This is my last reflection blog in this intensive technical writing course which taught me the principles of written communication in professional settings. Coming into this course, I knew that writing is not something that can be improved in a short period of time. It is a journey that requires constant practice. Through the final assignment of this course, I got the chance to reflect on all the work I have accomplished throughout the term. The most important skill that I acquired was to write with a YOU-attitude, although it is a skill that requires constant practice. I am an individual who is strong at data analysis and it was a big portion of the formal report. During the writing process, I learned to conduct a survey which is something I have never done before in my career. With a desire to go into the field of data science, I believe this is an important skill to have.

I was never strong at writing, and I have always struggled with grammar and sentence-structure errors. In addition, writing with a YOU-attitude forced me to slow down and think about my choice of words and sentence structure. I struggle with writing in the present tense as I tend to always use past tense in my writings. This is a process that I need to continue getting better at. Furthermore, through my weaknesses in writing, I began to appreciate and value the peer review process. It gave me a chance to receive opinions from a different point of view and constructive criticism which allowed me to improve my writing.

Speaking of the peer review process, which is an important skill to have. I need to be able to receive constructive criticism as well as giving constructive criticism. This is crucial for my career because in data science, we require to work in teams, and constantly checking and refining other’s work. The exposure to writing the complaint letter and the bad news response, and memorandums will also benefit me in a professional setting as I begin to job search for my co-op work term.

Overall, I am thankful for this course and Dr. Paterson for teaching me and providing helpful feedback for my work. Before enrolling in this course, I realized that my technical writing skills needed improvement. Thus, I am grateful and proud to say that I finished this course with better technical writing skills.

The final assignment of this course is to create a Web Folio highlighting my personal achievements, as well as the works I have done throughout the course. The first problem that I encountered was trying to figure out who my intended audiences are, and it was a difficult process. The purpose of this WebFolio is to highlight my skills that are relevant to a specific audience. Ultimately, I decided to highlight my experience because I plan to start my internships very soon.

The process of creating my Web Folio was enjoyable. I decided to further elaborate my personal blog that was used throughout the course on the UBC Blogs website. I learned that it is important for the Web Folio to contain an understandable structure and a readable style. This is important because a Web Folio interacts with the audience, and it provides a refreshing and creative way for the audience to explore your content. I also learned to use good visuals to polish my writing. After all, I intend to create an attractive and engaging Web Folio, and an interesting platform for my audiences to explore and learn about me and my skills.

On the other hand, there were moments where I found this assignment difficult. Ever since the beginning of the course, I had trouble understanding how to access UBC Blogs, and the difference between a page and a post. It was difficult to present my work in a way that I desire due to formatting issues. Therefore, the process of learning how to use the UI of UBC Blogs took me while. The artistic side of my creativity is not my strong suit, and therefore I worry that the outlook of my Web Folio is not presentable and pleasing to the readers.

Overall, I enjoyed this process of creating my own Web Folio to showcase my achievements and skills. Although it seemed like a difficult task to complete, the outcome was not too difficult to achieve. I enjoyed making this Web Folio because it forced me to look back at the course and realized my accomplishments along with the knowledge that I have learned. This assignment will benefit me in the future because in my field (computer science), a web page to showcase my past projects is highly recommended. Thus, I can use this experience of creating the Web Folio to make my own personal web page.