Unit 3 focused on our formal report, both the drafting and writing, and revisiting the peer review process.

The research process was slow but enjoyable. Researching is not particularly my favourite part of writing, nor the part that comes easiest to me, but it was interesting to write about something that I had already been a part of, something that I was passionate about.

Writing the draft was interesting, because I mostly write creatively and this required me to be meticulous and fact-based in areas that I would normally rely on creativity to express my thoughts. When I did a peer review, I made sure to take extra care, knowing that not only did the entire process affect and benefit my peer, but it also allowed me to call my own writing into question throughout the process and think about things that I would need to adjust later in my writing process.

One of the primary assignments for this unit was to prepare a memo with the best practices for LinkedIn. This assignment was incredibly interesting for me due the fact that one of my biggest passions is social media, however LinkedIn is one that I have been afraid of and have strayed away from. This research was definitely helpful in making myself more comfortable with the network and giving me guidance with how to move forward on what seems like a very beneficial social network for professionals.
The next assignment was the report proposal, and this was also an interesting assignment for me because I have never written a report proposal before. This specific report covers a topic that I have spoken to a lot of people about in the last few years and it was interesting to look at it from a much more technical angle. This has been a really interesting and almost frustrating experience for me. The type of writing that I am most comfortable with is much more free-form and creative, so this detailed structure has been difficult.

The peer review process has also been difficult for me, due to the fact that I have written the same way for so long, it is so difficult for me to remember to make those adjustments. I am aware that this is an issue that would heavily benefit me to move forward from, but it is something that I have a really hard time with and am working towards more as the semester goes on and am trying to be as mindful of as possible.

Completing the definition assignment the first time was a very different experience to a majority of the other assignments that I have ever completed in my post-secondary education. Being an English Literature major, most of the writing that I have completed has been subjective, backed by quotes from fictional pieces, or from papers analyzing these pieces. This writing can be comprehended and interpreted in a variety of different ways, which is what originally drew me to the major itself. This assignment, on the other hand, is completely fact based, and it was difficult for me to convey the facts in a concise but thorough manner, as I felt that there was a lot that I could say or be descriptive about that was uncalled for in the assignment.

The peer review process was also difficult for me, as I had to read and analyze Samantha’s writing in a much more literal way, looking at the way that facts were delivered and if honest information was given, rather than reflecting on her analysis of a topic. This took me longer than I expected and I had to take a step back and remind myself a few times to look at it that way. When I had originally read the criteria for this assignment I didn’t realize how much of a learning curve it would be and how much I would have to put present thought and deliberation into every single word that I was choosing.

In the self-edit process, I felt as if I was more comfortable with the style of writing and that I could much more simply make the changes that needed to be made. This made the process quicker and more enjoyable, and I felt as if I was able to look over the original assignment and agree with my peer on where she advised adjustments and changes. The process really helped me review and reflect on writing in a different way than I had before and I feel as if it will help me further my writing education and help me learn about all these aspects of writing from a different perspective than I had before.