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Reflective Essays
What is a reflective essay? Typically, you write a reflective essay in response to a text you have read, an event you have attended, or another experience you have had. The essay focuses on describing the event, text, or other experience, discussing what you learned from it, and speculating on how you could apply what you learned.
Reflective essays are designed to stimulate your learning by asking you to think about (“reflect on”) what you learned from a particular text, event, or experience. The process of thinking consciously about your learning deepens and reinforces that learning.
Setting Yourself Up to Reflect
If you know in advance that you will be reflecting on a text or experience, take some time beforehand to set yourself up to reflect on it afterwards. Write down some notes about your expectations, as suggested by the questions below:
- What expectations do you have about the text, event, or experience? What do you expect it to be like? What do you expect to learn from it?
- Are there any questions you have at the outset?
- Is there any aspect of this text or experience that you expect to be challenging for you?
You can refer to these notes later, when you compose the reflection.
Engaging with the Text, Event, or Experience
As you are reading the text or participating in the experience, ask yourself these questions:
- Is it similar to or different from what you expected?
- How is it answering the questions you had at the outset?
- Is there anything you find to be challenging about this text, event, or experience?
- Are you engaged by the text, event, or experience? If so, what is engaging to you?
- What, if anything, do you think you are learning from this text, event, or experience?
In other words, think consciously about how the text, event, or experience meets your expectations, raises or answers questions, poses challenges, or provides an opportunity to learn.
Writing the Reflection
Now it’s time to write down your reflections. Remember that reflective essays are meant to deepen your thinking about a particular assignment or experience, so your own thoughts, feelings, and insights matter here.
A reflection can be divided into four phases, each of which can be a section of your essay:
- Describe: What was the text, event, or experience? If it was a text: who wrote it, and what was it about? If it was an event or experience: when did it occur; who was there; what went on?
- Interpret: How did the text, event, or experience meet your expectations (or not)? What questions did it raise for you? Was there anything you found to be particularly surprising, meaningful or challenging? If so, what was it?
- Evaluate: What did you learn from this text, event, or experience?
- Plan: How do you think you can use what you learned during this text, event, or experience in the future? In what situations could you use what you learned?
Style, Tone, Length
- A reflection is an essay, so provide full, thoughtful responses to the questions in your instructor’s prompt.
- The style and tone of your reflective essay should match the purpose of the overall assignment. This is a personal essay meant to showcase what you learned from the text, event, or experience that you are writing about. You can use the pronouns “I,” “me,” and “mine.”
- Describe the text, event, or experience fully, using plenty of descriptive words. Include enough detail for your audience to understand that you were engaged with the text, event, or experience that you are reflecting on; the reader should come away with the understanding that you learned something from the text, event, or experience you are writing about.
- Citations are only necessary if you are referring to a specific text, and even then, your citations are not the focus of the reflection. For a reflective essay, you are the main source of evidence. Always check with your instructor about what citation style to use, if relevant.
- The length of your reflection will depend on your instructor’s instructions for the assignment.
- The best source of information on length is your professor, so find out what the word or page-count is from them.
References
RMIT University Library Learning Lab. (n.d.). Writing an academic reflection. https://emedia.rmit.edu.au/learninglab/content/writing-academic-reflection
University of Birmingham. (2015). A short guide to reflective writing. https://intranet.birmingham.ac.uk/as/libraryservices/library/asc/documents/public/short-guide-reflective-writing.pdf
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How to Write a Reflective Essay
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Writing a reflective essay is like deep diving into your experiences and thoughts and sharing what you've learned.
It's not your typical academic paper – it's more about exploring your personal growth and understanding. Reflective essays are about looking back on moments in your life, analyzing how they've shaped you, and expressing those insights clearly and meaningfully.
From how to start a reflective essay to what kinds of stylistic devices to use, this article will teach you how to offer readers a glimpse into the complexities of your human experience as a human being.
What Is a Reflective Essay
A reflective essay is a type of personal writing where the author delves into their thoughts, emotions, and experiences regarding a particular topic, event, or aspect of their life.
Unlike other forms of academic writing, it focuses on the writer's introspection and self-analysis, often exploring how they have been affected or changed by their experiences.
Reflective essays typically involve a structured approach in which the writer examines the significance of their experiences, considers lessons learned, and considers how they might apply these insights in the future.
Should you need urgent help with this assignment, use our essay writing service without hesitation.
What Is the Purpose of Writing a Reflective Essay
Composing a reflective essay provides a platform for individuals to explore and analyze their experiences, thoughts, and emotions in a structured manner. Through reflection, writers can gain deeper insights into themselves, their beliefs, and their actions.
Reflective essays provide opportunities for self-discovery, growth, and learning. They encourage individuals to critically examine their experiences, identify patterns, and understand how they have been shaped by various factors.
Additionally, reflective essays allow custom writers to communicate their insights and perspectives to others, fostering empathy, understanding, and connection.
Types of Reflective Essays
Reflective essays can take various forms depending on the purpose, audience, and context. Some common types include:
Personal Reflection | This type focuses on personal experiences, feelings, and insights, allowing the writer to deeply explore their thoughts and emotions. |
---|---|
Professional Reflection | They are common in fields such as education, healthcare, and business. They involve reflecting on professional experiences, challenges, and learning outcomes, often to improve practice or decision-making. |
Academic Reflection | Are typically assigned in educational settings to encourage students to critically analyze their learning experiences, academic achievements, and areas for improvement. |
Creative Reflection | Combines personal experiences with creative expression, such as poetry, artwork, or storytelling, to convey insights and emotions uniquely and engagingly. |
Experiential Reflection | Focuses on specific experiences or events, such as internships, volunteer work, or travel experiences. This will allow the writer to reflect on what they learned and how it has impacted them. |
Critical Reflection | Involves a deeper level of analysis and evaluation, where the writer critically examines their experiences, beliefs, and assumptions, often drawing on theoretical frameworks or academic literature to support their arguments. |
How to Start a Reflective Essay
Starting a reflective essay can be approached in various ways, but here are a few effective strategies to consider:
- Begin with an Engaging Anecdote
Capture your reader's attention by sharing a brief, compelling story or anecdote related to the topic you'll be reflecting on. This can set the tone for your essay and draw readers in from the start.
- Pose a Thought-Provoking Question
Start with a question that prompts readers to think deeply about the topic you'll explore in your reflection. This can create curiosity and encourage engagement right from the beginning.
- Provide Context
Offer some background information or context about the experience or topic you'll reflect on. This will help orient your readers and give them a foundation for understanding your reflection.
- State Your Thesis or Main Idea
Clearly state your reflective essay's main idea or thesis in the introduction. This gives readers a preview of what to expect and directs your reflection.
- Use a Quotation
Begin with a relevant quotation that sets the tone for your reflection and encapsulates what you'll discuss in your essay. Make sure the quotation is meaningful and resonates with your topic.
- Start with a Strong Statement
Open with a bold statement or assertion that captures the essence of your reflection. This can be a striking observation, a personal revelation, or a philosophical insight related to your topic.
Recommended for reading: Academic Essay Guide.
Writing a reflective essay involves several key steps:
![layout of reflective essay How to Write a Reflective Essay](https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/5e5d43546b94f97f39c228fa/66558a261c80ec1857f0e914_How%20to%20Write%20a%20Reflective%20Essay-(Compressify.io).webp)
Select a Meaningful Topic
Choosing a meaningful topic is pivotal as it sets the foundation for your reflective essay. Consider moments that have left a profound impact or triggered significant growth. These can range from personal experiences and academic achievements to challenges overcome.
Selecting a topic involves considering personal experiences that have significantly impacted you. Here's how to choose a topic before writing a reflective essay:
- Reflect on Personal Experiences – Think about moments that have left a lasting impression or provoked deep thought and introspection. Consider experiences that have shaped your beliefs, values, or outlook on life.
- Identify Key Events or Challenges – Look for specific events, challenges, or milestones that stand out in your memory. These could be achievements, failures, conflicts, transitions, or moments of self-discovery.
- Consider Emotional Significance – Reflect on experiences that have evoked strong emotions, whether positive or negative. Emotional depth often leads to rich reflection and meaningful insights.
- Focus on Growth or Learning – Choose a topic that highlights personal growth, learning, or transformation. Reflective essays are most compelling when they explore how experiences have influenced your development.
- Think about Relevance and Universality – Consider topics that are not only personally significant but also have broader relevance or universal themes. Reflecting on experiences that others can relate to can make your essay more engaging and impactful.
- Brainstorm Ideas – Brainstorm potential topics, jotting down any experiences or moments that come to mind. Don't censor yourself at this stage; let your thoughts flow freely.
- Narrow Down Your Options – Review your list of potential topics and consider which ones resonate with you the most. Choose a topic you feel passionate about and eager to explore in depth.
- Ensure Personal Connection – Choose a topic that feels authentic and meaningful to you. Your passion and genuine interest in the topic will shine through in your writing, making your reflective essay more compelling and engaging for readers.
Outline Your Essay
An organized outline is a blueprint for your reflective essay, ensuring a structured and coherent narrative flow. Begin by outlining the main points you intend to explore in each section, including the introduction, body paragraphs, and conclusion.
