Do you need to write a reflection essay and don’t know where to start? Surely, it’s just a normal essay, right? You’ve written dozens of those before! Well, a reflection essay is pretty special and is much more than an academic essay. It is filled to the brim with personal writing and opinions.
Find out more in our expert guide as we’ll show you how to write a reflection essay to help you score the grade you deserve!
What’s a Reflective Essay?
A reflective essay requires an exploration of your own feelings and opinions. Each reflection paper is unique and is very subjective to the author. Aim to invoke mood through your writing.
When writing a reflective essay, you can go wild with figurative language. Steer the reader through your own lens and show how your experiences have shaped you individually.
Although, don’t assume that it’s easy to write a reflection essay. You still need to follow a structure and have a good writing flow.
What’s the Purpose of a Personal Essay?
The purpose of writing a personal essay is to reflect on experiences. You’ll need to analyze those experiences in depth to identify how you have changed. Have you developed certain skills as a result? Do you now have a deeper understanding of the topic? How has your perspective changed?
A reflective paper acts as a platform for you to speak your mind. However, you must think deeply and be critical of the experiences discussed. A good personal essay will show how your ideas, perceptions, and skills have developed.
3 Most Common Types of Reflective Essays
There are different types of reflective essays. The genre of the reflection paper will depend on your reason for writing the essay. So, make sure you have read your brief or essay question fully and understand what you need to do.
Here are the top three types of reflection essays that you might need to write.
1. Personal Reflection Essay
A personal reflection essay will ask you to write about your own personal experiences. You’ll discuss your life and how various events have shaped the person you are today. Your focus here is on your own development and growth.
But you must still write from an analytical viewpoint. So, avoid merely describing your life and what has happened to you each year since you were a child.
A personal reflection essay aims to provide insight into those events. You must analyze how you’ve learned from each event and the impact the experience has had on you individually.
2. Educational Reflection Essay
You might be asked to write an educational reflection paper. This reflective essay type asks you to reflect on your learning experiences.
So, after taking a course or attending a lecture, how has your learning developed? Has the experience improved your skills and knowledge? Do you now have a deeper topic perspective?
It’s essential to be honest and analytical when writing an educational reflection essay. You don’t need to complement your professor. You need to provide an honest critique of how the education you’ve received has helped you.
3. Professional Reflection Essay
Another type of reflection paper is a professional reflection essay. This paper requires you to reflect on work experiences and other professional insights.
So, think about how your work history has shaped your perspective on a topic. Did you develop new skills or a different outlook?
Once again, write analytically and explore how each experience has impacted you.
How To Start a Reflection Paper
Let’s work out how to start a reflection paper. As with all essay introductions, you need to grab the reader’s attention from the beginning with a good essay hook.
A good way to do this is to include exciting clips from your experiences right at the beginning. This will excite the reader and entice them to read more.
A formal reflection essay might require a thesis statement right at the beginning of the paper. This is a summary of the whole essay and a good way to inject an impact. Other reflection essays might be a blog or a diary entry. So, tailor a great introduction to the essay format.
How To Write a Good Reflective Essay
Now let’s focus on how to write a good reflective essay. We need a great introduction that attracts the reader, but what else?
The main body of the reflection paper is probably the most important. Here, you need to include a systematic approach to your experiences. But, your writing must be concise and focus on the impact of each experience.
How you have dealt with each experience should shine through in your reflection. Following a timeline of events could help to structure your essay body.
The end of your reflection paper is your conclusion. To write a good conclusion, you must summarize the points made during the essay.
Emphasize what you have learned because of the impact of the experiences. Is there anything you would do differently? What techniques would you keep the same next time?
How To Write a Reflective Essay for University: APA Reflection Paper Format
If you’re asked to write in an APA reflection paper format, where would you start? An APA format relates to the layout of the reflective essay. Different colleges and universities possess their own format preference.
Here’s how to write a reflective essay for university in APA format:
- Format your title page with your name, institution, and title in the top left-hand corner.
- Use a Times New Roman font, 12pt.
- Include 1-inch margins and double-line spacing.
- Write the page number on each page in the right margin, beginning with the title page.
- You’ll need to include references and in-text APA citations.
- A full list of references and citations are required.
Frequently Asked Questions
How can I plan my reflective writing?
You can plan your reflective writing by using a mind map. A mind map provides a good outline for essays. Draw a diagram that links your experiences and the impact each has had on you. You can explore your feelings and look for new approaches to find inspiration.
How long should my reflective writing essay be?
Your reflective writing word count will vary, depending on your question brief. If you are writing a thesis with a formal tone, your word count might be high. You will need to write more body paragraphs with this essay type.
A short assignment, blog, or diary entry requires a smaller word count. Still start writing about your experiences with specific examples, however.
Can I use a reflective essay to rant about my beliefs?
Reflective writing should focus on a reflection of your experiences and how they have shaped you as a person. Most people would avoid ranting about current affairs and instead evaluate the events they have personally experienced.
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