TO: Prof.

Cara Miele, Instructor

FROM: Jamiel Bowen, Student
DATE: December 13, 2020
SUBJECT: Reflective Memo

Reflection on Course Concepts

The most crucial course concept I used when creating my web portfolio was the eight measures
of excellence. I was clear in my message; and accurate and comprehensive in my revisions and
postings. I made all of my content easily accessible to anyone looking at my website. My menus
are properly labeled and the descriptions I wrote on each page clearly define the content I
embedded. I was concise and to the point in what I wrote. I did my best to create a portfolio with
a professional appearance and revised it to ensure it is correct. I also targeted a universal
audience so that no person or group would have trouble navigating my site.

Reflection on Revisions
Revising my work always presents a challenge to me. I’m not sure why, but I am somewhat
uncomfortable with going back and reading what I have already written. And then, when I start
to make changes, I feel as though I end up with something completely different than what I
started with. Ultimately, I need to begin the revision process all over again. 

As students, we are more fortunate today than any generation has ever been. Tools such as spell
check and Grammarly are available at our disposal to catch spelling and grammatical errors that
we may have missed. It is nearly impossible to submit an assignment that is not perfect if we
take advantage of the resources available to us. That being said, it is sometimes tedious to use
these applications unless you are willing to invest in them financially. We live in a capitalist
society and therefore the free version of Grammarly is not nearly as effective and helpful as the
version they would like you to pay for. In the climate of COVID-19, I am unable to afford such a
luxury and I often find myself growing impatient with the complimentary adaptation.
Nevertheless, it is at my disposal for grammatical corrections and revisions.

I struggled with making revisions on the projects that I received full credit for because I did not
know what to change. Instead of changing work that was accepted and graded, I decided to add
to the content. For the Contrasting Instructions assignment, there were comments that I was able
to follow for corrections. I edited the position of an image and made some grammatical
revisions. I also added a paragraph in the reflection section to go beyond the comments. For the
Quick Reference Memo, all of the feedback I received was positive, so I changed very little.
With the Recommendation Report, I added a section to the Methods and Results sections with
more research. I would have to say, that was my favorite project.

Strengths and Weaknesses

I would say that my strengths in writing are that I am clear and precise. As I have stated, I am
fairly thorough when I put pen to paper. I would like to say that I am able to address a variety of
audiences and that I can adapt my writing style accordingly. I enjoy researching different topics
and learning about new things and I believe that my passion for gaining insight into different
material is reflected in what I write.

One of my weaknesses is that I tend to write in the same manner in which I speak. That is to say,
some of my sentences are longer than they should be, and I often have to fix my grammar.
Depending on my audience, I have to go back and change the words that I use to either make
myself look smarter or make it easier to read.

I produce my best work under pressure, so I tend to wait until the final hour to get assignments
done which I know is poor planning on my part. Like a true genius, my process for writing is
unique. For days, I will ponder my assignments and not be able to write a single sentence. Then,
out of nowhere, a spark will ignite in my brain and pages will come to me at the oddest times.
For instance, I wrote the “About” portion of the website in the module eight assignment while I
was driving just the other day. I have been thinking about it for two weeks.

Lessons I’ve Learned

The lessons in the course taught me a lot about how to communicate clearly and concisely to a
multitude of audiences in a professional manner. I am now skilled at drafting memos; creating
reference guides; and writing recommendation reports. I am proficient in Powerpoint and, of
course, Microsoft Word as a result of this course. These are all skills I will take with me as I
enter the working force.

As an accountant, I will be researching tax laws and will utilize the skills I have learned in this
course. I know the difference between primary and secondary sources and will look for credible
information when doing my job. I imagine becoming a partner at my firm and having to give my
subordinates instructions and jobs like drafting memos for me so this course will have been
useful. When considering accessibility, I try to draft all of my work in a manner that can be
universally understood and easy to read.

Above and Beyond

In terms of content, I tend to be an overachiever with my written assignments. I have never been
one to agree that “less is more.” Rarely do my professors have to ask for more information. I like
to be thorough in my explanations and summaries, in part, so that I do not have to go back and
do the same assignment twice. I also feel that anyone reading my work should get a full picture
of what I am writing about. 

I have made my portfolio public and included extra projects for viewers to get a better sense of
my writing abilities. Because two out of the three projects we were tasked to revise for this
assignment received perfect scores, I added to their content to go “beyond” expectations. I strive
for excellence in all that I do, and I feel that I deserve credit for my hard work.