Structure your outline logically, allowing for smooth transitions between ideas and reflections. Consider the overarching themes and insights you wish to convey, ensuring they are seamlessly integrated into your essay's framework.
Through outlining, you streamline the writing process and maintain a cohesive narrative that captivates your audience and effectively communicates your reflections.
Reflect and Brainstorm
Reflection and brainstorming are the cornerstones of a reflective essay, allowing you to delve deep into your thoughts, emotions, and experiences. Take the time to introspect on your chosen topic, exploring the nuances of your feelings, reactions, and lessons learned.
Embrace moments of vulnerability and introspection, as they can lead to genuine insights and self-awareness. Through brainstorming, jot down key moments, reflections, and realizations that have shaped your perspective.
This process enriches your writing and fosters personal growth and understanding as you navigate through the complexities of your experiences.
Come up with a Thesis Statement
Crafting a compelling thesis statement is essential as it encapsulates your reflective essay's core message or insight.
Your thesis serves as a roadmap, guiding both you and your readers through the narrative journey ahead. It should concisely summarize your reflection's central theme or purpose, offering a glimpse into the key aspects of your experience and its significance.
A well-crafted thesis statement provides clarity and focus and sets the tone for the rest of your essay. It acts as a beacon, directing your efforts toward articulating your reflections cohesively while inviting readers to delve deeper into the complexities of your narrative.
Write, Reflect, and Revise
Writing, reflecting, and revising are iterative processes culminating in a polished reflective essay.
Draft your essay, beginning with a compelling introduction that sets the stage for your reflection. Dive into the body paragraphs, exploring specific aspects of your experience and their implications. Incorporate personal anecdotes, observations, and reflections to enrich your narrative, fostering a deeper connection with your readers. Alternatively, you can buy an essay online to avoid having to do everything on your own.
As you write, reflect on your journey, acknowledging the growth and insights gained along the way. Finally, revise your essay for clarity, coherence, and impact, ensuring that your reflections are articulated effectively and leave a lasting impression on your audience.
Through this process, you refine your writing and deepen your understanding of yourself and others.
Reflective Essay Outline
Before you start writing any content for your essay, it would be wise to draw up an outline of your document:
Introduction | |
---|---|
Body Paragraphs | |
Conclusion |
Tips for Writing a Reflective Essay
As we know, a reflective essay involves examining your experiences and expressing how they influenced you. Here are seven useful and practical tips to help you write an effective essay about self-reflection:
![layout of reflective essay Tips for Writing a Reflective Essay](https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/5e5d43546b94f97f39c228fa/66558a42e1683659262f393b_Reflective%20Essay%20Writing%20Tips-(Compressify.io).webp)
Focus on a Specific Moment
Choose a specific incident or moment that had a profound impact on you. Narrowing your focus to a single event or series of related events can make your reflection deeper and more meaningful.
Ask Guiding Questions
Use questions to guide your reflection. For example:
- What happened?
- How did it make me feel?
- Why did I feel that way?
- What did I learn from this experience?
- How has this experience changed me?
Answering these questions can help you explore your thoughts and emotions more thoroughly.
Use the 'What, So What, Now What' Framework
- What: Describe the experience or event.
- So What: Analyze why the experience was significant.
- Now What: Reflect on how the experience will influence your future actions or perspectives. This structure ensures your essay has depth and direction.
Integrate Theory and Practice
If relevant, connect your personal experiences with theoretical concepts or lessons you've learned in your studies or professional life. This can add a layer of intellectual reflection to your reflective essays and demonstrate your ability to apply theory to practice.
Include Dialogue and Thoughts
Incorporate direct quotes or internal monologue from the experience. This adds authenticity and gives readers insight into your immediate reactions and thoughts during the event.
Use Reflective Language
Employ phrases that indicate reflection, such as "I realized," "I learned," "This made me think," "I understood that," etc. This helps convey your introspective process to the reader.
Haven’t Finished Your Reflective Essay Yet?
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Reflective Essay Examples
Recommended for reading: Definition Essay Examples .
Reflective essays are super important for students because they help you think about what you've learned and how you've grown. They make you reflect on your experiences, figure out what went well and what didn't, and understand how it fits into your life.
By doing this, you don't just memorize stuff for a test – you get why it matters and how it applies to real life. Plus, reflecting like this helps you improve at thinking things through, understanding yourself, and solving problems.
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How to Write a Reflective Essay?
What are the parts of a typical reflective essay, what is a reflective essay format.
![layout of reflective essay Daniel Parker](https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/5e5d43546b94f97f39c228fa/664585124776bc0664a74017_Daniel%20Parker.webp)
Daniel Parker
is a seasoned educational writer focusing on scholarship guidance, research papers, and various forms of academic essays including reflective and narrative essays. His expertise also extends to detailed case studies. A scholar with a background in English Literature and Education, Daniel’s work on EssayPro blog aims to support students in achieving academic excellence and securing scholarships. His hobbies include reading classic literature and participating in academic forums.
![layout of reflective essay](https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/5e5d43546b94f97f39c228fa/664584fe87188723dd6f7a83_Adam%20Jason.webp)
is an expert in nursing and healthcare, with a strong background in history, law, and literature. Holding advanced degrees in nursing and public health, his analytical approach and comprehensive knowledge help students navigate complex topics. On EssayPro blog, Adam provides insightful articles on everything from historical analysis to the intricacies of healthcare policies. In his downtime, he enjoys historical documentaries and volunteering at local clinics.
- Content updated.
- Added 2 tables.
- Reflective essays | Australian National University. (2023, November 14). https://www.anu.edu.au/students/academic-skills/writing-assessment/reflective-writing/reflective-essays
- Reflective Essays. (n.d.). The Writing Center. https://writingcenter.gmu.edu/writing-resources/different-genres/reflective-essays
- https://westernsydney.edu.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0007/1082779/Reflective_writing_Structure.pdf
![layout of reflective essay How to Write a Music Essay: Topics and Examples](https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/5e5d43546b94f97f39c228fa/65d49719fcd953275b106bce_A%20Music%20Essay.webp)
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A reflective essay is a type of writing where you explore how an event, experience, or concept has influenced your development or perspective. It involves deep thinking, self-analysis, and personal reflection. In a reflective essay, you explai what you learned and how you changed as a result of that experience.
In this article, you will learn how to write a reflective essay, and how to highlight impactful experiences. A reflection essay seems easy as you don’t have to defend one’s point of view or convince the reader of something. But it has its challenges, so we recommend to keep on reading and find out everything you need to know about this type of essay. More complex examples are available down below.
What Is a Reflective Essay: Definition
A good question to start with is, “What is a reflective essay?” A reflective essay is a type of academic writing, in which the student has to test personal life experience/position towards a particular topic. Unlike in argumentative writing, the student does not have to defend the personal position. It does not require a complicated, professional language with some terminology. Do not define something - focus on sharing personal life experience, skills, development, and the most vivid examples to illustrate the topic.
Reflective Essay Format
A reflection essay student writes to meet the college writing standards has a different format from the one a magazine writer should present to reach the issue’s audience. However, each reflective paper has a similar outline. Reflective essay format depends on the general requirements your teacher provides. Some of them can ask for a specific format for your essay. APA writing style , MLA, and Chicago are the basic formats you can use. But if you don’t know exactly which formatting to use, you can use reflective essay apa format. This is the most common college essay format, so knowing its requirements is critical: Font: Times New Roman, 12 points Interval: Double interval Margins: 1 inch all round Page Numbers: Insert a title in the upper left corner of each page.
Reflective Essay Outline and Structure
Knowing how to write a reflective essay is essential. Even if you feel confident about your thoughts and knowledge, don’t start your writing without a clear and well-designed plan. Without logical essay structure , your essay will likely achieve lower marks. To avoid this situation, follow 10 easy steps we provided below. The first thing every student needs to understand how to write a good reflective essay is an effective, detailed outline. It has 3 typical sections: introduction, body paragraphs, and conclusion. Writing a reflective essay does not require any references – the only person to refer is the student who decides to share his thoughts & ideas. Let’s look at 4 main reasons to include an outline of reflective essays.
- An outline assists in laying out the details the student wants to leave after narrowing down the draft before working on the final paper. It prevents them from concluding the essay by realizing something is missing.
- An outline provides a clear, concise roadmap, which prevents the writer from taking curvy paths and facing dead ends. It shows the way like a compass in the woods.
- An outline helps to save a lot of time.
- An outline helps the potential readers, including teachers & classmates, to avoid falling off the main point when reading the essay partially.
Reflective essay outline is not much different from other types of essays. Use this reflective essay template in creating your perfect reflective essay:
![layout of reflective essay Reflective essay outline](https://studycrumb.com/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fd3ueqtv14wizl1.cloudfront.net%2Freflective_essay_outline_2x_906eb3214b.png&w=3840&q=75)
How to Start a Reflective Essay: Creating an Introduction
Let’s figure out how to write a reflective essay introduction. Start with stating the primary focus of the personal reflection. Avoid being indirect and covering a range of topics; stay direct and concise by underlining the basic purpose of sharing a life experience. Professional Opinion:
“Giving a preview of the most exciting part of the story is a clue. The target reader may lack time to read the full piece from cover to cover. “There are many things I have learned from Marketing class. The most valuable lesson I have obtained is checking the effectiveness of 2 different approaches or services through utilizing so-called A/B testing.” It will make the reader think about what is special about this specific method. The reader will go on reading the body paragraphs to find out!” Professor Hemsworth, History & Anthropology teacher and academic writer at StudyCrumb
Another way to attract attention in the introductory paragraph is to come up with the intriguing hook for essay sentences like statistics, fact, quote, metaphor, rhetorical question, or joke. It depends on the mood of your reflective narrative.
