How would you summarize your experience with this course this semester?

There are so many words I could use to describe this course. Frustrating, could be one. Contradictory, is another, in the sense that has been both simple yet confusing at the same time. I had often found myself at a complete loss for what to do or what subject matter to write about. The assignments themselves weren’t difficult, especially with your videos giving explanations and examples for the bigger projects. I am just not very knowledgeable about software or the computer industry as a whole. It’s not that I’m inept at technology as a whole, but I’m far from tech savvy as well. This made it a bit challenging for me when told to create tutorials, FAQs, and video guides about something related to the computer industry. Although in the end, it did allow for me to think differently about the programs I am familiar with, and to get creative when looking for subject matter. 

This course has also been frustrating, and a cause for a lot of stress, in the instances where my work hadn’t been saved for my posts on WordPress (which I thank you again for being so understanding about). I’m still not sure how exactly that happened, but what I am now sure of is to keep backups in case something similar happens again.

What did you learn?

If nothing else this course allowed me to learn how to properly use WordPress. I had used it last semester to make an ePortfolio for a different class, which I then used to post all of my writing samples for this course over the semester, but had a difficult time doing so. Using the site and creating new posts on a weekly basis more or less required me to gain more skills in managing WordPress, which I can now take with me and help perfect my portfolio.

What do you feel are your next steps to further advance your knowledge and improve your skills as you advance toward your chosen career?

This fall has been my last semester at UCF before I graduate. The thought of leaving school and fully joining the workforce has continued to intimidate me, even more so now as that time is fast approaching, and I am still unsure as to what I want my specific chosen career to be. So, at the beginning of this semester I made sure to choose classes that I thought could help me narrow down my field of interests. 

As I’m sure you’ve noticed by now from the majority of my posts, I very much enjoy writing content for Dungeons and Dragons and other games like it. I have created storylines, character models, and even an entirely new game play system of my own. The problem is, I needed to learn how to create better tutorials and how-to guides that could allow anyone to read my work and implement it in their own games. 

As this semester is coming to an end, I do not think I will end up using my technical writing skills to start a career in rpg game design or tutorial writing. However, creating new content for the enjoyment of myself and my friends is still something I am passionate about, and I am grateful to have acquired new skills to improve my writing. I hope to self publish my content in the future so that others who are interested may also be able to enjoy what I have created.