When you look in the mirror, what do you see? The obvious answer would be your reflection. It’s an image looking back at you and staring you in the face. When things go wrong or we commit mistakes, why are we often told to reflect on our choices? It’s because we need to be able to identify what went wrong and hopefully learn a needed lesson. Reflecting basically means taking a hard look at something and examining it with greater awareness and intentionality.
A reflective essay is a type of essay that examines a given topic but aims to offer deeper insights and add greater dimension to an otherwise ordinary essay. A reflective essay requires a certain amount of perspective from the writer.
According to the George Lucas Educational Foundation, reflection as a learning process guides students to be able to see the significance of their own learning and hopefully use it for problem solving and self-improvement.
How do you begin writing a reflective essay? What are some simple strategies that help encourage a reflective way of thinking? For high school or university students, writing reflective essays provides teachers and professors a unique insight into the student’s mind. It can be difficult to start writing one but trying these tips can help you get the ball rolling:
Keeping in mind the tips above, you can now begin writing your essay. There are printable templates available intended to help and guide you. A reflective essay is a personal piece of writing and can be highly subjective. However, there are important steps to consider in order to make a better and more thought-provoking essay.
Reflective essays are not only limited to English courses. Other academic subjects may also make use of it in their curriculum. It’s common for teachers to require a reflection paper after watching a film or play in class. For this, it’s important to know the subject fairly well or have the needed material in order to write your essay. If a subject is foreign to you, at the very least know what questions you want to raise and explore these. Research on the topic if you need to. What is important is that you know the subject enough to establish the direction you want in your essay.
A reflective essay may be personal but it still is an essay. You still need to ensure that your main ideas are clear and coherent. Plan the structure ahead and don’t neglect the format of your introduction, main body and conclusion. Use the sample Essay outlines to get started.
Critical thinking is probably the most important step. The essence of your reflection paper should be the perspective you bring to it. The first step towards gaining perspective is by asking questions. Don’t be afraid to dig deep and explore even the difficult questions or those without a clear cut answer. See how you can relate these questions to any personal or meaningful experience.
It’s easy to digress and deviate from a topic, especially if you feel very strongly about it. A reflective essay demands creativity but unity and cohesion should not be sacrificed in the process. Maintain a concise writing style all throughout and clearly define your main points.
Your reflective essay can still contain an introduction, main body and a conclusion. Although it is a semi-free style of essay, having these three basic parts will add necessary structure and help maintain a logical flow of ideas in your essay.
When writing an introduction for your essay, you can start by providing a brief summary of the topic as you understand it. Or you could pick out details of the subject that you wish to focus on. Your introduction gives you the chance to slowly build up your key ideas, and guide the reader to a deeper understanding of them in your main essay body.
Whether it’s needed in your application form to enter university or it’s for a college course requirement, a reflective essay is best expressed when you can balance reason with personal insight and understanding. Your essay needs to go beyond mere opinion and your writing should truly reflect what your values and beliefs are.
Seeing yourself in the mirror is not always a pleasant experience. There are days when you just don’t feel proud or good about your reflection. It’s important to realize that’s part of the human condition. The key is taking all that and turning it into self-awareness; and channeling it into positive action and growth. Reflection is not just for reclusive monks or serious thinkers; reflection is a skill that all of us need to cultivate. Start writing your reflective essay by downloading a sample document now!
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