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How to Write a Reflection Paper
Last Updated: October 25, 2022 References Approved
This article was co-authored by Alicia Cook . Alicia Cook is a Professional Writer based in Newark, New Jersey. With over 12 years of experience, Alicia specializes in poetry and uses her platform to advocate for families affected by addiction and to fight for breaking the stigma against addiction and mental illness. She holds a BA in English and Journalism from Georgian Court University and an MBA from Saint Peter’s University. Alicia is a bestselling poet with Andrews McMeel Publishing and her work has been featured in numerous media outlets including the NY Post, CNN, USA Today, the HuffPost, the LA Times, American Songwriter Magazine, and Bustle. She was named by Teen Vogue as one of the 10 social media poets to know and her poetry mixtape, “Stuff I’ve Been Feeling Lately” was a finalist in the 2016 Goodreads Choice Awards. There are 9 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. wikiHow marks an article as reader-approved once it receives enough positive feedback. This article received 24 testimonials and 84% of readers who voted found it helpful, earning it our reader-approved status. This article has been viewed 3,686,363 times.
Reflection papers allow you to communicate with your instructor about how a specific article, lesson, lecture, or experience shapes your understanding of class-related material. Reflection papers are personal and subjective [1] X Research source , but they must still maintain a somewhat academic tone and must still be thoroughly and cohesively organized. Here's what you need to know about writing an effective reflection.
Things You Should Know
- Write an introduction that outlines the expectations you had and provide a thesis statement in the last sentence.
- State your conclusions in the body paragraphs of the paper. Explain how you arrived at your conclusions using logic and concrete details.
- Conclude the paper with a concise summary of your overall experience.
Sample Outline and Paper
Brainstorming
- These sentences should be both descriptive yet straight to the point.
- For lectures or readings, you can write down specific quotations or summarize passages.
- For experiences, make a note of specific portions of your experience. You could even write a small summary or story of an event that happened during the experience that stands out. Images, sounds, or other sensory portions of your experience work, as well.
- In the first column, list the main points or key experiences. These points can include anything that the author or speaker treated with importance as well as any specific details you found to be important. Divide each point into its own separate row.
- In the second column, list your personal response to the points you brought up in the first column. Mention how your subjective values, experiences, and beliefs influence your response.
- In the third and last column, describe how much of your personal response to share in your reflection paper.
- Does the reading, lecture, or experience challenge you socially, culturally, emotionally, or theologically? If so, where and how? Why does it bother you or catch your attention?
- Has the reading, lecture, or experience changed your way of thinking? Did it conflict with beliefs you held previously, and what evidence did it provide you with in order to change your thought process on the topic?
- Does the reading, lecture, or experience leave you with any questions? Were these questions ones you had previously or ones you developed only after finishing?
- Did the author, speaker, or those involved in the experience fail to address any important issues? Could a certain fact or idea have dramatically changed the impact or conclusion of the reading, lecture, or experience?
- How do the issues or ideas brought up in this reading, lecture, or experience mesh with past experiences or readings? Do the ideas contradict or support each other?
Organizing a Reflection Paper
- Verify whether or not your instructor specified a word count for the paper instead of merely following this average.
- If your instructor demands a word count outside of this range, meet your instructor's requirements.
- For a reading or lecture, indicate what you expected based on the title, abstract, or introduction.
- For an experience, indicate what you expected based on prior knowledge provided by similar experiences or information from others.
- This is essentially a brief explanation of whether or not your expectations were met.
- A thesis provides focus and cohesion for your reflection paper.
- You could structure a reflection thesis along the following lines: “From this reading/experience, I learned...”
- Your conclusions must be explained. You should provide details on how you arrived at those conclusions using logic and concrete details.
- The focus of the paper is not a summary of the text, but you still need to draw concrete, specific details from the text or experience in order to provide context for your conclusions.
- Write a separate paragraph for each conclusion or idea you developed.
- Each paragraph should have its own topic sentence. This topic sentence should clearly identify your major points, conclusions, or understandings.
- The conclusions or understandings explained in your body paragraphs should support your overall conclusion. One or two may conflict, but the majority should support your final conclusion.
As You Write
- If you feel uncomfortable about a personal issue that affects the conclusions you reached, it is wisest not to include personal details about it.
- If a certain issue is unavoidable but you feel uncomfortable revealing your personal experiences or feelings regarding it, write about the issue in more general terms. Identify the issue itself and indicate concerns you have professionally or academically.
- Avoid dragging someone else down in your writing. If a particular person made the experience you are reflecting on difficult, unpleasant, or uncomfortable, you must still maintain a level of detachment as you describe that person's influence. Instead of stating something like, “Bob was such a rude jerk,” say something more along the lines of, “One man was abrupt and spoke harshly, making me feel as though I was not welcome there.” Describe the actions, not the person, and frame those actions within the context of how they influenced your conclusions.
- A reflection paper is one of the few pieces of academic writing in which you can get away with using the first person pronoun “I.” That said, you should still relate your subjective feelings and opinions using specific evidence to explain them. [8] X Research source
- Avoid slang and always use correct spelling and grammar. Internet abbreviations like “LOL” or “OMG” are fine to use personally among friends and family, but this is still an academic paper, so you need to treat it with the grammatical respect it deserves. Do not treat it as a personal journal entry.
- Check and double-check your spelling and grammar after you finish your paper.
- Keep your sentences focused. Avoid squeezing multiple ideas into one sentence.
- Avoid sentence fragments. Make sure that each sentence has a subject and a verb.
- Vary your sentence length. Include both simple sentences with a single subject and verb and complex sentences with multiple clauses. Doing so makes your paper sound more conversational and natural, and prevents the writing from becoming too wooden. [9] X Research source
- Common transitional phrases include "for example," "for instance," "as a result," "an opposite view is," and "a different perspective is."
- For instance, if reflecting on a piece of literary criticism, you could mention how your beliefs and ideas about the literary theory addressed in the article relate to what your instructor taught you about it or how it applies to prose and poetry read in class.
- As another example, if reflecting on a new social experience for a sociology class, you could relate that experience to specific ideas or social patterns discussed in class.
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- ↑ https://www.aresearchguide.com/write-reflective-essay.html
- ↑ http://www.iirp.edu/pdf/IIRP-Reflection-Tip_Sheet.pdf
- ↑ Alicia Cook. Professional Writer. Expert Interview. 11 December 2020.
