Blog

Overall, being a student in this course has been a very rewarding experience. This course (ENGL 301) is the very last course I am taking as part of my undergraduate degree at UBC. After completing this course, I am able to graduate in November 2021. Considering my current circumstances, taking a technical writing course immediately prior to graduation was a very appropriate choice. The skills I’ve learned in this course will be highly relevant to the workplace, and also for when I return to university to pursue further studies. I especially appreciated the career-oriented aspects of this course, such as learning about LinkedIn, writing a resume, and creating a job application package. As I am currently in the process of searching for employment, these lessons very very relevant and timely.

This course has encourage me to critically evaluate and attempt to ameliorate some of the flaws in my writing. One of my main problems (which I noted at the start of the course) is that my writing is overly verbose and not concise enough. This is highly problematic, especially in a technical/workplace context, as it can result in readers becoming confused or losing interest. Some of the lessons in this course (such as “editing out pronouns”) helped me learn skills which can improve my writing.

As a writer, I rarely make spelling or grammar errors and I am able to make use of a broad range of vocabulary. These strengths help ensure my work appears professional and refined. I am also a relatively fast writer. Excluding time spent reading the textbook or criteria, I completed most assignments in this course (with the obvious exception of the formal report) in around 30 minutes. Being able to produce high-quality work in short timeframe is a very useful skill, especially when working under tight deadlines. Of course, during this course I also made several simple errors in my work since I had not fully read and understood all assignment guidelines. This experience has taught me that even while working rapidly, it’s important to still proofread my work and not cut any corners.

In the very near term, I hope to secure some form of generic office-type employment, but my ultimate goal is to attend law school. Although I received offers of admission to several Canadian law schools for September 2021, I am very glad to have rejected these offers. After four years of undergraduate education, including a full year of gruelling and exhausting online courses, I would like to take a break from schooling for the next year. During this time, I will work to keep myself busy, save some money and most importantly develop my professional workplace skills. In September 2022, I will begin attending law school.

I consider myself to be a relatively strong and skilled student in a variety of areas, including the English language. However, it is still important that I remain cognizant of my weaknesses, as there is always room for improvement. Using some of the lessons learned from this course, I will continue to critically evaluate all my work. As the career path I am pursuing is both reading and writing-intensive, it is imperative that I continue to refine and improve my capabilities.

Creating this Web Folio has given me an opportunity to reflect on some of the work I have completed during the past few months for this course. I have taken some time to take a look at both the peer and instructor feedback I have received, and have incorporated this feedback to improve my work. I also went through all of my assignments again and made a few minor changes, based upon the knowledge I have developed in this course.

Some of the changes I have made to my work based upon the feedback I’ve received are editing out pronouns, adding titles beside names in memorandums, and avoiding the use of imperative verbs. Overall, one issue prevalent in my writing is that it is sometimes overly wordy and not concise. Editing my work for this Web Folio gave me the opportunity to critically revisit my writing again.

I believe this Web Folio will be very useful for me in the near future. Personally, I will be able to revisit this folio anytime I am writing something (e.g. memorandum) and require some guidance or an example. The folio is also useful if I would like to demonstrate my skills to potential employers by providing a collection of refined technical writing samples.

The first step I took when starting research was creating a survey. I designed the survey so that it only takes a few minutes to complete, and I have distributed the link to more than a dozen individuals. Unfortunately, I have only received four responses so far, but the data is still interesting since nearly all responses lean in the same direction.

In order to organize my report, I first had to determine what exactly the main goal of it would be. The main goal is to determine how the operational structure of the Programme Resource Centre (PRC) can be improved to maximize efficiency. Namely, I would focus primarily on the feasibility of maintaining an online ordering system at the PRC. However, I also decided to briefly examine several other ideas, such as relocating the PRC entirely or hiring additional staff. The reason I looked at these areas as well was because these options have been considered in the past by residence management.

Before starting to write the report, I realized it would be important to provide some background information about the history of the PRC and how it typically operates. Although I am currently working in the PRC, operations have significantly changed due to the pandemic. During my interviews and research, I sought out to determine how the PRC has typically operated for the past few years. Researching the past can help provide better context for any proposed changes.

The peer review process was very insightful. Reading through Charles’ draft, I noticed that there were some strengths and weaknesses. One of the strengths in his report was the way in which survey data was clearly presented (as both a table and chart) and well integrated into the report. As a reader, I appreciated how the data was presented in a transparent and easy-to-understand format. As I work to finalize my report, the data section is one aspect I will definitely strive to improve. One of the weaknesses in Charles’ draft was the relative lack of proposed solutions. This is very problematic, since the whole purpose of the report is to both identify a problem and propose solutions. This weakness was present in my draft as well. As such, in the coming days I will work to better research and refine this section in my own report.

