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.

Research Process of Formal Report Draft

The task in assignment 3.2 was to come up with a draft for my formal report. One thing I like to do before I begin any type of writing is to conduct research about the topic that is going to be covered. I learned that this process is critical for a paper or report because it gathers the information and data to integrate into the document. I have gathered 3 academic papers about my topic on recycling stations. I have revisited the purpose of recycling stations, which stated that it is up to the individuals to decide when or when not to conduct pro-environmental behaviours. Furthermore, the research process provided important information and ideas for me to include in my report.

Organizing Process of Formal Report Draft

The organizing process of my formal report draft was not as difficult as I thought it would be. Luckily, I have already established a preliminary draft outline in a previous assignment, and therefore it did not take me long to organize my ideas. One of the useful things I learned was to list out all my headings and subheadings in my table of contents page. This is because it gives me a clear overview of the body of my report. I then proceed to write out all the headings and subheadings to mark and keep track what needs to be done. This process helped me transition into the writing process. In addition, the paginating process on the table of contents page does not need to be done during this stage. This is because page numbers will change during the writing process.

Writing Process of Formal Report Draft

The writing process of my formal report draft was the most challenging process for me. I consider myself a weaker writer and I often have trouble coming up with words to connect my thoughts together and maintain a good flow of my report. Although the research and organizing process set me up for an easier transition into the writing phase, I needed to work on making the flow of my report easier for my readers to follow. I learned to use transition words such as “furthermore” and “in addition” etc. Ultimately, the proofreading process was satisfying as I make attempt to make my report sound professional.

Peer Review Process

During the peer review process, I had the chance to review Hansol Yang’s proposal on improving UBC student’s experience in hybrid courses. It was a very interesting topic, and I learned the current state of hybrid education among students and professors. The report is well written, but it contained some grammatical errors and sentence structure errors. Reading Hansol’s proposal also helped me realized what my own report lacked. I realized that I needed more sources to reference to support my statements and provide more detailed definitions for my readers. This process is very helpful because by providing feedback to other’s work, I get an opportunity to reflect on my own work. Furthermore, I also received constructive criticism in return to help me improve on my writing. Ultimately, I appreciated this opportunity to give and receive feedback from peers because this chance made us both a better writer.

Formal-Research-Paper-Draft (1)

Unit Two Reflection Blog

Research Process on Creating a LinkedIn Profile

In assignment 2.2, we were asked to find the ten best practices for using LinkedIn as a professional networking site. The purpose was to explore the benefits of using LinkedIn. During my research, I learned that LinkedIn is one of the most popular networking sites we can use, especially for a computer science major. As a beginner LinkedIn user, I learned to share more visual contents because people seem to respond to visual contents more on social media. I also learned to tag various influencers and employees for social interactions. The employees might not respond, but it is important for me to reach out to them and put my name out there. This assignment is an excellent practice for students to learn the benefits of using LinkedIn and encourage them to start using it for professional networking purposes.

Report Proposal Process

In the first task of this unit, we were asked to write a research proposal for a formal report of a topic of our choosing. Big part of this assignment consists of brainstorming a topic for the formal report. I struggled in this section because I had trouble finding a suitable topic. I learned that when brainstorming, I need to first recognize who are my intended audiences. In addition, specific questions about my topic needs to be addressed. For instance, “Is this a topic I can write about without running into problems of confidentiality?” Ultimately, with suggestions from professor Dr. Paterson, I was able to come up with a topic that I am interested in while reasonable to conduct.

Peer Review Process

During the peer review process, I had the chance to review Hansol Yang’s proposal on improving UBC student’s experience in hybrid courses. It was a very interesting topic and I agree with his proposal. The report is well written, but it contained some grammatical errors and sentence structure errors. Reading Hansol’s proposal also helped me realized what my own proposal lacked. I realized that my topic was too vague, and it does not focus on a specific audience. This process is very helpful because by providing feedback to other’s work, I get an opportunity to reflect on my own work. Furthermore, I also received constructive criticism in return to help me improve on my writing. Ultimately, I appreciated this opportunity to give and receive feedback from peers because this chance made us both a better writer.

Revision Process

After the peer review process, I revisited my proposal with the feedbacks I received. This was a tough process for me because my topic idea was not ideal to proceed to the next stage. I had to rewrite my proposal three times and it was a frustrating process. I learned to take a different approach when brainstorming my idea. I resulted in focusing on my intended audience and one single issue. Ultimately, with deeper research, I finally got the green light to proceed with my new topic.

Below are my revised research proposal, and Hansol’s peer review to my original research proposal.

Revised research proposal: https://blogs.ubc.ca/engl301-99c-2021wc/2022/03/01/formal-report-outline-improving-usage-of-sorting-stations-on-ubc-campus/

Hansol’s peer review to my original proposal: https://blogs.ubc.ca/engl301-99c-2021wc/2022/02/18/peer-review-proposal-to-reduce-cost-of-expenses-at-the-ubc-vancouver-campus-during-the-pandemic/

First Draft of the Technical Definition

In unit 1:3, we were asked to produce a definition writing based on a term in a technical field. The purpose was to explain this term to audiences who are not familiar with that field. The textbook was very helpful with definitions and examples. I learned how to write three different definitions. If a term that is not too complicated where I can use a couple of words to describe, I would use parenthetical definition. If the term is more complex and need a longer explanation, I would use a sentence definition. However, if the term requires an in-depth explanation, expanded definition would be used. Furthermore, I also learned various expansion strategies to use when writing an expanded definition. For example, history, originality, negation, visual, or examples can all be a strategy to further present the technical term to the audiences.