- ↑ http://www.csuohio.edu/writing-center/reflection-papers
- ↑ http://resources.cleary.edu/page/Reflection+Paper,+Tips+for+Writing
- ↑ https://writingcenter.unc.edu/tips-and-tools/thesis-statements/
- ↑ http://condor.depaul.edu/writing/Types_of_Writing/reflectiveessay.html
- ↑ http://askus.baker.edu/faq/217324
- ↑ https://academicguides.waldenu.edu/writingcenter/scholarlyvoice/sentencestructure
About This Article
To write a reflection paper, start with an introduction where you state any expectations you had for the reading, lesson, or experience you're reflecting on. At the end of your intro, include a thesis statement that explains how your views have changed. In the body of your essay, explain the conclusions you reached after the reading, lesson, or experience and discuss how you arrived at them. Finally, finish your paper with a succinct conclusion that explains what you've learned. To learn how to brainstorm for your paper, keep reading! Did this summary help you? Yes No
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How to Write a Reflective Essay
You’re probably used to responding to different sources in essays. For example, in an academic essay, you might compare two books’ themes, argue for or against a position, analyze a piece of literature, or persuade the reader with facts and statistics.
In one way, a reflective essay is similar to an academic essay. Like an academic essay, a reflective essay can discuss ideas and concepts from books, literature, essays, or articles. However, unlike an academic essay, it focuses on how your personal experience relates to these things.
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What is a reflective essay?
Reflective essays are a type of personal essay in which the writer examines a topic through the lens of their unique perspective. Reflective essays are more subjective about their subjects than an academic essay, use figurative language, and don’t require academic sources. The purpose of a reflective essay is to explore and share the author’s thoughts, perspectives, and experiences.
Reflective essays are often written for college applications and cover letters as a way for the writer to discuss their background and demonstrate how these experiences shaped them into an ideal candidate. For example, a college applicant might write a reflective essay about how moving every few years because of their parent’s military service impacted their concept of home.
Sometimes, reflective essays are academic assignments. For example, a student may be assigned to watch a film or visit a museum exhibition and write a reflective essay about the film or exhibition’s themes. Reflective essays can also be pieces of personal writing, such as blog posts or journal entries.
Reflective essay vs. narrative essay
There are a few similarities between reflective essays and narrative essays. Both are personal pieces of writing in which the author explores their thoughts about their experiences. But here’s the main difference: While a narrative essay focuses on a story about events in the author’s life, a reflective essay focuses on the changes the author underwent because of those events. A narrative essay has many of the same elements as a fictional story: setting, characters, plot, and conflict. A reflective essay gets granular about the circumstances and changes driven by the conflict and doesn’t necessarily aim to tell a full story.
Reflective essays based on academic material
You might be assigned to write a reflective essay on an academic text, such as an essay, a book, or an article. Unlike a reflective essay about your own personal experiences, this type of reflective essay involves analysis and interpretation of the material. However, unlike in an analytical essay , the position you support is informed by your own opinion and perspective rather than solely by the text.
How to choose a topic
A reflective essay can be about any topic. By definition, a reflective essay is an essay where the writer describes an event or experience (or series of events or experiences) and then discusses and analyzes the lessons they derived from their experience. This experience can be about anything , whether big life events like moving to a new country or smaller experiences like trying sushi for the first time. The topic can be serious, lighthearted, poignant, or simply entertaining.
If your reflective essay is for an assignment or an application, you might be given a topic. In some cases, you might be given a broad area or keyword and then have to develop your own topic related to those things. In other cases, you might not be given anything. No matter which is the case for your essay, there are a few ways to explore reflective essay ideas and develop your topic.
Freewriting is a writing exercise where you simply write whatever comes to mind for a fixed period of time without worrying about grammar or structure or even writing something coherent. The goal is to get your ideas onto paper and explore them creatively, and by removing the pressure to write something submittable, you’re giving yourself more room to play with these ideas.
Make a mind map
A mind map is a diagram that shows the relationships between ideas, events, and other words related to one central concept. For example, a mind map for the word book might branch into the following words: fiction , nonfiction , digital , hardcover . Each of these words then branches to subtopics. These subtopics further branch to subtopics of their own, demonstrating just how deep you can explore a subject.
Creating a mind map can be a helpful way to explore your thoughts and feelings about the experience you discuss in your essay.
Real-life experiences
You can find inspiration for a reflective essay from any part of your life. Think about an experience that shifted your worldview or dramatically changed your daily routine. Or you can focus on the smaller, even mundane, parts of life like your weekly cleaning routine or trips to the grocery store. In a reflective essay, you don’t just describe experiences; you explore how they shape you and your feelings.
Reflective essay outline
Introduction.
A reflective essay’s introduction paragraph needs to include:
- A thesis statement
The hook is the sentence that catches the reader’s attention and makes them want to read more. This can be an unexpected fact, an intriguing statistic, a left-field observation, or a question that gets the reader’s mind thinking about the essay’s topic.
The thesis statement is a concise statement that introduces the reader to the essay’s topic . A thesis statement clearly spells out the topic and gives the reader context for the rest of the essay they’re about to read.
These aren’t all the things that a reflective essay’s introduction needs, however. This paragraph needs to effectively introduce the topic, which often means introducing a few of the ideas discussed in the essay’s body paragraphs alongside the hook and thesis statement.
Body paragraphs
Your essay’s body paragraphs are where you actually explore the experience you’re reflecting on. You might compare experiences, describe scenes and your emotions following them, recount interactions, and contrast it with any expectations you had beforehand.
Unless you’re writing for a specific assignment, there’s no required number of body paragraphs for your reflective essay. Generally, authors write three body paragraphs, but if your essay needs only two—or it needs four or five—to fully communicate your experience and reflection, that’s perfectly fine.
In the final section, tie up any loose ends from the essay’s body paragraphs. Mention your thesis statement in the conclusion, either by restating it or paraphrasing it. Give the reader a sense of completion by including a final thought or two. However, these thoughts should reflect statements you made in the body paragraphs rather than introduce anything new to the essay. Your conclusion should also clearly share how the experience or events you discussed affected you (and, if applicable, continue to do so).
6 tips for writing a reflective essay
1 choose a tone.
Before you begin to write your reflective essay, choose a tone . Because a reflective essay is more personal than an academic essay, you don’t need to use a strict, formal tone. You can also use personal pronouns like I and me in your essay because this essay is about your personal experiences.
2 Be mindful of length
Generally, five hundred to one thousand words is an appropriate length for a reflective essay. If it’s a personal piece, it may be longer.
