Dear ENGL 301 Students:

 

We have completed Unit 3. This unit was another process of learning how to fix errors, be more positive and focus on being objective. Frankly, this unit was the most difficult for me in nailing the right tone, right content and perfect formatting. I still have to work on commas, some occasional wordiness, and omitting excess imperatives. Unfortunately, I have experienced Wi-Fi and mobile data issues for the last week and a half. Despite some difficulties, I still completed my work. In this reflection, I will be focusing on the writing process for my formal report draft and peer review.

Formal Report Draft Writing Process

For the first draft, I managed to get a barebone report. The first focus was structuring my report and using a template for the title page. It has been a couple of years since I created a business proposal. Because of that experience, I knew somewhat how to make a long report like this. It was still a little bit different as this report is about a problem that we want to improve. The main struggle was getting survey responses and gathering data from representatives. Out of the three I attempted to contact, only Mr. Cole Evans could respond to my request for a call, despite his busy schedule. He told me that some student clubs and associations take a break during the summer. This is why they may not respond quickly or at all.

After completing the main parts, I began adding to the peer review research section because it is more complicated to write about quantitative data than qualitative data. It took a long time to find the relevant research articles that support the primary hypotheses I listed in the report. I still have to tweak that section and add more sufficient data for the mental well-being part.

Again, it was a bit difficult finding relevant research articles that support this section. Plus, I want to have enough support for the hypothesis, but I do not want to be wordy or have too much information either. Balancing this out will be the focus of my final draft. Another goal for my final draft is to update the data/references, add more relevant figures, write a good abstract and letter of transmittal, and double-check the tone and objectivity.

Peer Review Process

While I was peer-reviewing my peer’s report, it gave me a third-person perspective of how others write. I would compare their report to mine. This opportunity even allowed me to edit my report when I saw something was too different. In ways, looking at someone’s work aids my improvement. Being able to peer review helps my writing process immensely. It is a very different experience than previous writing classes, where the teacher or the TAs are the prominent onlookers for giving feedback. In this course, our peers are also objective viewers and editors. We take on a more active role, and I appreciate it for my writing skills.

After reading the peer review from my peer, I also realize how easy it is to miss or overlook minor details. Luckily, there were no significant errors or grammar issues. Overall, I felt a bit glad that I did not need to improve every single thing. It tells me that my writing skills have been progressing since the beginning of the term. Additionally, I feel a difference genuinely. Even when I am writing casually outside of classes, I try to stay aware of my writing.

I know that “habits die hard,” and it is difficult to quit them. I told myself that I have to try writing well in all contexts to have habits stick. After seeing the feedback, I also immediately went into the report and edited a lot of it. If I do not fix errors right away, I might overlook them and forget.

Overall, my writing progressed immensely. Peer reviews help in objectivity and receiving feedback from others in your team. This process also helps form connections with your peers. I hope always to write excellent reports that promote a good YOU attitude in the future.

Let’s wake up to another day of writing and learning!