Jacob Wisser

English 202C: A Reflection

Over the course of this semester, my idea of technical writing changed
dramatically. I wasnt quite sure if I could learn anything from this class, but I think that
a lot of the assignments could be extremely useful as I move forward in my technical
career. For example, I thought that this course would consist largely of writing that
explains a technical topic (like the technical definition and the instruction set), but I was
surprised to find one of the assignments included compiling a resource guide for students
in your major. This class was also new for me because I havent ever written for an
audience that was different from my teacher. In this class, I wrote for my teacher,
students in my major, and for the layman. I think this was a valuable experience, because
as I move on into the workplace, I will have a variety of audiences including
inexperienced hires, my superiors, or my colleagues. I think that this class has prepared
me well to address each of these audiences.

I chose to include a variety of technical projects in my e-portfolio, as well as some
less technical writing pieces. I included my instruction set and technical definition from
ENGL 202C. I thought that these were two of my strongest assignments, and they really
showcased my technical writing ability. From these assignments, I learned how to write
to the layperson, which I think is an invaluable skill. I think that these projects show that
I am able to communicate extremely technical ideas in a very understandable way, which
I think is very important. Since I plan to apply to graduate school, I think that this skill
shows that I would make a good TA.

In addition to these ENGL 202C works, I also chose to include essays that I wrote
about political polarization and the portrayal of science in the mainstream media. I also
included the TED talks that I gave on these topics, as well as a more technical talk from a
physics class. I think that these two essays and their talks show that I understand the
many aspects of science, not just what goes on in the laboratory. The government and
mainstream media affect the lives of every American, and physicists are not exempt from
their influence. I think that these two essays show my depth of interest, as well as my
appreciation for the interconnectedness of science. The technical talk shows my
familiarity with physics, and all of these multimedia presentations prove that I am
comfortable giving presentations to a variety of audiences. This quality is extremely
important in applications for graduate school, but also for presenting work at conferences
or group meetings.

This course was extremely helpful for me as far as preparing for a career, or to go
to graduate school. The cover letter/ resume assignment was particularly useful, since I
hadnt had any experience writing cover letters. I believe that ENGL 202C has made me
a stronger job and graduate school candidate because of this exposure. Since I do plan on
going to graduate school, I will likely have to do work as a TA, and I think that my
technical definition shows my ability to explain complex topics in an understandable
manner. I actually chose to write my technical definition about a topic that I currently do
research about, and I really enjoyed making connections between this class and my
outside research.

In designing my e-portfolio, I chose to make the color scheme simple, sleek, and
professional. I felt that black-on-white accomplished this goal, but I also included
different cover photos for each page to break up the monotony. I designed the e-portfolio
such that visitors to the site understand why I included these works, and how they fit into
my plans for the future. My overall goal was to show potential employers and other
visitors that I have a wide variety of interests, and my different perspectives on science
can lead to more complete solutions of problems. I understand not only the complex ideas
around physics, but also the interworking of the scientific process and its many
influences. This class has taught me to direct my writing to different audiences, and how
to design my documents to reach these particular audiences. This e-portfolio is the
culmination of all I have learned, and I designed it to reach anyone who visits the site.