You might be required to keep your essay within a general word count if it’s an assignment or part of an application. When this is the case, be mindful to stick to the word count—writing too little or too much can have a negative impact on your grade or your candidacy.
3 Stay on topic
A reflective essay reflects on a single topic. Whether that topic is a one-off event or a recurring experience in your life, it’s important to keep your writing focused on that topic.
4 Be clear and concise
In a reflective essay, introspection and vivid imagery are assets. However, the essay’s language should remain concise , and its structure should follow a logical narrative.
5 Stay professional
Although you aren’t bound to a formal tone, it’s generally best to use a professional tone in your reflective writing. Avoid using slang or overly familiar language, especially if your reflective essay is part of a college or job application .
6 Proofread
Before you hit “send” or “submit,” be sure to proofread your work. For this last read-through, you should be focused on catching any spelling or grammatical mistakes you might have missed.
Reflective essay FAQs
Reflective essays are a type of personal essay that examines a topic through the lens of thewriter’s unique perspective. They are more subjective about their subjects than an academic essay, use figurative language, and don’t require academic sources.
What’s the difference between a reflective essay and a narrative essay?
While a reflective essay focuses on its author’s feelings and perspectives surrounding events they’ve experienced or texts they’ve read, a narrative essay tells a story. A narrative essay might show changes the author underwent through the same conventions a fictional story uses to show character growth; a reflective essay discusses this growth more explicitly and explores it in depth.
What are example topics for a reflective essay?
- Moving abroad and adapting to the local culture
- Recovering from an athletic injury
- Weekly phone conversations with your grandmother
- The funniest joke you ever heard (and what made it so funny)
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How to Write a Reflection Paper
Why reflective writing, experiential reflection, reading reflection.
- A note on mechanics
Reflection offers you the opportunity to consider how your personal experiences and observations shape your thinking and your acceptance of new ideas. Professors often ask students to write reading reflections. They do this to encourage you to explore your own ideas about a text, to express your opinion rather than summarize the opinions of others. Reflective writing can help you to improve your analytical skills because it requires you to express what you think, and more significantly, how and why you think that way. In addition, reflective analysis asks you to acknowledge that your thoughts are shaped by your assumptions and preconceived ideas; in doing so, you can appreciate the ideas of others, notice how their assumptions and preconceived ideas may have shaped their thoughts, and perhaps recognize how your ideas support or oppose what you read.
Types of Reflective Writing
Popular in professional programs, like business, nursing, social work, forensics and education, reflection is an important part of making connections between theory and practice. When you are asked to reflect upon experience in a placement, you do not only describe your experience, but you evaluate it based on ideas from class. You can assess a theory or approach based on your observations and practice and evaluate your own knowledge and skills within your professional field. This opportunity to take the time to think about your choices, your actions, your successes and your failures is best done within a specific framework, like course themes or work placement objectives. Abstract concepts can become concrete and real to you when considered within your own experiences, and reflection on your experiences allows you to make plans for improvement.
To encourage thoughtful and balanced assessment of readings, many interdisciplinary courses may ask you to submit a reading reflection. Often instructors will indicate to students what they expect of a reflection, but the general purpose is to elicit your informed opinions about ideas presented in the text and to consider how they affect your interpretation. Reading reflections offer an opportunity to recognize – and perhaps break down – your assumptions which may be challenged by the text(s).
Approaches to Reflective Inquiry
You may wonder how your professors assess your reflective writing. What are they looking for? How can my experiences or ideas be right or wrong? Your instructors expect you to critically engage with concepts from your course by making connections between your observations, experiences, and opinions. They expect you to explain and analyse these concepts from your own point of view, eliciting original ideas and encouraging active interest in the course material.
It can be difficult to know where to begin when writing a critical reflection. First, know that – like any other academic piece of writing – a reflection requires a narrow focus and strong analysis. The best approach for identifying a focus and for reflective analysis is interrogation. The following offers suggestions for your line of inquiry when developing a reflective response.
It is best to discuss your experiences in a work placement or practicum within the context of personal or organizational goals; doing so provides important insights and perspective for your own growth in the profession. For reflective writing, it is important to balance reporting or descriptive writing with critical reflection and analysis.
Consider these questions:
- Contextualize your reflection: What are your learning goals? What are the objectives of the organization? How do these goals fit with the themes or concepts from the course?
- Provide important information: What is the name of the host organization? What is their mission? Who do they serve? What was your role? What did you do?
- Analytical Reflection: What did you learn from this experience? About yourself? About working in the field? About society?
- Lessons from reflection: Did your experience fit with the goals or concepts of the course or organization? Why or why not? What are your lessons for the future? What was successful? Why? What would you do differently? Why? How will you prepare for a future experience in the field?
Consider the purpose of reflection: to demonstrate your learning in the course. It is important to actively and directly connect concepts from class to your personal or experiential reflection. The following example shows how a student’s observations from a classroom can be analysed using a theoretical concept and how the experience can help a student to evaluate this concept.
For Example My observations from the classroom demonstrate that the hierarchical structure of Bloom’s Taxonomy is problematic, a concept also explored by Paul (1993). The students often combined activities like application and synthesis or analysis and evaluation to build their knowledge and comprehension of unfamiliar concepts. This challenges my understanding of traditional teaching methods where knowledge is the basis for inquiry. Perhaps higher-order learning strategies like inquiry and evaluation can also be the basis for knowledge and comprehension, which are classified as lower-order skills in Bloom’s Taxonomy.
Critical reflection requires thoughtful and persistent inquiry. Although basic questions like “what is the thesis?” and “what is the evidence?” are important to demonstrate your understanding, you need to interrogate your own assumptions and knowledge to deepen your analysis and focus your assessment of the text.
Assess the text(s):
- What is the main point? How is it developed? Identify the purpose, impact and/or theoretical framework of the text.
- What ideas stood out to me? Why? Were they new or in opposition to existing scholarship?
Develop your ideas:
- What do I know about this topic? Where does my existing knowledge come from? What are the observations or experiences that shape my understanding?
- Do I agree or disagree with this argument? Why?
Make connections:
- How does this text reinforce my existing ideas or assumptions? How does this text challenge my existing ideas or assumptions?
- How does this text help me to better understand this topic or explore this field of study/discipline?
A Note on Mechanics
As with all written assignments or reports, it is important to have a clear focus for your writing. You do not need to discuss every experience or element of your placement. Pick a few that you can explore within the context of your learning. For reflective responses, identify the main arguments or important elements of the text to develop a stronger analysis which integrates relevant ideas from course materials.