Working on Reflective Essay Thesis
Some people may say that a reflective essay does not need a thesis. However, the example shared in the previous section talking about introduction is an example of the inspiring thesis statement. Include at least a reflective summary of the primary idea. The best idea would be to focus on previewing the peak of the plot development or highlighting the most valuable lesson learned. Let’s take a look at this little reflective essay thesis sample.
![layout of reflective essay “Now I realize the value of sports in the life of every student. The swimming courses I have attended since I was 13 are a great example of the way to support positive thinking and a healthy body.”](https://studycrumb.com/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fd3ueqtv14wizl1.cloudfront.net%2Freflective_essay_thesis_sample_2x_68b4ff8788.png&w=3840&q=75)
If you find it challenging, rely on our professional essay writing service and have your reflective essay done with academic standards in mind.
Writing a Reflection Essay Body Paragraph
What is the purpose of a body paragraph ? The body paragraphs of the reflective analysis interpret the way the author evolved or what he/she has absorbed from a particular life lesson (mention 3 different lessons). When writing your reflective essay you should mention the circumstances that forced you to pass a certain way. If you study a subject like English Literature or Arts, the paper’s prompt may ask you to describe how you changed as a field professional during the course of study. It is important to choose a specific interval of time to list the improvements. Compare & contrast the initial skills to the knowledge you have today. It is a great idea to tell the audience the ways various tasks, challenges, and lessons made the author grow since the beginning of his education. There is no need to conduct research to collect the supporting evidence. The author alone is responsible for defending every stated claim with the help of vivid samples that describe the topic the best. Example: In case the student has become more professional in the field of writing, he should list the causes of those changes (new English teacher, more practice at home, part-time job related to the field of writing). Who knows – some of the ideas may be used by other students to succeed!
How to Write a Reflective Essay Conclusion
The question of how to end a reflection paper is not less important. The last challenge is to prepare an impressive, inspiring, and powerful conclusion, which will make the target readers want to develop the same positive way. Write a reflective summary regarding the way you have changed over a given period of time. Share some forecast by looking ahead: how the experiences listed in the essay would influence further personal development. By looking at the past events, decide which of them was the most important. The good idea is to compare & contrast past and future events to stress the gaps between the obtained skills and experience, possibly gained in the future. Don't want to bother with writing any conclusions? Use a summary maker to generate e reflective essay conlusion in seconds.
How to Write a Reflective Essay: 10 Easy Steps
Writing personal reflection helps students to stress their individuality by highlighting various skills, knowledge, behavior, feelings, and even mood. The purpose of writing a reflective essay is to show how the person changed over time and what factors played an important role in those metamorphoses. Keep on reading this section to learn steps that will make your reflective writing perfect. Step 1: Think of the questions that interest you the most. It may be your experience, feelings, or an event in life. Make sure you analyzed the question well. Check credible sources and collect relevant information. Step 2: Decide what you want to write about. Make sure you know how to title an essay . Identify the topic. Step 3: After you decided on a topic, create an appealing title that will entice readers. Make sure your title is clear and to the point. Step 4: Create an outline of your essay. Step 5: Create an attention-grabbing hook for reflective essay. It should be some intriguing sentence or phrase that will arouse the interest of your readers. Step 6: Create an introduction of your reflection paper. Step 7: Think what you will include in the main body of your text. Start writing your body paragraphs. Step 8: Diversify your text with all the necessary details to make your readers see a clear picture of the environment in your story. It can be some place, people, atmosphere, etc. Step 9: After the reader is already familiar with the setting and characters, you should tell about yourself. What were your feelings? How has the situation affected you? What did you learn from this situation? Step 10: Conclude your reflective essay. Briefly summarize all the points that were mentioned in your text and provide a short moral with recommendations. You can use these steps as a checklist for your writing process. In case you need another step-by-step guide on response essays or any other type of writing, we've got you covered.
>> Read more: How to Write Essays
Reflective Essays Sample From Successful College Students
No recommendations, tips & tricks help the students to understand the way a particular assignment should look like in the end as effectively as the examples. The article contains one of the up-to-date reflective essay examples from a college student.
![layout of reflective essay Illustration](https://studycrumb.com/img/icons/download.png)
Writing a Reflective Essay: Bottom Line
Congratulations, we have learned how to write a reflective essay. We really do hope that our guidelines, tips, and examples were useful to you. Now, you can definitely work on your reflection assignment with a clear understanding of its structure and main points. So start your writing, and the sky's the limit!
In case you need more writing tips, feel free to browse our Blog. Be it a diagnostic essay , a synthesis essay or a response paper , we have tutorials for any type of writing.
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Consider buying essay papers in case you've got other plans for the evening. Submit your details to StudyCrumb and get an astounding paper written in line with your requirements. Your assigned writer will handle any assignment with a blink of an eye!
Frequently Asked Questions about Writing a Reflective Essay
1. what is a common mistake when writing a reflective essay.
A common mistake when writing a reflective essay is to drift away from the subject you're writing about. It usually happens when you don’t stick to your initial plan. So plan your writing well and if you feel that you go a bit off topic, be sure that you return to the same topic you originally discussed.
2. What is the purpose of writing a reflective essay?
The purpose of writing a reflective essay is to make a student write about their personal experience, explore it, reflect on it and find positive and negative aspects. The goal is to analyze how a student changed due to this experience and what made them change. What lesson a student learned is an essential point in persuasive writing.
3. How to write a reflective essay on a book?
If you are writing a reflective essay on a book, the main task is to show your teacher how you reflect on a chosen book, how you understand the problem presented by an author. To create a good essay, start with brief information about the author. Then, without spoilers, briefly summarize the main points of a book. After that explain the main conflicts, share your impressions. Ask questions like: “What are the peculiarities of the main characters?”, “What did an author want to say by indicating the main issues?”
![layout of reflective essay Daniel_Howard_1_1_2da08f03b5.jpg](https://studycrumb.com/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fd3ueqtv14wizl1.cloudfront.net%2FDaniel_Howard_1_1_2da08f03b5_cacdfc5890.jpg&w=128&q=75)
Daniel Howard is an Essay Writing guru. He helps students create essays that will strike a chord with the readers.
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Reflective Essay Guide
Writing Reflective Essay
Last updated on: Feb 9, 2023
A Step by Step Guide to Writing a Reflective Essay
By: John K.
Reviewed By: Jacklyn H.
Published on: May 11, 2021
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If you have been assigned the task of writing a reflective essay, it will be an excellent opportunity to polish your creativity and writing skills.
A reflective essay is slightly different from other essays as it requires a personal point of view of a chosen subject. Thus, you need to analyze a particular subject with your personal experience, understanding, and knowledge.
The only key to write a reflective paper is that you need to be more expressive. The more expressive you are, the merrier it will be for your essay. Feel free to talk about life experiences that are valid to your topic. Writing your reflections can actually be a strength in this kind of essay.
If this sounds like something that interests or concerns you, then keep reading! This blog contains every detail necessary to produce an impressive reflective essay.
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On this Page
What Is a Reflective Essay?
A reflective essay describes an experience or event and analyzes the meaning of that particular experience and the lessons it delivers. One thing that makes it a reflective essay is that the writer analyzes an event of the past from the present.
When writing a reflective essay, you are required to open up about your emotions and thoughts to paint a clear picture of your personality, history, and individual traits.
It is required that you include a description and a vivid summary of the experience; it will make the reader feel that he has experienced it as well. Moreover, you need to explain your reactions, thoughts, feelings, and emotions.
A good reflective paper should be creative, insightful, and authentic. It needs to express your opinions on a specific topic interestingly so that the reader wants to follow what you're saying without getting bored or leaving it before reading.
Reflective Essay Format
REFLECTIVE ESSAY FORMAT AND TEMPLATE
How to Start a Reflective Essay?
Writing a great reflective essay is a chance to polish your skills of writing and enhance your creativity. However, sometimes, it gets difficult and confusing to write it. There are many high schools as well as college students who get confused thinking where to start.
So, we have compiled some steps that will help you to write a perfect essay.
Let’s discuss them in detail.
1. Choose Your Topic Carefully
If you are given the freedom to choose a topic and don’t have any idea regarding it, the best way is to brainstorm and research some trending and good topic ideas. Unfortunately, a common mistake when writing a reflective essay is to choose a topic that is too broad or too narrow.
2. Research About Your Subject
Make sure you do thorough research on your topic first. Close your eyes and start imagining or remembering. Then, watch, listen, and read the information regarding your topic.
3. Brainstorm
Before you even start writing, brainstorm your ideas first. It is always a wise step to take before writing anything.
4. Choose Reflection Questions
Take a look at the questions below to get a better idea:
- What did I notice?
- What do I feel about it?
- Why am I feeling this way?