Link to my draft (right click to “Save As”): https://blogs.ubc.ca/engl301-98a-2021sa/files/2021/07/301-Alirod-Ameri-Formal-Report-Draft.docx

I found the process of researching how to create a LinkedIn profile to be a useful and rewarding experience. Although I currently have a LinkedIn profile, I have not used or updated it in a while. Since I will be applying for jobs soon, it is a great idea for me to start updating and improving certain parts of my profile. I will definitely follow some of the advice that I learned about while researching, such as updating my profile photo and expanding the size of my network.

For the report proposal and outline, I feel confident in the overall direction of my work. So far I am really enjoying working on the report since my work actually has the potential to have real-world impact on the operations of the Programme Resource Centre at UBC. Regarding my progress so far, I feel confident that I can distribute surveys and conducts interviews this week. After gathering the necessary data, I will be able to start writing the rest of the report the following week, well in advance of the July 14 deadline.

Reading through and reviewing William Jackson’s proposal was enlightening since some of the elements present in his work were also transposable to mine. For example, William placed strong emphasis on the role of staffing on efficiency at Golf Town. For my research at the PRC, I should also perform a thorough analysis on the effect of my proposal on staff hiring and composition. This is important since the capability of our department to hire and retain staff would directly impact the feasibility of implementing certain recommendations.

Overall, the team forum and peer review process has exposed me to a wide variety of assignments and writing styles. Perhaps one of the most important things that I have learned so far is to proofread my own work thoroughly and check assignment guidelines before submission. Some of the most common errors which are present in my peer’s work (and often my own) are spelling and grammar issues which should have been detected prior to posting on the blog.

One other thing I noticed often as a reader was the frustration which occurred when something in a peer’s text was incoherent, ambiguous or confusing. Of course, I can assume that many of my peers might have felt the same way when reading through my work. Noticing this has made me realize that we often write as if it is only ourselves who will be reading our work. However, it’s important to consider that my audience might not share the level of familiarity that I have with a certain topic. Therefore it is important to write in a manner which will not frustrate the reader.

Link to revised Report Proposal: REVISED Formal project proposal

Link to Report Outline: https://blogs.ubc.ca/engl301-98a-2021sa/2021/06/25/lesson-23-formal-report-outline/

Link to peer review (by William Jackson) for proposal: https://blogs.ubc.ca/engl301-98a-2021sa/2021/06/18/peer-review-of-alirods-formal-report-proposal/

The definitions assignment I completed last week was an excellent experience, as it taught me how to critically examine and thoroughly outline a definition for a term. Prior to completing this assignment, I was not really aware that there are different methods and forms available for defining a term in a “technical” manner. This skill will be very useful in the future, if I am preparing a technical report which involves complex vocabulary and jargon. For example, many contracts and legal documents contain a list of definitions for certain words/terms in order to reduce ambiguity. 

I really appreciated having an opportunity to peer review Claire’s work. The peer review process is helpful not just for the purpose of improving our own work, but also for giving us a chance to read through someone else’s work to learn what unique ideas they have. One aspect of Claire’s work which I appreciated was the how the definitions were articulated in a tone which was easy to follow while reading. Despite the complex nature of the term Claire was defining, I felt like the definitions she provided provided the reader with a comprehensive understanding of the topic.

The feedback which Claire provided was vital for improving the quality of my work and ensuring that I met all expectations for this assignment. I revised the visual and figure caption, fixed some grammar errors and added some additional elaboration for the expanded definition. As per the instructors feedback, I also reformatted the citations to the proper format (MLA) and reformatted the figure caption as well. One important lesson I learned during this process is that I should double-check assignment guidelines prior to completing my work.

One additional improvement I made to my writing was making it more concise and removing any unnecessary words. Sometimes my writing is excessively verbose, which is an issue as it can be confusing and distracting for the reader. Especially when writing a technical definition, it is important to write in a clear, direct and unambiguous manner.

Revised definition assignment: https://blogs.ubc.ca/engl301-98a-2021sa/2021/06/09/revised-lesson-13-definitions-latent-extinction-risk/

Feedback by Claire (peer review): https://blogs.ubc.ca/engl301-98a-2021sa/2021/06/05/peer-review-of-definitions-assignment-for-alirod/

Dear William Jackson,

I am writing to express my interest in joining your ENGL 301 writing team for this term. I have had the opportunity to read through your letter of application and biography, and believe that your skills, experience and academic background would make you an excellent team member. In particular, I find it very valuable that you are a Philosophy student. As a student in the Faculty of Science, I appreciate having the opportunity to work with students from other disciplines. Your academic background demonstrates that you have been able to develop your writing and communications skills to a high calibre.

Your organizational skills will be vital for the success of our team. I always prefer to work on a team composed of individuals who are dedicated to working on the tasks at hand. I also find it interesting that you aspire to go to law school, as I have similar ambitions.

