The document is a midterm reflection from an ENC 3250 Professional Writing course. It summarizes the key lessons learned from various chapters and assignments. The student learned about setting purpose and tone in introductions, being concise yet courteous, and adapting writing for different audiences. He plans to apply these skills in future courses and his career at Publix, such as when communicating with managers.

1. ENC 3250 Professional Writing:
Midterm Reflection
By: Benjamin Jaap

2. Functional Outline
• 1: What did you learn?
In the Functional Outline, what I learned about is how important it is to give the
purpose of your memo or letter in the beginning. I also learned that telling your audience to
perform an action or respond to a request is perfectly fine (As long as the request is not rude or
degrading).
• 2: How, specifically, did you learn it?
I learned it through the Analysis Assignments that I produced.
• 3: Why does this learning matter, or why is it significant?
It’s significant because it allows the audience to develop a connection to what the
speaker is presenting.
• 4: In what ways will you use this learning in future courses or in your future career; what
goals will you set in accordance with what you have learned in order to improve yourself, the
quality of your learning, or the quality of your future experiences?
I will be using this information in presentations when I get to the Publix Corporate
Office in Lakeland, Florida.

3. 5 C’s Document
• 1: What did you learn?
I learned that my correspondence needs to be concise. I need to try to keep my
explanations short and to-the-point, otherwise, I will lose the audience’s attention. I also
learned that I need to keep my tone in all correspondence in a courteous manner,
otherwise, I could possibly offend my audience and shun them away from the presentation.
• 2: How, specifically, did you learn it?
I specifically learned all of this through the WA drafts. Peer reviewing helped me
to keep my language concise while having a courteous tone.
• 3: Why does this learning matter?
It matters because I don’t want to come off as rude in my presentations. I also
want to get to the point as quickly as possible.
• 4: In what ways will you use this learning in future courses or in your future career;
what goals will you set in accordance with what you have learned in order to improve
yourself, the quality of your learning, or the quality of your future experiences?
The goals I will be setting for all of my future presentations is that I will get to
the point immediately or quickly, and I will have a courteous tone in every presentation
from here-on-out.

4. Chapter 1: The Writing Process
• 1: What did you learn?
I learned that it is important to prepare your assignments according to
whom you will be speaking to.
• 2: How, specifically, did you learn this?
I learned this concept through some of the WA assignments in that I used a
tone or a style that would be correct for a few audiences, but not for the audiences
that I wrote to.

5. Chapter 1: The Writing Process
(Continued)
• 3: Why does this learning matter?
• This is very meaningful to me because it is critical to know who you are
writing to; otherwise, you could potentially embarrassed and shunned by your
audience.
• 4: In what ways will you use this learning in future courses or in your future career;
what goals will you set in accordance with what you have learned in order to
improve yourself, the quality of your learning, or the quality of your future
experiences?
• This learning will allow me to communicate effectively to my managers at
Publix.

6. Chapter 2: Workplace Technology
• 1: What did you learn?
I learned that even when I am using social media, I should still have a
courteous tone and respectful language when communicating with co-workers or
customers on social media.
• 2: How, specifically, did you learn this?
I learned this through the
Anything Else Café, particularly with
communicating with other students.
• 3: Why does this learning matter?
This learning matters because
it helps me to be courteous to others and
it also allows me to answer questions in a direct-to-the-point manner.
• 4: In what ways will you use this learning in future courses or your future career?
I will be using this learning as (hopefully) Publix’s Social Media Manager to
guide my staff into answering any customer complaints quickly and thoroughly.

7. Chapter 4: Correspondence
• 1: What did you learn?
I learned how to present good news through Direct Writing; and how to
present bad news through Indirect Writing.
• 2: How, specifically, did you learn it?
I learned these two very different styles of writing through my Analysis
Assignments, specifically with writing the Letter of Complaint, and writing a memo.
I have also learned this through writing complaint letters to Chrysler Group LLC about
recalls that were improperly fixed at my local Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram dealership.

8. Chapter 4: Correspondence
(Continued)
• 3: Why does this learning matter?
This learning matter because it is very critical to know how to address
someone in any situation appropriately (Whether good or bad news is being
presented). I know that if I say something in a direct manner to someone when I
know that the issue is bad news could offend them, so it is very important to know
how to address someone appropriately.
• 4: In what ways will you use this learning in future courses or in your future career;
what goals will you set in accordance with what you have learned in order to
improve yourself, the quality of your learning, or the quality of your future
experiences?
I will be using this learning experience in Publix when I have to communicate
between my District Manager on issues between each department and what will need
to be corrected.

9. Chapter 10: Style & Clarity
• 1: What did you learn?
I learned about the concept of sentence variety. I also learned about
business writing style, and how important it is to state factual information and omit
opinionated information in certain correspondence.
• 2: How, specifically, did you learn it?
I learned these concepts through every assignment that I had to do over the
duration of this course. For example, I utilized the concept of sentence variety in WA
Draft 2, in which I had to use different tones to describe each book to the One Book,
One Campus Committee. I also used the Business Writing Style concept in a complaint
letter written about one of my employees.
• 3: Why does this learning matter?
These concepts matter because I don’t
want to write a letter in an informal style to my
managers and then come to me and seem
confused about what I was trying to state.