5. Answer the Questions You Have Chosen
After selecting your questions, you need to give their answers. Start from one essay question; make sure you answer it properly. After that, head on to the next one.
6. Recognize Your Experience Meaning
Before you even start writing, you need to choose the most significant lesson you have learned from your experience. This “most significant lesson or thing” is going to be the thesis of your essay.
7. Follow the Structure
Like all the other essays, the reflective essay also has the same format, which comprises the introduction, body, and conclusion paragraph.
Therefore, follow these steps and makes your essay writing process easy.
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How to Write a Reflective Essay?
Here are some steps that you should follow when you start writing your reflective paper.
1. Write the Introduction
To understand and know how to start a reflective essay introduction, you must first understand that an introduction is a piece of brief information about the main topic and its background.
In the reflective essay introduction, you will recognize the subject and provide the reader with an overview of the impression you have taken from it. Therefore, the introductory paragraph of your reflective essay needs to include a thesis statement that will act as a focal point of your paper.
2. Body Paragraphs
The first body paragraph should mention the impactful impression your subject has made on you. Then, provide relevant facts to support your thesis statement.
Moreover, the body of your essay will also describe most of the ideas you touched on in your introduction.
3. Write a Conclusion
Restate your thesis statement and summarize all the reasons you have mentioned in the essay’s body paragraphs. After that, sum up your essay with your final thoughts on the subject; close your essay with some reflective thoughts.
4. Proofread and Edit
Never submit your essay without editing or proofreading. Even though you have spent hours of effort and put a lot of hard work in doing your essay, your essay will have no worth if you haven’t proofread and edited it.
Here is the reflective essay outline sample for your ease.
Reflective Essay Outline
REFLECTIVE ESSAY OUTLINE
Reflective Essay Examples
We have compiled some perfect reflective essay examples below to help you get started on your paper.
Personal Reflective Essay Examples
PERSONAL REFLECTIVE ESSAY EXAMPLES
ENGLISH REFLECTIVE ESSAY EXAMPLES
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Reflective Essay Topics
Check out these reflective essay ideas on the most common subjects you can write about:
- Something from your imagination
- Something you have experienced in real
- A special object
- Something you have seen, heard, read, watched, touched, or smelled.
We are sure these subjects must have sparked your imagination, but here are a few essay topics that will help you get the bigger picture. In addition, these topics will help you understand the kind of topics teachers like to assign.
- The desert, mountains, countryside, or beach
- A special room or hideaway
- The house you grew up
- Home of some relative
- A person that taught me how to improve reflective writing skills
- New Experiences
- When your piece of writing published
- Important conversation
- The older man line of thought
- The time you overcame your fears
A list of topics will help you get a picture of what good ideas are like and how to come up with one of your own.
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Frequently Asked Questions
How long is a reflective essay.
The reflective essay should be between 300 and 500 words. However, it will vary according to the chosen topic.
What is the purpose of a reflective essay?
A reflective essay is a great opportunity for the author to explore what has happened in their life and show how this specific event may have changed them.
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PhD Essay, Literature
John K. is a professional writer and author with many publications to his name. He has a Ph.D. in the field of management sciences, making him an expert on the subject matter. John is highly sought after for his insights and knowledge, and he regularly delivers keynote speeches and conducts workshops on various topics related to writing and publishing. He is also a regular contributor to various online publications.
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A complete guide to writing a reflective essay
(Last updated: 3 June 2024)
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“The overwhelming burden of writing my first ever reflective essay loomed over me as I sat as still as a statue, as my fingers nervously poised over the intimidating buttons on my laptop keyboard. Where would I begin? Where would I end? Nerve wracking thoughts filled my mind as I fretted over the seemingly impossible journey on which I was about to embark.”
Reflective essays may seem simple on the surface, but they can be a real stumbling block if you're not quite sure how to go about them. In simple terms, reflective essays constitute a critical examination of a life experience and, with the right guidance, they're not too challenging to put together. A reflective essay is similar to other essays in that it needs to be easily understood and well structured, but the content is more akin to something personal like a diary entry.
In this guide, we explore in detail how to write a great reflective essay , including what makes a good structure and some advice on the writing process. We’ve even thrown in an example reflective essay to inspire you too, making this the ultimate guide for anyone needing reflective essay help.
Types of Reflection Papers
There are several types of reflective papers, each serving a unique purpose. Educational reflection papers focus on your learning experiences, such as a course or a lecture, and how they have impacted your understanding. Professional reflection papers often relate to work experiences, discussing what you have learned in a professional setting and how it has shaped your skills and perspectives. Personal reflection papers delve into personal experiences and their influence on your personal growth and development.
Each of these requires a slightly different approach, but all aim to provide insight into your thoughts and experiences, demonstrating your ability to analyse and learn from them. Understanding the specific requirements of each type can help you tailor your writing to effectively convey your reflections.
Reflective Essay Format
In a reflective essay, a writer primarily examines his or her life experiences, hence the term ‘reflective’. The purpose of writing a reflective essay is to provide a platform for the author to not only recount a particular life experience, but to also explore how he or she has changed or learned from those experiences. Reflective writing can be presented in various formats, but you’ll most often see it in a learning log format or diary entry. Diary entries in particular are used to convey how the author’s thoughts have developed and evolved over the course of a particular period.
The format of a reflective essay may change depending on the target audience. Reflective essays can be academic, or may feature more broadly as a part of a general piece of writing for a magazine, for instance. For class assignments, while the presentation format can vary, the purpose generally remains the same: tutors aim to inspire students to think deeply and critically about a particular learning experience or set of experiences. Here are some typical examples of reflective essay formats that you may have to write:
A focus on personal growth:
A type of reflective essay often used by tutors as a strategy for helping students to learn how to analyse their personal life experiences to promote emotional growth and development. The essay gives the student a better understanding of both themselves and their behaviours.
A focus on the literature:
This kind of essay requires students to provide a summary of the literature, after which it is applied to the student’s own life experiences.
Pre-Writing Tips: How to Start Writing the Reflection Essay?
As you go about deciding on the content of your essay, you need to keep in mind that a reflective essay is highly personal and aimed at engaging the reader or target audience. And there’s much more to a reflective essay than just recounting a story. You need to be able to reflect (more on this later) on your experience by showing how it influenced your subsequent behaviours and how your life has been particularly changed as a result.
As a starting point, you might want to think about some important experiences in your life that have really impacted you, either positively, negatively, or both. Some typical reflection essay topics include: a real-life experience, an imagined experience, a special object or place, a person who had an influence on you, or something you have watched or read. If you are writing a reflective essay as part of an academic exercise, chances are your tutor will ask you to focus on a particular episode – such as a time when you had to make an important decision – and reflect on what the outcomes were. Note also, that the aftermath of the experience is especially important in a reflective essay; miss this out and you will simply be storytelling.
What Do You Mean By Reflection Essay?
It sounds obvious, but the reflective process forms the core of writing this type of essay, so it’s important you get it right from the outset. You need to really think about how the personal experience you have chosen to focus on impacted or changed you. Use your memories and feelings of the experience to determine the implications for you on a personal level.
Once you’ve chosen the topic of your essay, it’s really important you study it thoroughly and spend a lot of time trying to think about it vividly. Write down everything you can remember about it, describing it as clearly and fully as you can. Keep your five senses in mind as you do this, and be sure to use adjectives to describe your experience. At this stage, you can simply make notes using short phrases, but you need to ensure that you’re recording your responses, perceptions, and your experience of the event(s).
Once you’ve successfully emptied the contents of your memory, you need to start reflecting. A great way to do this is to pick out some reflection questions which will help you think deeper about the impact and lasting effects of your experience. Here are some useful questions that you can consider:
- What have you learned about yourself as a result of the experience?
- Have you developed because of it? How?
- Did it have any positive or negative bearing on your life?
- Looking back, what would you have done differently?
- Why do you think you made the particular choices that you did? Do you think these were the right choices?
- What are your thoughts on the experience in general? Was it a useful learning experience? What specific skills or perspectives did you acquire as a result?
These signpost questions should help kick-start your reflective process. Remember, asking yourself lots of questions is key to ensuring that you think deeply and critically about your experiences – a skill that is at the heart of writing a great reflective essay.
Consider using models of reflection (like the Gibbs or Kolb cycles) before, during, and after the learning process to ensure that you maintain a high standard of analysis. For example, before you really get stuck into the process, consider questions such as: what might happen (regarding the experience)? Are there any possible challenges to keep in mind? What knowledge is needed to be best prepared to approach the experience? Then, as you’re planning and writing, these questions may be useful: what is happening within the learning process? Is the process working out as expected? Am I dealing with the accompanying challenges successfully? Is there anything that needs to be done additionally to ensure that the learning process is successful? What am I learning from this? By adopting such a framework, you’ll be ensuring that you are keeping tabs on the reflective process that should underpin your work.
How to Strategically Plan Out the Reflective Essay Structure?
Here’s a very useful tip: although you may feel well prepared with all that time spent reflecting in your arsenal, do not, start writing your essay until you have worked out a comprehensive, well-rounded plan . Your writing will be so much more coherent, your ideas conveyed with structure and clarity, and your essay will likely achieve higher marks.