Furthermore, your writing must be organized. Introduce your topic and the point you plan to make about your experience and learning. Develop your point through body paragraph(s), and conclude your paper by exploring the meaning you derive from your reflection. You may find the questions listed above can help you to develop an outline before you write your paper.
You should maintain a formal tone, but it is acceptable to write in the first person and to use personal pronouns. Note, however, that it is important that you maintain confidentiality and anonymity of clients, patients or students from work or volunteer placements by using pseudonyms and masking identifying factors.
The value of reflection: Critical reflection is a meaningful exercise which can require as much time and work as traditional essays and reports because it asks students to be purposeful and engaged participants, readers, and thinkers.
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How To Write A Reflective Report: Expert Guide
Are you required to write a reflective report? If so, what is a reflective report? And do they differ from other reports that you have written in the past? Well, in this article, we shall analyze what makes up a reflective report and answer all the questions that you may have regarding the topic. We shall cover:
- The meaning of a reflective report
- What reflective reports are composed of
- The process of generating a reflective report
- Reflective report examples
We shall go through all this and so much more. Hence if you have any queries on reflective reports, you do not want to miss out on this article.
Table Of Contents
What is a reflective report, what are the different types of reflective reports, how to do reflective writing, components of a reflective report, how to write a reflective report perfectly, how to write a reflective report introduction, how to write a reflective report body, how to write a reflective report conclusion, how to write a critical reflection, how to write a reflective report on group work, good reflective topics for you, reflective report example.
A reflective report usually refers to a written account of your thoughts and feelings about something. It typically includes an explanation of what happened and your opinion on it.
For example, you might write a reflective report after a particular event, or you might take time to reflect on things that regularly occur in your life. A reflective account is not only beneficial for writing assignments and assessments, but it’s also helpful for taking stock of your life.
Reflective reports are widely used in education programs and many vocations. They are also common as assignments in many UK universities.
There are many different types of reflective reports, academic to the personal. Most of the time, a reflective report is written about an event, but it could also be about something that is happening in your life or even about something you have read. You could also write a reflective report at any time after an event has happened.
- Academic reflective reports: Academic reflective reports are typically used in college and university classes when students want to evaluate their work or the work of others. For example, if you’re in a business education program, you might write a reflective report about your experiences in the field. A reflective report can also be used to learn how to write an academic paper. An instructor often evaluates this type of reflective report for quality and content.
- Personal reflective reports: Personal reflective reports are just that – reports about your own life and the things that happen to you on a daily basis. They can be about school, work, hobbies, or something else entirely. For example, you can write a reflective report when you’ve just had a bad day at the office when you are in the process of developing a new hobby, or even if you just want to take some time to reflect on your life. These reports are typically used for self-improvement or reflection.
- Critical incident analysis: Critical incident analysis is quite common in subjects such as teaching, social care, and health. Hence if you are looking to take up a professional practitioner course, you are likely to be tested using this type of reflective report. In this reflective report, you are asked to look closely into a single event you found challenging. You are then supposed to reflect on why the event was challenging.
- Demonstrating professional attributes: They focus a lot on identifying then providing evidence on your development. Demonstrating professional attributes reflective reports are similar to the types of writing that you would do in a job application.
- Reflective journal: Relates to a blog or a diary in that it is pretty much structured around chronological entries, mostly weekly. They hence take time to write but help you develop a habit of reflecting regularly.
- Case study: If you are drawing a case study from your own experience, then this can fall under reflection writing. A case study aims to demonstrate your understanding of a particular theory, model, or concept by applying it into your practices then showing how it predicts, typifies, and explains.
To tackle reflective reports perfectly, you have to:
- Recall past experiences clearly
- Explore, analyze and then explain whatever happened and the reasons why
- Incorporate theory and models
- Uses proper academic language
- Greatly consider your strengths and weaknesses, anxieties, and ultimately errors
Reflective reports have three main components, that is:
- The introduction
- The conclusion
Each of these components has to be perfected to develop a flawless reflective report. Messing up in any of the sections can end up hurting your overall grade immensely.
Writing a reflective report for university or college assignments, work purposes, or any other reason can be undoubtedly tricky. If you do not know how to start a reflective report, build up your story, and bring it to a halt, then developing one can be hectic. Well, in this section, we shall clearly define how to write a reflective learning report that is thrilling by maneuvering through the mentioned components flawlessly. However if you feel stressed about this work process, you can pay for research paper and do no more.
Do you like awful movie or novel introductions? The answer to this question is most probably a “NO.” Well, if this is the case, then you should put yourself in your reader’s shoes. In doing so, you will realize that a boring, plain introduction ruins the mood for the entire paper. Hence, you should write a catchy introduction if you wish to gain more marks. So how can you perfect your introduction?
The introduction part is where you start your reflective report. This is your chance to introduce the reader to the topic. The first portion should consist of a summary of what you’ve learned from a specific activity. You can demonstrate this by using previous mistakes or errors and how you’ll handle them in the future.
The introductory paragraph should also be the place where you explain what influenced your learning experience and why it’s essential for people to learn about this topic. Finally, you can use this section as an opportunity to connect back with your audience, explaining what they can gain from reading this paper.
Here is an example of a reflective report introduction to guide you further.
Reflective report introduction example :
“I have always felt that I excel incredibly in terms of written communication. Through this skill, I effectively communicate my feelings and thoughts via words and expressions with no complications at all. However, I did not realize how much my writing was lacking, up until my feelings and thoughts were nearly pushed to the edge by a course I took on creative writing.”
This is where your reader will be able to see the fruits of your labor. The body section should be a well-developed section that shows your thought process and how you build on previous ideas. If you’re writing about a topic that’s related to education, this section is an important place to describe all of the aspects of the class and explain how it affected you. If you’re reporting on an experience outside of school, this portion will usually detail what happened and how it was interpreted. Describe what you heard, saw, and felt vividly and in detail, for example :
“I saw a couple of people participating in our height experiment. The atmosphere around felt nervous but also inspiring. Every participant was excited….”
Your final paragraph should recap what you’ve learned and how it can be applied to future situations. Whether it’s an academic paper or an essay about a personal experience, this portion should be short but powerful. Your conclusion may demonstrate some critical points about the topic that you want the reader to take away from your writing, allowing them to learn more about it in the future.
Reflective report conclusion example :
“Expressing every change that this writing class wrought in my writing is pretty challenging. However, in the eight weeks that I spent learning, I became a more competent writer. My writing now contains more soul and depth, which has opened doors to new areas that I never thought were possible. By researching new approaches and studying new techniques, I now have a robust arsenal in terms of writing and a sturdy foundation for great future endeavors.”