Peer Review Process

During the peer review process, I had the chance to review Hansol Yang’s definition on “recursion”. It was very interesting to read his writing and learn how he present the definition while giving criticism. One of the recommendations was to avoid using pronouns, and I was able to use that suggestion on his writing. This also helped me in terms of paraphrasing my own writing without using pronouns. On the other hand, Hansol also reviewed my writing and provided me honest and positive feedback. This was helpful because I get to know what others think about my writing and where I can make improvements on my writings. Ultimately, I appreciated this opportunity to give and receive feedbacks with my partner and I believe this process made both of us a better writer.

Revision Process

After the peer review process, I received helpful tips on how to further improve my writing. This process gave me the chance to see my writing from another perspective. I learned that my explanation needs to be clearer, and I could use more complex vocabularies in my writing. However, I thought I did a decent job in avoiding pronouns and I realized that it makes the writing more professional overall after reading it out loud. Technical writing was never my strong suit and I have always struggled to produce an effective writing, but I believe this assignment helped me improve in this area.

Revised Definition of “Bug”

Invitation to Hansol Yang

Greetings Hansol,

I would like to extend this invitation to invite you to form a technical writing team!

I believe people with similar interests can work well together, especially for us BCSers! I enjoyed reading your bio and learned about your experiences and future goals. I am also trying to engage in some side projects and learn python by myself! I believe our similarity of career interest can make us a great team!

Hopefully we have a chance to work together. I look forward to hearing from you. Please do not hesitate to reach out if you have any questions!

Best

Eric Zhang

ENGL301 Student

301 Eric Zhang Application Letter

Invitation to Dhara Bhatt

Greetings Dhara,

I would like to extend this invitation to invite you to form a technical writing team!

I believe people with similar interests can work well together, especially for us BCSers! I enjoyed reading your bio and learn about your experiences and future goals. The fact that we have similar academic history and a similar career interest make me believe that we can make a great team!

Hopefully we have a chance to work together. I look forward to hearing from you. Please do not hesitate to reach out if you have any questions!

Best,

Eric Zhang

ENGL301 Student

301 Eric Zhang Application Letter

Invitation to Christine Hsiao

Greetings Christine,

I would like to extend this invitation to invite you to form a technical writing team!

I enjoyed reading your bio and learned about your experiences and future goals. It was very interesting to see that we have similar past work experiences. Also, the fact that most of my friends are all in LFS make me believe that we can get along very well! I also think that the strength and weaknesses you mentioned compliments very well with mine.

Hopefully we have a chance to work together. I look forward to hearing from you. Please do not hesitate to reach out if you have any questions!

Best,

Eric Zhang

ENGL301 Student

301 Eric Zhang Application Letter

1234 English Ave

Vancouver, BC

January 17, 2022

Professional Writing Team Leader

301 Technical Writing Class

2329 West Mall

Vancouver, BC

Subject: Writing Position with Your Professional Writing Team

Dear 301 Technical Writing Team Leaders,

Do you wish to have a hardworking, responsible and reliable individual on you professional writing team? If so, please consider my application. I am currently in the process of completing my second degree in computer science. I believe my experience in various big companies and related English course work make me a suitable candidate for you team. I have read your biographies and I believe our similar academic pursuits can create a spark and push this team towards success.

Throughout my first degree, I have taken some English related courses and have learned different writing genres. For example, Narrative, descriptive and persuasive writings. I am very familiar with the expectations of completing a task, and I always complete them on time with extra time to help my team members. Throughout my work experiences with big companies, I was placed onto different teams, and I realized how important communication was. In a professional setting, messages need to be clear while presented in a professional manner. Luckily, I had wonderful teammates/coworkers who I can now call friends, teaching me the right way to communicate with others.

I may not be the best writer out there, but I believe it can be overshadowed by my traits of being responsible, reliable and hardworking. Furthermore, I believe we can create a spark and develop chemistry and become friends and a successful team.

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to reach out. I look forward to hearing from you! Please email me at ericzubc@student.ubc.ca

Sincerely,

Eric Zhang

301 Eric Zhang Application Letter

MEMO

To: Erika Paterson, ENGL 301 Instructor

From: Eric Zhang, ENGL 301 Student

Date: Jan 19, 2022

Subject: Summary of Letter of Application

I am emailing to inform you that I have posted my letter of application.

As mentioned, I have successfully posted my letter of application under the “BLOGS” tab on my ENGL 301 blog. Please refer to the attached word document for the letter. Some highlights I have stated in my letter:

• My interest in the position
• My background in English and writing related courses
• My personal traits of being responsible, organized and reliable
• My past academic experiences in statistics and mathematics
• My past work experiences in the tech field
• My soft skills and ability to adapt

Do not hesitate to reach out, and let me know if you have questions regarding my letter of application!

Cheers,

Eric Zhang

301 Eric Zhang Application Letter