This is an especially important step when you’re tackling a reflective essay – there can be a tendency for people to get a little ‘lost’ or disorganised as they recount their life experiences in an erratic and often unsystematic manner as it is a topic so close to their hearts. But if you develop a thorough outline (this is the same as a ‘plan’) and ensure you stick to it like Christopher Columbus to a map, you should do just fine as you embark on the ultimate step of writing your essay. If you need further convincing on how important planning is, we’ve summarised the key benefits of creating a detailed essay outline below:
An outline allows you to establish the basic details that you plan to incorporate into your paper – this is great for helping you pick out any superfluous information, which can be removed entirely to make your essay succinct and to the point.
Think of the outline as a map – you plan in advance the points you wish to navigate through and discuss in your writing. Your work will more likely have a clear through line of thought, making it easier for the reader to understand. It’ll also help you avoid missing out any key information, and having to go back at the end and try to fit it in.
It’s a real time-saver! Because the outline essentially serves as the essay’s ‘skeleton’, you’ll save a tremendous amount of time when writing as you’ll be really familiar with what you want to say. As such, you’ll be able to allocate more time to editing the paper and ensuring it’s of a high standard.
Now you’re familiar with the benefits of using an outline for your reflective essay, it is essential that you know how to craft one. It can be considerably different from other typical essay outlines, mostly because of the varying subjects. But what remains the same, is that you need to start your outline by drafting the introduction, body and conclusion. More on this below.
Introduction
As is the case with all essays, your reflective essay must begin within an introduction that contains both a hook and a thesis statement. The point of having a ‘hook’ is to grab the attention of your audience or reader from the very beginning. You must portray the exciting aspects of your story in the initial paragraph so that you stand the best chances of holding your reader’s interest. Refer back to the opening quote of this article – did it grab your attention and encourage you to read more? The thesis statement is a brief summary of the focus of the essay, which in this case is a particular experience that influenced you significantly. Remember to give a quick overview of your experience – don’t give too much information away or you risk your reader becoming disinterested.
Next up is planning the body of your essay. This can be the hardest part of the entire paper; it’s easy to waffle and repeat yourself both in the plan and in the actual writing. Have you ever tried recounting a story to a friend only for them to tell you to ‘cut the long story short’? They key here is to put plenty of time and effort into planning the body, and you can draw on the following tips to help you do this well:
Try adopting a chronological approach. This means working through everything you want to touch upon as it happened in time. This kind of approach will ensure that your work is systematic and coherent. Keep in mind that a reflective essay doesn’t necessarily have to be linear, but working chronologically will prevent you from providing a haphazard recollection of your experience. Lay out the important elements of your experience in a timeline – this will then help you clearly see how to piece your narrative together.
Ensure the body of your reflective essay is well focused and contains appropriate critique and reflection. The body should not only summarise your experience, it should explore the impact that the experience has had on your life, as well as the lessons that you have learned as a result. The emphasis should generally be on reflection as opposed to summation. A reflective posture will not only provide readers with insight on your experience, it’ll highlight your personality and your ability to deal with or adapt to particular situations.
In the conclusion of your reflective essay, you should focus on bringing your piece together by providing a summary of both the points made throughout, and what you have learned as a result. Try to include a few points on why and how your attitudes and behaviours have been changed. Consider also how your character and skills have been affected, for example: what conclusions can be drawn about your problem-solving skills? What can be concluded about your approach to specific situations? What might you do differently in similar situations in the future? What steps have you taken to consolidate everything that you have learned from your experience? Keep in mind that your tutor will be looking out for evidence of reflection at a very high standard.
Congratulations – you now have the tools to create a thorough and accurate plan which should put you in good stead for the ultimate phase indeed of any essay, the writing process.
Step-by-Step Guide to Writing Your Reflective Essay
As with all written assignments, sitting down to put pen to paper (or more likely fingers to keyboard) can be daunting. But if you have put in the time and effort fleshing out a thorough plan, you should be well prepared, which will make the writing process as smooth as possible. The following points should also help ease the writing process:
- To get a feel for the tone and format in which your writing should be, read other typically reflective pieces in magazines and newspapers, for instance.
- Don’t think too much about how to start your first sentence or paragraph; just start writing and you can always come back later to edit anything you’re not keen on. Your first draft won’t necessarily be your best essay writing work but it’s important to remember that the earlier you start writing, the more time you will have to keep reworking your paper until it’s perfect. Don’t shy away from using a free-flow method, writing and recording your thoughts and feelings on your experiences as and when they come to mind. But make sure you stick to your plan. Your plan is your roadmap which will ensure your writing doesn’t meander too far off course.
- For every point you make about an experience or event, support it by describing how you were directly impacted, using specific as opposed to vague words to convey exactly how you felt.
- Write using the first-person narrative, ensuring that the tone of your essay is very personal and reflective of your character.
- If you need to, refer back to our notes earlier on creating an outline. As you work through your essay, present your thoughts systematically, remembering to focus on your key learning outcomes.
- Consider starting your introduction with a short anecdote or quote to grasp your readers’ attention, or other engaging techniques such as flashbacks.
- Choose your vocabulary carefully to properly convey your feelings and emotions. Remember that reflective writing has a descriptive component and so must have a wide range of adjectives to draw from. Avoid vague adjectives such as ‘okay’ or ‘nice’ as they don’t really offer much insight into your feelings and personality. Be more specific – this will make your writing more engaging.
- Be honest with your feelings and opinions. Remember that this is a reflective task, and is the one place you can freely admit – without any repercussions – that you failed at a particular task. When assessing your essay, your tutor will expect a deep level of reflection, not a simple review of your experiences and emotion. Showing deep reflection requires you to move beyond the descriptive. Be extremely critical about your experience and your response to it. In your evaluation and analysis, ensure that you make value judgements, incorporating ideas from outside the experience you had to guide your analysis. Remember that you can be honest about your feelings without writing in a direct way. Use words that work for you and are aligned with your personality.
- Once you’ve finished learning about and reflecting on your experience, consider asking yourself these questions: what did I particularly value from the experience and why? Looking back, how successful has the process been? Think about your opinions immediately after the experience and how they differ now, so that you can evaluate the difference between your immediate and current perceptions. Asking yourself such questions will help you achieve reflective writing effectively and efficiently.
- Don’t shy away from using a variety of punctuation. It helps keeps your writing dynamic! Doesn’t it?
- If you really want to awaken your reader’s imagination, you can use imagery to create a vivid picture of your experiences.
- Ensure that you highlight your turning point, or what we like to call your “Aha!” moment. Without this moment, your resulting feelings and thoughts aren’t as valid and your argument not as strong.
- Don’t forget to keep reiterating the lessons you have learned from your experience.
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Bonus Tip - Using Wider Sources
Although a reflective piece of writing is focused on personal experience, it’s important you draw on other sources to demonstrate your understanding of your experience from a theoretical perspective. It’ll show a level of analysis – and a standard of reliability in what you’re claiming – if you’re also able to validate your work against other perspectives that you find. Think about possible sources, like newspapers, surveys, books and even journal articles. Generally, the additional sources you decide to include in your work are highly dependent on your field of study. Analysing a wide range of sources, will show that you have read widely on your subject area, that you have nuanced insight into the available literature on the subject of your essay, and that you have considered the broader implications of the literature for your essay. The incorporation of other sources into your essay also helps to show that you are aware of the multi-dimensional nature of both the learning and problem-solving process.
Reflective Essay Example
If you want some inspiration for writing, take a look at our example of a short reflective essay , which can serve as a useful starting point for you when you set out to write your own.
Some Final Notes to Remember
To recap, the key to writing a reflective essay is demonstrating what lessons you have taken away from your experiences, and why and how you have been shaped by these lessons.
The reflective thinking process begins with you – you must consciously make an effort to identify and examine your own thoughts in relation to a particular experience. Don’t hesitate to explore any prior knowledge or experience of the topic, which will help you identify why you have formed certain opinions on the subject. Remember that central to reflective essay writing is the examination of your attitudes, assumptions and values, so be upfront about how you feel. Reflective writing can be quite therapeutic, helping you identify and clarify your strengths and weaknesses, particularly in terms of any knowledge gaps that you may have. It’s a pretty good way of improving your critical thinking skills, too. It enables you to adopt an introspective posture in analysing your experiences and how you learn/make sense of them.
If you are still having difficulties with starting the writing process, why not try mind-mapping which will help you to structure your thinking and ideas, enabling you to produce a coherent piece. Creating a mind map will ensure that your argument is written in a very systematic way that will be easy for your tutor to follow. Here’s a recap of the contents of this article, which also serves as a way to create a mind map:
1. Identify the topic you will be writing on.
2. Note down any ideas that are related to the topic and if you want to, try drawing a diagram to link together any topics, theories, and ideas.
3. Allow your ideas to flow freely, knowing that you will always have time to edit your reflective essay .
4. Consider how your ideas are connected to each other, then begin the writing process.
And finally, keep in mind that although there are descriptive elements in a reflective essay, we can’t emphasise enough how crucial it is that your work is critical, analytical, and adopts a reflective posture in terms of your experience and the lessons you have learned from it.
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How to Write a Reflective Essay
- 3-minute read
- 29th August 2018
If you think that a “reflective essay” is a college paper written on a mirror, this post is for you. That’s because we’re here to explain exactly what a reflective essay is and how to write one. And we can tell you from the outset that no mirrors are required to follow our advice.