When you critically reflect on something, you utilize course materials to efficiently examine your biases, search for triggers and causes, compare different theories with current actions, and hit problems at their very core. Critical reflection aims to change your way of thinking towards a particular subject.
To come up with a great critical reflection, you have to go through two phases:
- Analysis – analyze the problem at hand and your role in it by asking yourself critical questions. Try to jot down points as you try to answer these questions. At this point, you do not have to worry about grammar.
- Articulate – utilize the points that you gathered in the analysis phase to generate a clear argument on what you discovered. Organize your facts and ideas in a clear and precise manner.
Use the reflection report structures discussed earlier plus the points gained here to develop an outstanding critical reflection of high quality.
Writing a reflective account on group work can be pretty tricky; that is why professors like to test this reflective report a lot. However, in this section, we shall go through how to develop this kind of report and how to spice it up to gain top grades and beat any deadline with ease.
- Reflection definition – Reflection is the main term in this essay. Therefore, it would be best to define its meaning even before getting into your reflective report’s main parts.
- Multiple perspectives that emerge
- Unique skills contribution
- Improvement in communication skills
- Time consumption
- Learning style conflicts
- Freeloaders
- Communication breakdown
- Isolated group challenges – Here, you get to isolate the challenges and benefits that your group faced. Think about the freeloaders in your group, those who came late, disagreements that emerged, and so on. On the positive side, think of the super active group members, the relations you made, etc. All this will give you excellent points.
- How were all handled challenges faced – In this section, define how you dealt with the challenges you faced in step 4. Take your reader through the growth that your group went through.
- Conclude – students mostly skip this crucial section. Here is where you get to show your reader that you have not just reflected on what you did but that you have also gained the knowledge to change for a better tomorrow.
That is how you write a reflective report on group work. To better understand reflective writing, you should go through more examples that can be accessed online easily. All you have to do is, for example, search for a reflective report example on the topic at hand, and you will get a sample to work with. What’s more, you can get a reflective report template to work with; this will improve the reflective report’s structure. However, you should always ensure that you follow a trusted link. Most sites offer these resources free but some charge an affordable price.
These reflections could be on any topic, but it is usually best to focus on something that has affected you in a significant way. Whether you’re writing about an educational setting or an outside experience, your content must be easy to understand and concise. When writing this type of assignment, it’s also essential to think about the audience; who will be perusing the reflective report? Who has assigned it? These questions should help determine your main points and how you can refine them while developing your paper.
Here is a list of possible topics for a reflective report:
- Your favorite online shopping store.
- What is the influence of social media on teenagers?
- How to deal with a customer.
- What do you like about your job?
- Your visit to your new school.
- Your favorite restaurant.
- The last vacation you had.
- Why do you think your school/college shouldn’t be shut down?
- The last book that you read.
- What is the influence of television on children?
- Having lunch with your friends.
Here is a simple reflective report example on “reading my favorite book.” You can use this example to gain more details on structures and message delivery, which is crucial in reflective writing.
Reading books did not give me much of an appeal. I would read books meant for assignments passively, not grasping any fuss on any book. However, when I read “pride and prejudice,” all this changed. It was like the book opened my literary eyes for the very first time. Pride and prejudice stirred up a love for classic novels that I did not think could exist within me. When I received the assignment to read through pride and prejudice, I scoffed and eye-rolled, just like all my friends. I calculated, internally, of course, the amount of time that I would spend reading and writing a report on the book. I then signed after realizing how much time I was going to “waste.” Opening up the book’s cover, I was super determined to hate it even before reading the first sentence. By the time I reached the third page, I had almost called it quit. It was then that something about a character known as Elizabeth Bennet grasped my interest. I cannot specifically point out where, but somewhere along the way, I remember devouring the book’s pages instead of simply trudging along. By the time I finished reading the book, I was disappointed and ecstatic at the same time. The book had a great ending, no doubt about that, but then I realized that I’d miss the characters and their world. Even though I had read a couple of books earlier, this was the very first-time story characters had such an effect on me. I tried my best to shake off the feeling of sadness that I had but to no success. After a couple of days, I headed off to our schools’ library and searched for a classic book to read. The moment I opened the next classic, there was no going back. If anyone had ever told me that a book could change my life earlier, I would have thought of them as crazy, but it happened. The great love that I found in pride and prejudice opened doors to a world of classic literature that I cannot imagine living without. To date, the book is still my favorite.
That is how you tackle a simple reflective report. Of course, there are more complex reports, but this example gives you a rough idea of how to handle such papers.
If you find it challenging to write a reflective report, you can get online research paper help from professional writers from all over the world. For example, you can search for “an expert reflective report writer” online. In doing so, you will get access to many writers, local and international. It does not matter whether you are from the UK, London, British et cetera. What’s more, these writers can even do the reflective paper for you, for a cheap price, of course, hence relieving you of all the research pressure.
Tired Of Writing Reports Yourself?
Writing a reflective report is not an easy feat. However, with the guidelines provided in this article and significant research, acing your test will be super easy. We hope we’ve answered all the questions that you might have had regarding reflective writing and how to tackle such an essay. Furthermore, research paper help online will be happy to save your assignment anytime, if you need us.
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How To Write a Reflection Paper | Definition, Outline, Examples
Reflection paper writing assignments are similar to those written for the purpose of self-analysis when you take time and note your own positive or negative traits, life views and personal opinions on different issues. A self reflection essay will help analyze yourself from a third-person perspective by analyzing how other people perceive you. Reflection paper is usually written either in this manner or both ways at once — describing yourself from your own point of view then evaluating it through some other perspectives (for example, scientific research).
This type of writing helps develop communication skills since it contains such elements as thesis, specific and general supporting details, transition from one to another idea etc.
Reflection papers are also considered a good way to practice writing skills but in order for it to be really successful, you need to follow certain steps when writing a reflection essay.
A reflection paper is an open and honest approach towards any object or even a person. It often does not express positive emotions like admiration but focuses on defining characteristics of the target being reflected upon (person or object) in both negative and positive aspects. In this case, there is no sense of having evaluative attitude towards the subject — only acceptance of reality without any charges or praises to it.
Reflection writing implies self-analysis as well as its analysis of something else that inspires thoughts about your life, habits, opinions etc.,. The reflection paper allows addressing lots of related issues with going deep into one certain issue.
