Self-Reflection

As the term comes to an end, I often find myself reflecting on the various concepts I have learned during the term.

Coming into the course, I viewed it as a filler course that I only took as it is a required course for my degree. However, after completing numerous assignments,  I can confidently say that this course was one of the most beneficial courses I have taken in my undergraduate journey. Previously required courses such as creative writing, math, and philosophy focused on lessons that I would not directly use in my future career aspirations. In contrast, the lessons in this course can be directly translated and used in a number of situations after I graduate.

One difficulty that I ran into when completing the course was my time management skills towards the end of the course. As the course is slightly right-skewed with more time-consuming assignments situated near the end of the term, I found deadlines quickly approaching.  Once I was aware of the status of the assignments due, I developed a study plan that accommodated the course load of this course and my other five courses I am taking.

Overall I am glad this course was a required course for my degree as I don’t think I would have enrolled in it as an elective course. In the future, I will remember the lessons learned in the course and look back on my previous assignments when composing the various forms of technical communication.

Web Folio Reflection

The Web Folio assignment was the final assignment of the term and accounts for a major part of the course. A Web Folio is an online platform that allows someone to display their portfolio of work. In the case of my Web Folio, it is focused on displaying the work I have completed for this course.

Going into the assignment I assumed it would be a straightforward process, as I would simply add on to my existing blog. This thought was naive as I quickly ran into numerous problems regarding formatting. After watching several tutorials on UBC Blogs, I was able to create a menu to rearrange the elements of my website and choose a more professional theme.

 

Another element that surprised me when completing this assignment was the best works section of the website. I assumed that this section would be one of the most straight forward as I would simply concentrate all of my previous work on a single page. However, after reviewing my assignments and the criteria for the Web Folio I felt that my work should be further revised. A further revision of my work allows me to better illustrate the lesson I learned this term.

Overall I enjoyed this assignment as it is something that I have never done before. Being out of my comfort zone with this assignment was frustrating at times, but taught me many things. Going forward, I do believe that a Web Folio is an effective platform for a professional career. After I graduate I will most likely create and update a Web Folio regarding my professional achievements.

Unit Three Reflection

 

Unit three of ENGL 301 focuses upon formal report writing and the you-attitude writing style. I found the process of the formal report refreshing from other courses with formal reports as this assignment was more flexible. As my paper was centred around primary data collected by myself via a survey, I found the researching stage more focused upon secondary data.

During the structuring stage of the report, I learned the importance of thoughtful organization. As the report should represent a specific mythological analysis, effective organization during the planning stage can ensure this. The peer-review element of the unit was insightful as it provided me with an objective way of looking at the project and its requirements. This can be translated to further improving and reviewing my own paper.

Nicholas Jang Final Report ENGL 301

Unit Two Reflection

Unit two was more focused upon professional writing that all of us will use in our future endeavours. I found this unit interesting as it’s content is very relevant to my current life. As a real-estate major a previous commerce course I took had us create a Linkedin profile. Despite already having a profile, I found the processes in this course were more comprehensive.

The process of brainstorming and preparing my report proposal and outline went fairly well in my opinion. I felt that I was already off to a good start with the report proposal, however, the peer review process added further development to the proposal. Having to peer review another report proposal forced me to pay attention to the requirements and structure of the proposal. Overall, I think that these two experiences and the ones in unit one have significantly impacted my view of writing. Before completing these exercises I thought self-editing was sufficient when completing assignments. Now after completing several peer reviews it clear that peer reviews add value to any writing assignment.

 

 

301 – Nicholas Jang – Assignment 2.1 Research Proposal Revised

Jessica Lee Peer Review

Unit One Reflection

I found this assignment particularly interesting as it encompasses both sides of the peer-review process. I was initially intrigued by the number of different strategies you could employ to define a single term. While writing my first drafts I relied heavily on the examples used within the textbook. Although the textbook’s example was not relevant to my major, I found it simple to adapt those strategies to my term.

On the reviewer side of the process, it was helpful to review a term that I was very unfamiliar with. As I had no prior experience with the term I was reviewing I was able to remain objective relying solely on the definitions provided to me. I found it relevantly simple to identify the strategies the writer was employing. One concern that my group had though was how many people we had to peer review.

After obtaining the feedback from my peer it was clear I still have a long way to go before my definitions are perfect. A major aspect I failed to grasp when writing my first draft was to avoid using jargon. As I am mostly interacting with industry participants when discussing the term I defined, I forgot that not everyone has the same technical knowledge. One takeaway from this assignment I learned is the importance of adapting your explanations in different situations.

 

English-Assignment-1-3-1

Peer Review by Phoebe

Email Memorandum

Dear Dr. Erika Paterson,

I have successfully uploaded my letter of application on my blog. In my application letter, I am hoping the join a successful writing team for this course. My key selling points in my application letter relate to my professional work experience, on-campus extracurricular activities, and my strong work ethic. I have attached below a word document of my job application for reference.

Sincerely,

Nicholas Jang

301 Nicholas Jang Application Letter

301 Nicholas Jang Application Letter

3920 West 18th Avenue

Vancouver, BC, V6S1G3

September 17, 2020

Dear Classmates,

Please consider my open application to join your professional writing team as part of English 301 assignment 1.2. I am currently a fourth-year real estate major and have considerable work experience that would be an asset to your team. By working as a licensed realtor since I was 19, I have honed my professional communication skills through interactions with clients and other market participants. In addition to my passion for residential real estate, I am also a candidate member with the Appraisal Institute of Canada. 

While attending UBC I have expanded my social presence on campus by joining the UBC CVC, the largest social club on campus. Starting as a coordinator I have able to increase my responsibilities through being elected as the club’s cultural director. In this role, my responsibilities relate to overseeing and planning some of the largest events the club hosts. 

With respect to working within our writing team, I am someone you can rely on and can hold accountable to complete the tasks assigned. My strong work ethic can be accentuated by the fact that I have taken six courses per semester for the past three semesters. 

If my background and interests align with yours, please email me at nicholasjang@outlook.com.

Sincerely,

Nicholas Jang

301 Nicholas Jang Application Letter