![layout of reflective essay](https://proofed.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/475px-Kitten_and_partial_reflection_in_mirror.jpg)
What Is Reflective Writing?
The kind of “reflection” we’re talking about here is personal. It involves considering your own situation and analyzing it so you can learn from your experiences. To do this, you need to describe what happened, how you felt about it, and what you might be able to learn from it for the future.
This makes reflective writing a useful part of courses that involve work-based learning . For instance, a student nurse might be asked to write a reflective essay about a placement.
When writing a reflective essay, moreover, you may have to forget the rule about not using pronouns like “I” or “we” in academic writing. In reflective writing, using the first person is essential!
The Reflective Cycle
There are many approaches to reflective learning, but one of the most popular is Gibb’s Reflective Cycle . This was developed by Professor Graham Gibbs and can be applied to a huge range of situations. In all cases, though, it involves the following steps:
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- Description – You will need to describe your experiences in detail. This includes what happened, where and when it happened, who else was involved, and what you did.
- Feelings – How you felt before, during, and after the experience you describe.
- Evaluation and Analysis – Think about what went well and what could be improved upon based on your experience. Try to refer to ideas you’ve learned in class while thinking about this.
- Conclusions – Final thoughts on what you’ve learned from the experience.
- Action – How you will put what you’ve learned into practice.
If your reflective essay addresses the steps above, you are on the right track!
Structuring a Reflective Essay
While reflective essays vary depending upon topic and subject area, most share a basic overall structure. Unless you are told otherwise, then, your essay should include the following:
- Introduction – A brief outline of what your essay is about.
- Main Body – The main part of your essay will be a description of what happened and how it made you feel . This is also where you will evaluate and analyze your experiences, either as part of the description or as a separate section in the essay.
- Conclusion – The conclusion of your essay should sum up what you have learned from reflecting on your experiences and what you would do differently in the future.
- Reference List – If you have cited any sources in your essay, make sure to list them with full bibliographic information at the end of the document.
Finally, once you’ve written your essay, don’t forget to get it checked for spelling and grammar errors!
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How to Write a Reflective Essay?
07 August, 2020
17 minutes read
Author: Elizabeth Brown
A reflective essay is a personal perspective on an issue or topic. This article will look at how to write an excellent reflexive account of your experience, provide you with reflexive essay framework to help you plan and organize your essay and give you a good grounding of what good reflective writing looks like.
![layout of reflective essay Reflective Essay](https://handmadewriting.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/5.png)
What is a Reflective Essay?
A reflective essay requires the writer to examine his experiences and explore how these experiences have helped him develop and shaped him as a person. It is essentially an analysis of your own experience focusing on what you’ve learned.
Don’t confuse reflexive analysis with the rhetorical one. If you need assistance figuring out how to write a rhetorical analysis , give our guide a read!
Based on the reflective essay definition, this paper will follow a logical and thought-through plan . It will be a discussion that centers around a topic or issue. The essay should strive to achieve a balance between description and personal feelings.
It requires a clear line of thought, evidence, and examples to help you discuss your reflections. Moreover, a proper paper requires an analytical approach . There are three main types of a reflective essay: theory-based, a case study or an essay based on one’s personal experience.
![layout of reflective essay How to choose reflective essay topics](https://handmadewriting.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/how-to-choose-reflective-essay-topics.jpg)
Unlike most academic forms of writing, this writing is based on personal experiences and thoughts. As such, first-person writing position where the writer can refer to his own thoughts and feelings is essential. If the writer talks about psychology or medicine, it is best to use the first-person reference as little as possible to keep the tone objective and science-backed.
To write this paper, you need to recollect and share personal experience . However, there is still a chance that you’ll be asked to talk about a more complex topic.
By the way, if you are looking for good ideas on how to choose a good argumentative essay topic , check out our latest guide to help you out!
The Criteria for a Good Reflective Essay
The convention of an academic reflective essay writing will vary slightly depending on your area of study. A good reflective essay will be written geared towards its intended audience. These are the general criteria that form the core of a well-written piece:
- A developed perspective and line of reasoning on the subject.
- A well-informed discussion that is based on literature and sources relevant to your reflection.
- An understanding of the complex nuance of situations and the tributary effects that prevent them from being simple and clear-cut.
- Ability to stand back and analyze your own decision-making process to see if there is a better solution to the problem.
- A clear understanding of h ow the experience has influenced you.
- A good understanding of the principles and theories of your subject area.
- Ability to frame a problem before implementing a solution.
These seven criteria form the principles of writing an excellent reflective essay.
Still need help with your essay? Handmade Writing is here to assist you!
What is the Purpose of Writing a Reflective Essay?
The purpose of a reflective essay is for a writer to reflect upon experience and learn from it . Reflection is a useful process that helps you make sense of things and gain valuable lessons from your experience. Reflective essay writing allows you to demonstrate that you can think critically about your own skills or practice strategies implementations to learn and improve without outside guidance.
Another purpose is to analyze the event or topic you are describing and emphasize how you’ll apply what you’ve learned.
How to Create a Reflective Essay Outline
- Analyze the task you’ve received
- Read through and understand the marking criteria
- Keep a reflective journal during the experience
- Use a reflective framework (Schon, Driscoll, Gibbs, and Kolb) to help you analyze the experience
- Create a referencing system to keep institutions and people anonymous to avoid breaking their confidentiality
- Set the scene by using the five W’s (What, Where, When, Who and Why) to describe it
- Choose the events or the experiences you’re going to reflect on
- Identify the issues of the event or experience you want to focus on
- Use literature and documents to help you discuss these issues in a wider context
- Reflect on how these issues changed your position regarding the issue
- Compare and contrast theory with practice
- Identify and discuss your learning needs both professionally and personally
Don’t forget to adjust the formatting of your essay. There are four main format styles of any academic piece. Discover all of them from our essay format guide!
Related Posts: Essay outline | Essay format Guide
Using Reflective Frameworks
![layout of reflective essay Reflective writing frameworks](https://handmadewriting.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/reflective-writing-framework.jpg)
A good way to develop a reflective essay plan is by using a framework that exists. A framework will let help you break the experience down logical and make the answer easier to organize. Popular frameworks include: Schon’s (1983) Reflection in action and reflection on action .
Schon wrote ‘The Reflective Practitioner’ in 1983 in which he describes reflection-in-action and reflection-on-action as tools for learning how to meet challenges that do not conform to formulas learned in school through improvisation. He mentioned two types of reflection : one during and one after. By being aware of these processes while on a work-experience trail or clinical assignment you have to write a reflective account for, you get to understand the process better. So good questions to ask in a reflective journal could be:
<td “200”>Reflection-pre-action <td “200”>Reflection-in-action <td “200”>Reflection-on-Action<td “200”>What might happen? <td “200”>What is happening in the situation? <td “200”>What were your insights after?<td “200”>What possible challenges will you face? <td “200”>Is it working out as you expected? <td “200”>How did it go in retrospect?<td “200”>How will you prepare for the situation? <td “200”>What are the challenges you are dealing with? <td “200”>What did you value and why?<td “200”> <td “200”>What can you do to make the experience a successful one? <td “200”>What would you do differently before or during a similar situation?<td “200”> <td “200”>What are you learning? <td “200”>What have you learned?
This will give you a good frame for your paper and help you analyze your experience.
Kolb’s (1984) Learning Cycle
Kolb’s reflective framework works in four stages:
- Concrete experience. This is an event or experience
- Reflective observation. This is reflecting upon the experience. What you did and why.
- Abstract conceptualization. This is the process of drawing conclusions from the experience. Did it confirm a theory or falsify something? And if so, what can you conclude from that?
- Active experimentation. Planning and trying out the thing you have learned from this interaction.
Gibb’s (1988) Reflection Cycle
Gibbs model is an extension of Kolb’s. Gibb’s reflection cycle is a popular model used in reflective writing. There are six stages in the cycle.
- Description. What happened? Describe the experience you are reflecting on and who is involved.
- Feelings. What were you thinking and feeling at the time? What were your thoughts and feelings afterward?
- Evaluation. What was good and bad about the experience? How did you react to the situation? How did other people react? Was the situation resolved? Why and how was it resolved or why wasn’t it resolved? Could the resolution have been better?
- Analysis. What sense can you make of the situation? What helped or hindered during the event? How does this compare to the literature on the subject?
- Conclusion. What else could you have done? What have you learned from the experience? Could you have responded differently? How would improve or repeat success? How can you avoid failure?
- Action plan. If it arose again what would you do? How can you better prepare yourself for next time?
Driscoll’s Method (1994) and Rolfe et al (2001) Reflexive Learning
The Driscoll Method break the process down into three questions. What (Description), So What (Analysis) and Now What (Proposed action). Rolf et al 2001 extended the model further by giving more in-depth and reflexive questions.
- What is the problem/ difficulty/reason for being stuck/reason for feeling bad?
- What was my role in the situation?
- What was I trying to achieve?
- What actions did I take?
- What was the response of others?
- What were the consequences for the patient / for myself / for others?
- What feeling did it evoke in the patient / in myself / in others?
- What was good and bad about the experience?
- So, what were your feelings at the time?
- So, what are your feelings now? Are there any differences? Why?