10. Chapter 10: Style and Clarity
(Continued)
• 4: In what ways will you use this learning in future courses or in your future
career?
I will be utilizing these concepts when I begin the move to management in
Publix. Some of the ways that I will be utilizing these concepts will be communication
between my managers through memos and letters.
I will also be utilizing these concepts through
writing letters of complaint to companies that
offer poor customer service and/or faulty products
to me.

11. Chapter 7: Design & Visuals
• 1: What did you learn?
I learned that the use of visuals and design elements in a presentation is
very important. I also learned that the
use of bullet points needs to be in a
manner that doesn’t take too much out
of the presentation, but allows for topics
to be presented in an organized manner.
• 2: How, specifically, did you learn it?
I learned these concepts
while I did this presentation and other
PowerPoint presentations that I have
created.

12. Chapter 7: Design & Visuals
(Continued)
• 3: Why does this learning matter?
This learning matters because I need to be able to create and present
presentations without making the audience bored. It allows me to utilize some of my
creative measures to help me to get my point across.
• 4: In what ways will you use this learning in future courses or in your future career;
what goals will you set in accordance with what you have learned in order to
improve yourself, the quality of your learning, or the quality of your future
experiences?
I will be utilizing these concepts in any courses here at FGCU whenever I
have to give a presentation. I will also utilize these concepts whenever I have to give a
presentation at the Publix Corporate Office in Lakeland, Florida; or at any of our
regional offices around the Southeastern United States.

13. References
• Anyaser, John. "UpCity Blog." UpCity Daily Tips RSS. UpCity, 23 Dec. 2013. Web. 09 Oct.
2014. <http://upcity.com/blog/2013/12/how-to-become-an-authority-on-twitter/>.
• Bolduc-Simpson, Sheila. "The Business Writer's Companion Chapter 7 Design and
Visuals." YouTube. YouTube, 11 Jan. 2014. Web. 12 Oct. 2014.
<http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q_oMDURGEHA&feature=youtu.be>.
• Bolduc-Simpson, Sheila. "Correspondence." YouTube. YouTube, 18 Dec. 2013. Web. 13
Oct. 2014. <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PkH5i3_AeBQ&feature=youtu.be>.
• Bolduc-Simpson, Sheila. "Style and Clarity." YouTube. YouTube, 6 Jan. 2014. Web. 13
Oct. 2014. <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OOJQAbPNzSg&feature=youtu.be>.
• Bolduc-Simpson, Sheila. "Workplace Technology." YouTube. YouTube, 15 Jan. 2014.
Web. 09 Oct. 2014.
<http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OofZtDRa_6M&feature=youtu.be>.
• Bolduc-Simpson, Sheila. "The Writing Process." YouTube. YouTube, 17 Dec. 2013. Web.
09 Oct. 2014. <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kPZilnpiX_k>.

14. References (Continued)
• Campbell, Anita. "Fun Business Cartoons." Small Business Trends. Small Business Trends LLC,
14 Feb. 2008. Web. 12 Oct. 2014. <http://smallbiztrends.com/2008/02/fun-business-cartoons.
html>.
• "Geostatistics: Correspondence." Geostatistics: Correspondence. Matrix Consultants Limited,
n.d. Web. 10 Oct. 2014. <http://geostatscam.com/correspondence.htm>.
• "Publix." Supermarket News. Penton Media Group, Oct. 2014. Web. 12 Oct. 2014.
<http://supermarketnews.com/retailers/publix>.
• Taylor, A. "Chrysler Group LLC Earns Three Polk Automotive Loyalty Awards For 2011."
Chrysler Group LLC Earns Three Polk Automotive Loyalty Awards For 2011. Vande Hey
Brantmeier, 16 Jan. 2012. Web. 08 Oct. 2014. <http://drivevhb.com/blog/chrysler-group-llc-earns-
three-polk-automotive-loyalty-awards-for-2011/>.
• "Unit 4: Giving Oral Presentations." Nature.com. Nature Publishing Group, n.d. Web. 07 Oct.
2014. <http://www.nature.com/scitable/ebooks/english-communication-for-scientists-
14053993/giving-oral-presentations-14239332>.
• Wasko, Brian. "More Writers on Writing." The WriteAtHome Blog More Writers on Writing
Comments. WriteAtHome®, 29 June 2012. Web. 09 Oct. 2014.
<http://blog.writeathome.com/index.php/2012/06/more-writers-on-writing/>.

15. References (Continued… Again)
• "The Writing Process." College Unbound. Big Picture Learning, 2014. Web. 12 Oct.
2014. <http://collegeunbound.org/2012/09/05/the-writing-process/>.