Head of Communications- September 2009

Salaamu Alaikum all, and Eid Mubarak!

I pray that you all had a joyous Eid, and that this blessed occasion descended upon you all with the peace and blessings of Allah, serving as a reminder of the beauty and spirituality of Ramadan, and urging us to keep the spirit of the blessed month with us for the rest of the year.

Well... September was one busy month for myself and the communications committee! Most FOSIS Planning having ended in August, I worked on compiling all FOSIS plans, proposals and other admin based talks together. In addition, I worked with the NEC on reviewing them, and organised meetings to this regard. That done and dusted, it's been gratifying to see how projects have developed since then, many of which are beginning to bear their fruits. So do keep on the look out for events and projects coming near you, and may Allah assist us all in achieving productivity, success and his contentment in all we do and strive for.

Something else to look out for: National Newsletter! Make sure you subscribe to our lists (on the website) so you don't miss out on all the info we bring to your email! Also check out our new FOSIS Youtube channel:  www.youtube.com/fosischannel

Lastly, I turn my attention towards Isoc's. As October rushes in, many of you will begin to submerge yourself deep into the waters of both Isoc life and studies. This often involves managing teams, ideas, meetings, projects, books, deadlines- you name it! Communication is an essential tool to maintain and build upon during these chaotic months, and if you can grasp it, you'll indeed be one of the successful. So, I leave you with some tips:

- Know yourself, Change yourself: When people look to solve communication within their Isoc's, they often look at structure and systems. True, these do play a role, but essentially, communication is about yourself. Your habits, your traits, your personality, your timetable. Look to assess yourself first. Are you sensitive to the needs and requests made by those working with you? Which emails do you remember, and which do you forget? What is important to you and what isn't, and does that impact on what you choose to respond to, and what you don't?

- Know your Environment, Change your Environment: Is your environment helping you in communicating well with others? How about your email? What resources do you have on it? Can you categorise emails, group them, label them so that you can return to them and find them easily? (I suggest google mail to you all!). How about the resources around you- in your SU, library, home- how can they help you? Explore all these possibilities so that you are well aware of your environment, the resources you have or don't have, and how you can use these to make better use of your world and make your environment a productive and successful one.

- Know your time, change your time: This one is important! Do you use your time wisely, and how often do you procrastinate? Knowing and making the most of your time can be the most difficult challenge at times, which is why I suggest you sit down and plan for this. Planning and mapping your time is essential. Plan how you will use your time tomorrow, during the weekend, next week even. Search for models on the internet, realistic timetables that assist you in reaching your goals and follow them. And be aware that the above two points assist you greatly in using your time wisely. A final tip which I find very useful: go to sleep early and stay awake after Fajr. You may find this useful: http://www.productivemuslim.com/journal/2008/10/24/analyze-your-time-your-key-to-productivity.html

Wasalaamu Alaikum