- So, what were the effects of what you did or did not do?
- So, what good emerged from the situation for yourself and others? Does anything trouble you about the experience or event?
- So, what were your experiences like in comparison to colleagues, patients, visitors, and others?
- So, what are the main reasons for feeling differently from your colleagues?
- Now, what are the implications for you, your colleagues and the patients?
- Now, what needs to happen to alter the situation?
- Now, what are you going to do about the situation?
- Now, what happens if you decide not to alter anything?
- Now, what will you do differently if faced with a similar situation?
- Now, what information would you need to deal with the situation again?
- Now, what methods would you use to go about getting that information?
This model is mostly used for clinical experiences in degrees related to medicine such as nursing or genetic counseling. It helps to get students comfortable thinking over each experience and adapting to situations.
This is just a selection of basic models of this type of writing. And there are more in-depth models out there if you’re writing a very advanced reflective essay. These models are good for beginner level essays. Each model has its strengths and weaknesses. So, it is best to use one that allows you to answer the set question fully.
This written piece can follow many different structures depending on the subject area . So, check your assignment to make sure you don’t have a specifically assigned structural breakdown. For example, an essay that follows Gibbs plan directly with six labeled paragraphs is typical in nursing assignments. A more typical piece will follow a standard structure of an introduction, main body, and conclusion. Now, let’s look into details on how to craft each of these essay parts.
How to Write an Introduction?
There are several good ways to start a reflective essay . Remember that an introduction to a reflective essay differs depending on upon what kind of reflection is involved. A science-based introduction should be brief and direct introducing the issue you plan on discussing and its context.
Related post: How to write an Essay Introduction
For example, a nursing student might want to discuss the overreliance on medical journals in the industry and why peer-reviewed journals led to mistaken information. In this case, one good way how to start a reflective essay introduction is by introducing a thesis statement. Help the reader see the real value of your work.
Do you need help with your thesis statement? Take a look at our recent guide explaining what is a thesis statement .
Let’s look at some reflective essay examples.
‘During my first month working at Hospital X, I became aware just how many doctors treated peer-views journal articles as a gospel act. This is a dangerous practice that because of (a), (b) and (c) could impact patients negatively.’
The reflective essay on English class would begin differently. In fact, it should be more personal and sound less bookish .
How to Write the Main Body Paragraphs?
The main body of the essay should focus on specific examples of the issue in question. A short description should be used for the opener. Each paragraph of this piece should begin with an argument supporting the thesis statement.
The most part of each paragraph should be a reflexive analysis of the situation and evaluation . Each paragraph should end with a concluding sentence that caps the argument. In a science-based essay, it is important to use theories, other studies from journals and source-based material to argue and support your position in an objective manner.
How to Write the Conclusion?
A conclusion should provide a summary of the issues explored, remind the reader of the purpose of the essay and suggest an appropriate course of action in relation to the needs identified in the body of the essay.
This is mostly an action plan for the future. However, if appropriate a writer can call readers to action or ask questions. Make sure that the conclusion is powerful enough for readers to remember it. In most cases, an introduction and a conclusion is the only thing your audience will remember.
Reflective Essay Topics
Here are some good topics for a reflective essay. We’ve decided to categorize them to help you find good titles for reflective essays that fit your requirement.
Medicine-related topics:
- Write a reflective essay on leadership in nursing
- How did a disease of your loved ones (or your own) change you?
- Write a reflection essay on infection control
- How dealing with peer-reviewed journals interrupts medical procedures?
- Write a reflection essay about community service
- Write a reflective essay on leadership and management in nursing
Topics on teamwork:
- Write a reflective essay on the group presentation
- What makes you a good team player and what stays in the way of improvement?
- Write a reflective essay on the presentation
- Write about the last lesson you learned from working in a team
- A reflective essay on career development: How teamwork can help you succeed in your career?
Topics on personal experiences:
- Write a reflective essay on the pursuit of happiness: what it means to you and how you’re pursuing it?
- Write a reflective essay on human sexuality: it is overrated today? And are you a victim of stereotypes in this area?
- Write a reflective essay on growing up
- Reflective essay on death: How did losing a loved one change your world?
- Write a reflective essay about a choice you regret
- Write a reflective essay on the counseling session
Academic topics:
- A reflective essay on the writing process: How does writing help you process your emotions and learn from experiences?
- Write a reflective essay on language learning: How learning a new language changes your worldview
- A reflective essay about a choice I regret
Related Posts: Research Paper topics | Compare&Contrast Essay topics
Reflective Essay Example
Tips on writing a good reflective essay.
Some good general tips include the following:
![layout of reflective essay Do's and don'ts of reflective essay writing](https://handmadewriting.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/dos-donts-reflective-writing.jpg)
As long as you use tips by HandMade Writing, you’ll end up having a great piece. Just stick to our recommendations. And should you need the help of a pro essay writer service, remember that we’re here to help!
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Ultimate Guide to Writing a Reflective Essay
Carla johnson.
- June 14, 2023
- How to Guides
Writing about yourself is a powerful way to learn and grow as a person. It is a type of writing that makes you think about your thoughts, feelings, and experiences and how they have affected your personal and professional growth. A reflective essay is a type of writing that lets you talk about your own experiences, thoughts, and insights. In this article , we’ll tell you everything you need to know about writing a reflective essay, from how to define it and figure out what it’s for to how to do it well.
What You'll Learn
Definition of a Reflective Essay
A reflective essay is a type of writing in which you write about your own thoughts, feelings, and experiences. It is a type of personal writing that lets you talk about your own thoughts and experiences and share them with other people. Students are often asked to write reflective essays for school, but they can also be used for personal or professional growth.
Purpose of a Reflective Essay
The goal of a reflective essay is to get you to think about your life and how it has affected your personal and professional growth. Reflective essays can help you learn more about yourself and your experiences, as well as find places where you can grow and improve. They can also help you get better at writing and better at getting your ideas across.
Importance of Reflective Writing
Writing about yourself and your work is an important way to grow personally and professionally. It can help you learn more about yourself, figure out where you need to grow and change, and learn more about how you think and feel. Writing about yourself can also help you get better at critical thinking and analysis , and it can help you get your ideas across better. It is a useful tool for anyone who wants to grow personally and professionally, and it can be used in many different situations, from academic writing to keeping a personal journal.
Writing about yourself and your work is a powerful way to grow personally and professionally. Reflective essays give you a chance to think about your own life and how it has affected your personal and professional growth. By writing about your thoughts and feelings, you can learn more about them, find ways to grow and improve, and improve your writing and communication skills . In the next parts of this article, we’ll show you how to write a good reflective essay step by step, from choosing a topic and organizing your thoughts to writing and revising your essay.
Elements of a Reflective Essay
A reflective essay is a type of writing that allows you to reflect on your personal experiences, thoughts, and feelings. There are several essential elements that should be included in a reflective essay to ensure that it is effective in conveying your personal reflections and experiences.
Personal Reflection
The first essential element of a reflective essay is personal reflection. This involves exploring your own thoughts and feelings about the experience you are reflecting on. It is important to be honest and open about your thoughts and feelings, as this will make your essay more authentic and meaningful.
Description of the Experience
The second element of a reflective essay is a description of the experience that you are reflecting on. This includes providing details about the experience, such as where it took place, who was involved, and what happened. The description should be clear and concise, and should provide enough detail for the reader to understand the context of your reflection.
Analysis of the Experience
The third element of a reflective essay is analysis of the experience. This involves exploring the experience in more depth, and examining your thoughts and feelings about it. You should consider what you learned from the experience, and how it impacted your personal and professional growth .
Evaluation of the Experience
The fourth element of a reflective essay is evaluation of the experience. This involves examining the experience from different perspectives, and considering its strengths and weaknesses. You should reflect on what you would do differently if you were in the same situation again, and how you could improve your response or approach.
Identification of Key Learning
The fifth element of a reflective essay is identifying the key learning that you gained from the experience. This involves reflecting on the insights and lessons that you learned from the experience, and how these have impacted your personal and professional growth. This can include new skills, knowledge, or perspectives that you gained from the experience.
Planning for Future Action
The final element of a reflective essay is planning for future action. This involves considering how you can apply the lessons and insights gained from the experience to improve your future actions. You should reflect on how you can use what you learned to approach similar situations differently in the future.
How to Write a Reflective Essay
Writing a reflective essay can be a challenging task, but by following a few simple steps, you can write an effective and meaningful essay .
Steps for Writing a Reflective Essay:
1. Brainstorming and Selecting a Topic
Begin by brainstorming and selecting a topic for your reflective essay. Think about a personal experience or event that had a significant impact on your personal or professional growth.
2. Creating an Outline
Create an outline for your essay . This should include an introduction, body, and conclusion, as well as sections for each of the essential elements described above.
3. Writing the Introduction
Write the introduction for your essay . This should include a brief overview of the experience that you will be reflecting on, as well as the purpose and focus of your essay.
4. Writing the Body
Write the body of your essay, which should include the personal reflection, description of the experience, analysis of the experience, evaluation of the experience, identification of key learning, and planning for future action . Make sure to use specific examples and details to support your reflection.
5. Writing the Conclusion
Write the conclusion for your essay , which should summarize the key points of your reflection and provide closure for the reader. You can also include a final reflection on the experience and what it means to you.