A reflection paper is not a subjective or objective review of something, but it possesses all these traits at the same time. You can express your personal thoughts and evaluate them with common views and opinions of society in order to find similarities between yourself and others that make you feel better about yourself.
What Is a Reflection Paper?
A reflection paper is a personal and interpretive written response to a specific experience or event .
From the definition, a reflective paper offers the writer an opportunity to reflect on and analyze their thoughts, emotions, and reactions.
The structure of a reflection paper typically includes an introduction, a body containing the writer’s thoughts and reflections, and a concluding paragraph bringing the paper to a close.
Reflection papers are often used as a learning tool in academic environments, allowing students to strengthen their critical thinking skills and explore their ideologies and experiences.
They can also be useful for professionals seeking self-improvement or growth in their field.
Overall, reflection papers offer an important chance for self-reflection and introspection.
Structure of a reflection paper – outline/format
Reflection paper is characterized by the fact that the writer describes his or her views on some object he or she deals with or wants to share something about it with other people. In short, such an essay doesn’t restricts itself inside its outline. The outline only helps a writer organize his thoughts in right categories and subcategories that allow him/her write an effective reflection paper after that.
Introduction :
Your reflection paper introduction must include three things:
- Thesis statement — the main idea of your paper,
- An explanation or a preview, – Your point of view as a writer to present it to readers on what you are going to write about in general.
- Start with an overview that expresses everything you want your audience to know concerning the topic you chose to write about.
Body paragraphs:
If you follow all these steps in appropriate order then body paragraphs will be structured very easily allowing you not only organize your ideas but also support them with examples or details taken directly from real life. Your body paragraphs should be structured in a way that supports your thesis statement and allows you to move from one idea to another gradually without any stop or abrupt change of the general subject.
A good reflection paper is easy-to-understand for other people because it contains three basic points:
- Main idea supported by subtopics, examples (real life stories),
- Key phrases with simple language, proper grammar,
- Well organized structure: outline and correct citation .
The first two are more related to specific personal impressions while the second set makes this essay similar to a scientific research so that others can take their own conclusions from all data being provided.
Conclusion:
The conclusion should present your perception on the topic and express what you’ve learned from it or simply share your opinion with others that read this essay .
References :
Include references only from reputable reliable sources such as encyclopedias, journals, newspapers , books etc.
How to Write a Reflection Paper: Step-by-Step Guide
Follow the step-by-step guide below, and you’ll have a well-crafted reflection paper completed in no time.
Step #1: Choose Your Topic
The first step in writing a reflection paper is to choose your topic. If you’re given freedom to choose whatever you want to write about, take some time to brainstorm potential reflection essay topics .
Narrow down your options to the one that you feel most passionate about or are most informed about once you’ve generated a list of potential subjects.
If you’ve been assigned a specific topic, take some time to think about what aspect of that topic you want to focus on in your paper.
For example, if you’ve been asked to reflect on the meaning of a poem, you may want to focus on a specific theme or symbol within the poem.
Step #2: Determine the Purpose of Your Paper
The next step is to determine the purpose of your paper. Are you writing this paper for an English class? Or, are you writing it for a psychology class? The purpose of your paper will help guide the direction of your reflection.
For example, if you’re writing a reflection paper for an English class, chances are your instructor will want you to critically analyze something you’ve read in class. However, if you’re writing this type of paper for a psychology class, your instructor may want you to reflect on how a certain event has affected your life. No matter what the purpose of your paper is, there are certain elements that all reflective papers share.
Step #3: Reflect on Your Topic
Now it’s time for the content of your reflection paper: reflecting on your chosen topic! Take some time to really think about your topic and how it has affected you or others around you.
- What are your thoughts and feelings about this topic?
- What personal experiences do you have that relate to this topic?
The goal here is not just regurgitate information but rather synthesize it – come up with new insights based on what you already know.
Step #4: Develop a Thesis Statement.
After doing some research and taking notes on what you have learned, it’s time to develop your thesis statement—the main idea of your paper that will guide the rest of your writing process.
Your thesis statement should be clear, concise, and arguable; otherwise, it will be very difficult to defend in your paper.
For example: “Unconditional love is the best kind of love because it does not expect anything in return.”
Step #5: Create an Outline.
An outline is like a map for your paper. A good essay outline will help keep you on track as you write and organize all of your thoughts into coherent paragraphs.
A good outline should include an introduction (with your thesis statement), body paragraphs (with supporting evidence), and a conclusion (restating your thesis statement).
Step #6: Write the Paper.
Now that you have done all of the necessary preparation work (researching, taking notes, developing a thesis statement), it’s finally time to sit down and write your reflection paper!
Start by drafting an introduction paragraph.
When writing a draft paper, you can use either formal or informal language here.
Continue to writing the body paragraphs where you will present all of supporting evidence for your thesis statement.
Make sure your paragraphs flow smoothly into each other until you reach the conclusion. This will ensure that your argument is clear and easy to follow.
In the conclusion section, you will briefly summarize everything that you have talked about in the paper without introducing any new information or ideas.
Step #7: Edit & Proofread Your Work.
Last but not least, don’t forget to edit and proofread your work before submitting it! This step is important because it will help ensure that there are no errors or typos in your final draft..
Reflection papers are relatively easy to write if you follow the 7 steps outlined above. Just remember to be clear, concise, and honest in your writing, and you will be well on your way to impressing your instructor with your reflection paper!
Reflective Writing Video
Reflection Paper Examples
This is not the best reflection paper or an as perfect as an individual one can write, but this is a good example of a student’s reflective writing on cultural learning. The student has presented his strengths, weakness, development goals and plan for development very clearly in this essay!
Title of the Reflection Paper: A study abroad life – A cultural learning
Reflection Paper Format: APA style
1. Introduction: an introduction of this essay, the topic, and its background information is given in the first paragraph;
2. Description of how you started with researching about the subject area (the field): mention what topics you were initially interested in finding out and which ones you focused on instead; explain why and how it became important to study them more carefully;
3. Assessment: after students have completed a large amount of research on different aspects related to a particular subject, they are able to assess their understanding about that skill or topic up till then . This was supposed to be done throughout writing process as well but student has only written down his assessment regarding this task now ;
4. Development Goals: Development goals are also called long-term and short-term development objectives; student has clearly mentioned them in the first paragraph of this part as well as 2 paragraphs perhaps making it more clear for reader to understand what they mean ;
5. Plan for development: He / she has clearly given few examples of steps that he will take to develop those skills at work with his organization or university;
6. What’s next?: This is where he can tell readers what he should do now after finishing writing a reflection paper on such topic;
7. Attribution: At last, you must keep the reference section separately at the end , which contains sources , books and journals used while writing an essay on cultural learning. Thus, you provide the reference to these sources and books.
