Strengths and Weakness

Although I learned a lot as a student in English 301, there were several weaknesses in my own scheduling that made learning the course material much more difficult than I had originally thought. The summer heat made it impossible to stay in the room where I access the internet and my textbook via my computer. This reduced the time I spent reading and resulted in me skimming material that I should have read more closely. The heat also reduced the amount of time that I spent writing my assignments resulting in a drop in quality in my writing. Though going elsewhere to write my assignments, it was not an option due to time that would have been lost in transit. My scheduling was also affected the quality of my work because of random events (more specifically unexpected interviews and exams) occurred for three weeks straight taking a day each.

The course work was useful in retooling my writing. I learned that the style used in technical writing is different than the essay writing that I am used to or the writing that I do in my everyday life. The numerous and similar assignments drilled me on the nuances of technical writing.

How What I learned Will Apply

Three things that I learned will definitely aid me in finding a job with the Canadian government. Learning how to compose professional emails will be particularly useful because it is one of the major means of communication within the government. Certain documents that I learned to compose, such as formal reports and proposals, are used within various branches of government and knowing how to write them will aid me in seeking positions and promotions within the government. Some positions on the government job website state that they want applicants to possess technical writing skills. All in all, I think taking this course was worthwhile despite my own weakness affecting my ability to take full advantage of the course.