If you would like to accept my offer, please reply to this email at your earliest convenience.

Best regards,

Alirod Ameri

Dear Claire Abramski,

I would like to formally express my interest in joining your ENGL 301 writing team for this term. I have taken some time to read your letter of application and biography, and as such I believe that your skills and experiences are well aligned with what I am looking for. Most importantly, I appreciate that you are a BSc student at UBCO who is specializing in Earth and Environmental sciences. This is similar to my current area of study, as I am studying biology at UBCV.

Your interest in sustainability and past fieldwork experience demonstrates that you have a broad skillset which is conducive to working effectively in a group setting. I also find it very important that you are always trying to produce work to the best of your abilities. The weaknesses you have highlighted in your writing skills are matters on which we can work together as a team to improve.

If you would like to accept my offer, please reply to this email at your earliest convenience.

Best regards,

Alirod Ameri

Dear Ayaka,

Thank you for expressing your interest in joining my writing team. I would like to accept your offer. I appreciate the effort you have put into reading my application letter. I believe that I would be an excellent member of your team.

It appears that there are some similarities in our academic backgrounds. We are both students in the Faculty of Science, as you are studying chemistry and I am studying biology. Your past experience working in team settings is impressive, and I believe that your skills will be a valuable asset for this class. I really appreciate that you are an organized and hard-working person, as I often find it irritating when fellow team members are irresponsible and do not fulfil their duties. Although you mentioned that you may lack creativity, I believe this issue is not a major problem, as other members of our team might bring forward other unique skills.

Best regards,

Alirod Ameri

UBC ENGL 301

MEMORANDUM

To:           Dr. Erika Patterson
From:      Alirod Ameri <alirod2011@gmail.com>
Date:       25 May 2021
Subject:  Posting of application letter on blog

As you requested to be completed by May 26th, I have posted my application letter on my blog (blogs.ubc.ca/alirod). I have posted both the content of the letter directly in the blog post, and have attached a link to download the Word file as well.

This letter was written in accordance with the criteria specified in the syllabus, and the guidance provided in the course textbook, Technical Communication. In the letter, I outline my desire to join a writing team in this class. I argue that, considering my skills and experience, I would be an excellent and invaluable team member.

Some of the key points highlighted in my letter:
– I am a 4th year student in the Faculty of Science, graduating in November 2021.
– I have taken several writing-intensive courses in the past.
– My past work experience, such as serving as a Communications Assistant, has strengthened my professional and workplace writing competencies.
– In the future, I hope to attend law school. This course will allow me to develop skills which are relevant to that career path.

Enclosure: 301 Alirod Ameri Application letter

Alirod Ameri
2205 Lower Mall
Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z4

May 25, 2021

The University of British Columbia
2329 West Mall
Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z4

Attention: Prospective ENGL 301 writing team members

Dear fellow students,

I am writing to express my interest in joining you as a team member for our ENGL 301 teams. I am a fourth year Bachelor of Science student, studying biology with a focus on environmental sciences and ecology. I will be graduating in November 2021 after completing my summer courses. Throughout the past few years, I have developed my reading and writing skills to a high level, due to a combination of both my academic and work experience. While I have written many essays, papers and lab reports in my science courses, I have also taken writing intensive courses at UBC such as English literature (ENGL 110) and several political science and philosophy classes. As such, I am confident in articulating complex facts and multi-faceted arguments in a clear, concise and professional manner.

In the workplace, I have had the opportunity to explore a variety of different forms of written prose. Most importantly, I have significant experience in a number of communications and marketing roles. As Communications Assistant at BC Children’s Hospital Research Institute, I frequently had to write content for online distribution, or editing pre-existing content for adaptation to new formats. As a Residence Advisor in Marine Drive, I frequently had to submit reports regarding incidents which occurred in the residence area. Such reports were highly technical in nature, as they had to be written in the third person, be completely objective in tone, and lack any form of speculation or personal bias.

After graduation, I hope to attend law school at UBC or the University of Victoria. This past year, I was successful in gaining admission to several Canadian law schools, including the University of Alberta, but I decided to reject these offers for a number of reasons. Most importantly, I would like to have a chance to first complete my undergraduate degree and attend a more local school. I would also like to spend some time in the workforce, both to take a break from school and develop some of my non-academic skills.

Some of my strengths in this context are that I am an organized person who always strives to produce work that is to the highest of quality. Due to my past experiences, I am a confident writer. However, one weakness present in my writing is that at times it can be very dry and uncaptivating, lacking in character. Additionally, some people have noted that some of my work may be overly verbose and lacking in brevity as I often gravitate towards passive instead of active voice.

If you are interested in accepting me as a member of your team, please contact me at alirod2011@gmail.com at your earliest convenience. I look forward to hearing back from you in the next week.

Thank you for your interest,

Alirod Ameri

301 Alirod Ameri Application letter