Example Reflection Paper: Cultural Learning and Diversity Management: An interdisciplinary Inquiry
This is an example of a reflection paper written for a course on cultural learning. Use the example to write your own reflection paper for school.
In this course, I have been exposed to interdisciplinary perspectives on diversity management in organizations around the world. This has given me knowledge about how people from different cultures interact with one another, and how cultural learning is considered an integral part of a globalized society where employees are encouraged to prepare for a multicultural environment both within their organization and outside it. The course focuses specifically on interplay and importance of realizing diversity in an organization so that all employees receive equal opportunities by maximizing the richness derived from their unique characteristics. In addition, students are also taught how they can work as agents of change by incorporating diverse cultures in the workplace where they can provide their unique skills, knowledge and experience to aid in the process of organizational learning. The course materials provided a conceptual framework that placed emphasis on overcoming barriers which restrict effective communication among people from various cultural backgrounds. I highly enjoyed this course since it took me beyond classroom walls to learn about diversity management in an experiential manner through study tours, where I met with different international students and faculty members at my university who shared an array of cultural insights while also revealing issues they encounter in American society.
This training program helped enhance my understanding of diversity by introducing me to new ways of thinking about culture; thus allowing me to stretch beyond traditional definitions of what constitutes a specific cultural group and consider the different ways people from ethnically diverse backgrounds interact with one another. Since cultural learning is considered key to working effectively in an intercultural environment, I am better able to understand the importance of cultural diversity management as a way to enrich organizational culture, while also developing my own skills for successful negotiation within intercultural interaction.
Activity: Visiting Professor’s Office Hours: In this activity we met individually with our professor who shared his experiences living outside of America which enabled me to learn about American society while also providing him a space where he could share his views on American identity compared to that of other parts of the world. This experience allowed us to gain insight into how others perceive Americans through an international perspective by sharing information and knowledge about the country. This was particularly important to me since I am planning on traveling in the near future and wanted to gain insight into how others perceive America and what makes it unique with regards to other parts of the world.
Activity: Group Discussion: In this activity we were introduced to different perspectives about culture, including those that emphasized similarities among cultures as opposed to differences between them. Although our group members were from diverse ethnic backgrounds, we all contributed with ideas for how cultural learning can be incorporated into organizations without being a hindrance or perceived as tokenism by Americans who are not accustomed to interacting with people from other countries on a regular basis. Therefore, we considered ways Americans can develop more open-mindedness towards diversity within their own organization to prepare for intercultural interactions with people from other parts of the world.
Activity: Cultural Awareness Through Visual Stimuli: In this activity we had to try and put together a puzzle which consisted of different questions about cultural learning compared to traditional ways of thinking about culture. This helped introduce us to diverse perspectives on issues such as cultural identity, multiculturalism, human rights and nationalism in our discussion groups. Our group was able to generate some key points impacting the definition of diversity management in organizations while highlighting ways individuals can incorporate their own unique characteristics into their workplace
Activity: Cultural Awareness Quiz: In this activity I learned more about how people from different cultures work or interact with one another based on my survey results since most respondents perceived Americans as competitive, direct and informal; despite the fact that I and most of my peers are not representative of these qualities. This exercise helped me understand how others perceive Americans through different perspectives while also helping me identify certain qualities such as informality in everyday conversation that makes it easier for me to connect with others from diverse backgrounds.
Activity: Brainstorming Ideas: In this activity we had to discuss ways cultural learning can be incorporated into organizations; an important skill for working effectively in intercultural environments since it helps us develop a common understanding during interactions between people from diverse backgrounds. This activity allowed us to generate ideas for a variety of purposes, including using cultural learning activities for diversity management purpose s , planning cross-cultural events or as part of team building exercises . Most importantly, this activity demonstrated the fundamental role cultural learning activities can play in helping employees bridge differences between them as part of their overall work experience.
The group and I connected with our professor by communicating regularly via email to make certain we understood the assignment while also asking for clarification on concepts that may have been unclear or not easily understandable from the readings . We worked diligently during this activity since all members were eager to engage in a conversation about how we can incorporate cultural learning into organizations without being perceived as tokenism or as a hindrance to productivity; essentially, making it easier for Americans to be open-minded towards diversity within their own organization to prepare for intercultural interactions with people from other parts of the world.
Activity: Cultural Awareness Mural: In this activity we were able to showcase a variety of different objects in which I tried to link them with our readings on cultural learning by asking my group members about their perception on each object. This helped me develop a more inclusive view of how others may perceive Americans. Because most respondents perceived Americans as competitive, direct and informal; despite the fact that I and most of my peers are not representative of these qualities. Furthermore, it allowed me to integrate the concept s discussed in class such as cultural identity, multiculturalism, human rights and nationalism into my everyday conversations.
Activity: Cultural Awareness Drawing: In this activity we were asked to draw images representing cultural learning through visual stimuli . This activity introduced us to diverse perspectives on issues such as cultural identity, multiculturalism , human rights and nationalism by tapping into our individual and collective knowledge of images that represent these concepts. For my image, I drew a picture of a group of people with various skin tones linked together to represent the role cultural learning can play in shaping society.
Activity: Cultural Awareness Videos: In this activity we were educated on issues such as cultural identity, multiculturalism , human rights and nationalism through videos while keeping in mind the characteristics (e.g., understanding and openness) our professor identified earlier on which help us improve intercultural interactions between people from diverse backgrounds; indicating the importance of viewing visual stimuli to develop an appreciation for diversity within organizations . Since most Americans lack cross-cultural interaction s due to geographical reasons, it is important that they are exposed to other cultures by using cultural learning activities as a way of nurturing such interactions.
Activity: Cultural Awareness Map: In this activity we were able to showcase the role human rights can play in shaping how others perceive our culture; much like it did for me when I visited my professor’s country. This exercise allowed us to understand another person’s experience with their own culture and helped us become more empathetic towards the diversity within our own organization . One member of my group answered that Americans are perceived as direct, competitive and informal; despite knowing that I am none of those characteristics. By allowing students from diverse backgrounds to interact with one another on a regular basis, they can gain an appreciation for multiple perspectives which allows them to open up to others. This is important since people may just have a preconceived assumption on how we as Americans behave without ever actually interacting with one another; the same goes for other cultures.
