though at first it was challenging, with time my
self-confidence was boosted. I realized I had the potential of being a good public speaker where
the only thing remaining was just to believe in myself. In my career life, public speaking skills
would help me increase my personal power thus attract opportunities. Moreover, this was an
open door for me to positively influence others by helping them overcome their fears.