It was eye-opening to research effective LinkedIn profiles. As someone who has a mostly inactive profile, this assignment revealed clear instructions on how to make the best use of my professional network. For example, Schaffer’s emphasis on being an active user illuminated a weakness in my current LinkedIn practices. As well, suggestions like following school alumni and using relevant hashtags gave me direct steps I could take to improve my approach. In the summer of 2022, I hope to find an internship or co-op in the tech industry. This assignment helped me clean up my LinkedIn profile for prospective employers.
Reflection on Report Proposal
Forming a report proposal was a very interesting and new process. While I have done research papers in the past, they typically focused on the use of scholarly articles and journals. This was my first experience in investigating a real-world issue through direct community interaction. I found the process of creating and reviewing the survey for going paperless in CPSC 121 insightful. Notably, it was difficult to strike a balance on prying on the issue without being critical, but I think I managed to be sufficiently neutral. I hope to interview Dr. Mochetti about student feedback and concerns in the near future, and consolidate her perspective into the final report. I am a bit concerned on how to effectively tie together student and professor stances to propose a final solution (ie. students seem to largely prefer paper-based midterms). Regardless, the process of creating a formal report proposal highlighted the nuances and intricacies of going paperless in classes that have discrete math components.
The peer review process has made me more aware of the existing weaknesses in my work. For example, my partner Christine Hsiao noticed that certain areas of my proposal were unclear, such as the problem statement. She also emphasized conciseness for the proposal solution. In some ways, I find that when I am doing my first draft, there are certain areas that I am unsure about. These are often the same areas that are later confirmed by my peer review partner. On the flip side, the experience of peer reviewing my partner’s work highlighted the contentious nature of certain issues within the community. For instance, my partner’s proposal aimed to increase inclusivity in the UBC International Navigator Club. One of the proposed solutions was to limit native language speak, and to punish those who infringed on the rule. My peer review affirmed the need for sensitivity when dealing with these kinds of concerns.That is to say, through this process, I have learned that peer reviewing truly goes beyond just grammar, spelling and following course guideline, and can delve into ethical implications. In this way, the peer review process provides an invaluable second opinion.