6. Revising and Editing
Pay close attention to grammar, spelling, and sentence structure as you reread and edit your essay . Make sure your essay is easy to read and flows well. You might also want someone else to look over your essay and give you feedback and ideas.
If you follow these steps, you should be able to write a good reflective essay. Remember to be honest and open about your thoughts and feelings, and to support your reflection with specific examples and details. You can become a good reflective writer with practice , and you can use this skill to help your personal and professional growth.
Reflective Essay Topics
Reflective essays can be written on a wide range of topics, as they are based on personal experiences and reflections. Here are some common categories of reflective essay topics:
Personal Experiences
– A time when you overcame a personal challenge
– A difficult decision you had to make
– A significant event in your life that changed you
– A moment when you learned an important lesson
– A relationship that had a significant impact on you
Professional Experiences
– A challenging project or assignment at work
– A significant accomplishment or success in your career
– A time when you had to deal with a difficult colleague or boss
– A failure or setback in your career and what you learned from it
– A career change or transition that had a significant impact on you
Academic Experiences
– A challenging course or assignment in school
– A significant accomplishment or success in your academic career
– A time when you struggled with a particular subject or topic and how you overcame it
– A research project or paper that had a significant impact on you
– A teacher or mentor who had a significant impact on your academic career
Cultural Experiences
– A significant trip or travel experience
– A significant cultural event or celebration you participated in
– A time when you experienced culture shock
– A significant interaction with someone from a different culture
– A time when you learned something new about a different culture and how it impacted you
Social Issues
– A personal experience with discrimination or prejudice
– A time when you volunteered or worked for a social cause or organization
– A significant event or moment related to a social issue (e.g. protest, rally, community event)
– A time when you had to confront your own biases or privilege
– A social issue that you are passionate about and how it has impacted you personally
Reflective Essay Examples
Example 1: Reflecting on a Personal Challenge
In this reflective essay, the writer reflects on a personal challenge they faced and how they overcame it. They explore their thoughts, feelings, and actions during this time, and reflect on the lessons they learned from the experience.
Example 2: Reflecting on a Professional Experience
In this reflective essay, the writer reflects on a challenging project they worked on at work and how they overcame obstacles to successfully complete it. They explore their thoughts and feelings about the experience and reflect on the skills and knowledge they gained from it.
Example 3: Reflecting on an Academic Assignment
In this reflective essay, the writer reflects on a challenging academic assignment they completed and how they overcame difficulties to successfully complete it. They explore their thoughts and feelings about the experience and reflect on the skills and knowledge they gained from it.
Example 4: Reflecting on a Cultural Experience
In this reflective essay, the writer reflects on a significant cultural experience they had, such as traveling to a new country or participating in a cultural event. Theyexplore their thoughts and feelings about the experience, reflect on what they learned about the culture, and how it impacted them personally.
Example 5: Reflecting on a Social Issue
In this reflective essay, the writer reflects on their personal experiences with discrimination or prejudice and how it impacted them. They explore their thoughts and feelings about the experience, reflect on what they learned about themselves and the issue, and how they can take action to address it.
These examples demonstrate how reflective essays can be used to explore a wide range of personal experiences and reflections. By exploring your own thoughts and feelings about an experience, you can gain insights into your personal and professional growth and identify areas for further development . Reflective writing is a powerful tool for self-reflection and personal growth, and it can be used in many different contexts to help you gain a deeper understanding of yourself and the world around you.
Reflective Essay Outline
A reflective essay should follow a basic outline that includes an introduction, body, and conclusion. Here is a breakdown of each section:
Introduction: The introduction should provide an overview of the experience you will be reflecting on and a preview of the key points you will be discussing in your essay .
Body: The body of the essay should include several paragraphs that explore your personal reflection, description of the experience, analysis of the experience, evaluation of the experience, identification of key learning, and planning for future action.
Conclusion: The conclusion should summarize the key points of your reflection and provide closure for the reader.
Reflective Essay Thesis
A reflective essay thesis is a statement that summarizes the main points of your essay and provides a clear focus for your writing. A strong thesis statement is essential for a successful reflective essay, as it helps to guide your writing and ensure that your essay is focused and coherent.
Importance of a Strong Thesis Statement
A strong thesis statement is important for several reasons. First, it provides a clear focus for your writing, which helps to ensure that your essay is coherent and well-organized. Second, it helps to guide your writing and ensure that you stay on topic throughout your essay . Finally, it helps to engage your reader and provide them with a clear understanding of what your essay is about.
Tips for Writing a Thesis Statement
To write a strong thesis statement for your reflective essay, follow these tips:
– Be clear and concise: Yourthesis statement should clearly state the main focus and purpose of your essay in a concise manner.
– Use specific language: Use specific language to describe the experience you will be reflecting on and the key points you will be discussing in your essay .
– Make it arguable: A strong thesis statement should be arguable and provide some insight or perspective on the experience you are reflecting on.
– Reflect on the significance: Reflect on the significance of the experience you are reflecting on and why it is important to you.
Reflective Essay Structure
The structure of a reflective essay is important for ensuring that your essay is well-organized and easy to read. A clear structure helps to guide the reader through your thoughts and reflections, and it makes it easier for them to understand your main points.
The Importance of a Clear Structure
A clear structure is important for several reasons. First, it helps to ensure that your essay is well-organized and easy to read. Second, it helps to guide your writing and ensure that you stay on topic throughout your essay. Finally, it helps to engage your reader and provide them with a clear understanding of the key points you are making.
Tips for Structuring a Reflective Essay
To structure your reflective essay effectively, follow these tips:
– Start with an introduction that provides an overview of the experience you are reflecting on and a preview of the key points you will be discussing in your essay .
– Use body paragraphs to explore your personal reflection, description of the experience, analysisof the experience, evaluation of the experience, identification of key learning, and planning for future action. Ensure that each paragraph has a clear focus and supports your thesis statement .
– Use transition words and phrases to connect your paragraphs and make your essay flow smoothly.
– End your essay with a conclusion that summarizes the key points of your reflection and provides closure for the reader.
– Consider using subheadings to organize your essay and make it more structured and easy to read.
By following these tips, you can create a clear and well-structured reflective essay that effectively communicates your personal experiences and reflections. Remember to use specific examples and details to support your reflection, and to keep your focus on the main topic and thesis statement of your essay .
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. what is a reflective essay.
A reflective essay is a type of writing that allows you to reflect on your personal experiences, thoughts, and feelings. It involves exploring your own thoughts and feelings about an experience, and reflecting on what you learned from it.
2. What are the elements of a reflective essay?
The essential elements of a reflective essay include personal reflection, description of the experience, analysis of the experience, evaluation of the experience, identification of key learning, and planning for future action.
3. How do I choose a topic for a reflective essay?
To choose a topic for a reflective essay, think about a personal experience or event that had a significant impact on your personal or professional growth. You may also consider professional experiences, academic experiences, cultural experiences, or social issues that have impacted you personally.
Reflective writing is a powerful tool for personal and professional development. By exploring your own thoughts and feelings about an experience, you can gain insights into your personal and professional growth and identify areas for further development. To write an effective reflective essay, it is important to follow a clear structure, use specific examples and details to support your reflection, and stay focused on the main topic and thesis statement of your essay . By following these tips and guidelines, you can become a skilled reflective writer and use this tool to improve your personal and professional growth.
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Use this guide to learn all about reflective essays, including how to write and format a reflective essay and brainstorm ideas.
Style, Tone, Length. A reflection is an essay, so provide full, thoughtful responses to the questions in your instructor’s prompt. The style and tone of your reflective essay should match the purpose of the overall assignment. This is a personal essay meant to showcase what you learned from the text, event, or experience that you are writing ...
Learn how to write a reflection paper in 5 steps, and use our free template and sample essay to guide you.
What Is a Reflective Essay Format? A reflective essay format typically follows a structured approach that includes an introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. The introduction sets the stage by introducing the topic and providing a brief overview of what will be discussed.
In this article, you will learn how to write a reflective essay, and how to highlight impactful experiences. A reflection essay seems easy as you don’t have to defend one’s point of view or convince the reader of something.
A reflective essay is slightly different from other essays as it requires a personal point of view of a chosen subject. Thus, you need to analyze a particular subject with your personal experience, understanding, and knowledge.
In this guide, we explore in detail how to write a great reflective essay, including what makes a good structure and some advice on the writing process. We’ve even thrown in an example reflective essay to inspire you too, making this the ultimate guide for anyone needing reflective essay help.
While reflective essays vary depending upon topic and subject area, most share a basic overall structure. Unless you are told otherwise, then, your essay should include the following: Introduction – A brief outline of what your essay is about. Main Body – The main part of your essay will be a description of what happened and how it made you feel.
A reflective essay is a personal perspective on an issue or topic. This article will look at how to write an excellent reflexive account of your experience, provide you with reflexive essay framework to help you plan and organize your essay and give you a good grounding of what good reflective writing looks like. Table of contents.
To write an effective reflective essay, it is important to follow a clear structure, use specific examples and details to support your reflection, and stay focused on the main topic and thesis statement of your essay. By following these tips and guidelines, you can become a skilled reflective writer and use this tool to improve your personal ...