Activity: Cultural Awareness Essay: During this activity, I developed a more inclusive definition of cultural learning by integrating various topics from our readings and activities , such as cultural identity, multiculturalism , human rights and nationalism . My partner and I also worked diligently during this activity since all members were eager to engage in a conversation about how we can incorporate cultural learning into organizations without being perceived as tokenism or as a hindrance to productivity ; essentially, making it easier for Americans to be open-minded towards diversity within their own organization to prepare them for the workforce.
Activity: Cultural Awareness Reflection Paper: By integrating my class notes on cultural learning with outside readings and activities, such as those on cultural identity, multiculturalism , human rights and nationalism , I was able to develop a more comprehensive understanding of this concept . My definition of culture al learning is simply an ongoing process of acquiring new behaviors through experience which allows us to maintain our own values while respecting that people from other cultures may have different values then ours. This activity also allowed me to reflect upon my intercultural interactions in order to share how I can avoid further offending my professor’s country by embracing their unique customs.
Summary Activity 1-Drawing: In this activity we were asked to draw various images representing our own definition of culture al learning. Mine was a picture depicting myself as the center surrounded by other people from various backgrounds. Next to my image I wrote that culture al learning is a process of acquiring new behaviors through experience which allows us to maintain our own values while respecting that people from other cultures may have different values then ours.
Summary Activity 2-Role Play: In this activity we were asked to discuss how each individual’s definition of cultural learning can affect intercultural interactions within an organization. The role play began with me asking my partner if he would participate in a local election based on his background and role in the organization. He responded by saying no since he felt like it was not his place, despite being encouraged to do so. When I asked him why, he responded that there is no one from his organization to represent their interests at the table since most members are African Americans . This made me think about how an immigrant would feel if they were told by their employer that they don’t need to have a seat at the table because our culture al learning activities will teach them about it later on.
Summary Activity 3-Cultural Learning Role Play: In this activity we were tasked with facing off in debate predicting intercultural interactions and issues within my own organization as well as other organizations across the United States. My partner and I took turns playing each culture and were encouraged to incorporate aspects from various readings into our arguments. Although my partner did not agree with my argument, he allowed me to express myself freely because it was important for each of us to respect one another’s cultural background. I have learned through this activity that the purpose behind intercultural learning at work should be viewed as a two-way street , meaning that everyone benefits from such activities.
Summary Activity 4-Cultural Awareness Essay: In this activity we were asked to write an essay incorporating various topics from our readings and activities on multiculturalism , human rights and nationalism . I placed particular emphasis on cultural identity since I felt like other concepts were better understood if we began by defining ourselves first. My partner did not agree with my definition but regardless, he continued to allow me to voice my perspective throughout the conversation due to the fact that it was necessary for me to learn about him as well. During this activity I learned about how my own cultural identity helps others identify with me better, and also gives them a sense of reassurance that they belong since we have similar backgrounds.
Conclusion: I really enjoyed learning about this topic because it allowed me to reflect upon myself while helping me understand other cultures better. I am very happy to say that taking part in these activities has helped eliminate the guilt I feel whenever I offend someone due to cultural differences. As an immigrant I would like to think that my participation in this activity will help eliminate ignorance in culture al learning while bringing people closer together by identifying with their unique backgrounds.
An example of how to write a personal reflection paper
A personal reflection paper has four sections: Self-profile, Assessment, Development goals and Plan for development. This can be used to write a self reflection essay .
- Self-Profile: This is where you describe your background interest in this field (or topic). What knowledge did you have before you started this assignment? Next, describe what you thought to be important about the subject area and how much time you spent studying it so far in comparison with other subjects or areas; highlight any gaps in your knowledge or misunderstandings that may impact your performance on this assignment
- Assessment: After describing your background/ starting point, assess what aspects of the subject area you were able to master so far. On what aspects do you feel you could have worked harder? Which activities did you choose to spend your time on and why?
Where should one start with writing a personal reflection paper?
What’s the first step in this assignment? The answer is ‘research’. Before you get into writing, reading other people’s ideas about this subject area may be helpful. This will also give you a chance of learning how others write their papers.
Learn more : how to start a reflection paper .
After that, find out what topics are important for the paper and which are not because time is limited while writing an essay.
Also, decide whether to focus on strengths or weaknesses; as every individual has each.
Identify some weaknesses and strengths in your personality.
If you are not satisfied with your personality, how and when would you change it in a better way?
- Development goals: describe what you intend to achieve by the end of this course or training session.
- Plan for development: Next, set long-term goals (6 months to 5 years) and short-term goals(one month) that will help you develop your potentials. Look at the progress over time and give feedback about how well your strategies work out. In case of any difficulties with meeting those objectives, report them as well so that immediate action can be taken on solving those problems.
What’s next after one has finished writing a personal reflection paper?
One should allow some time to review your paper within 2 to 3 days after finishing it. Pick few topics that have been written about your essay and try to find mistakes or shortfalls in them. Make sure that you are able to find out a solution for those mistakes/shortfalls.
Tips for writing a good college reflection paper
- Writing style: Be sure to use a conversational yet formal writing style (not too informal and not too formal) when writing a reflection paper . It helps you connect with readers better while expressing yourself more clearly in just a few words than if you were using long sentences here and there without any sense at all! Always write like you would speak to someone face-to-face about this particular subject matter to fully convey your thoughts and feelings concerning it.
- Avoid plagiarism: Reflection paper requires your own work that means that you are supposed to learn something from this experience, share it with others and comment on it from your own perspective . So be sure to always use quotation marks when taking ideas or thoughts of other people and properly cite them by either using standard footnote system (with page numbers) or APA-style system (with author’s name and year). You can find more details about citation styles here .
- Grammar: Proofread your reflection paper for little grammar mistakes that might change the meaning of some sentence in totally different way than you wanted it to be understood! That would make a totally wrong impression on readers since they expect to read an excellent essay .
- Sources: Make sure that your sources are credible and trustworthy ones because you need at least a few details to support your thesis statement with examples, facts or stories taken directly from life . You don’t want to end up making up a totally fictional story about something unrelated with the topic in order to make your paper look more interesting to others since this would be considered as plagiarism .
- Avoid mistakes: If you practice writing some essays on different topics by yourself before submitting them for review then it will allow you find some little mistakes that might change the meaning of whole sentences or even paragraph sometimes! So be sure to always proofread your work (and even ask someone else do it) before submission for grading!
College reflection paper writing help
If you are struggling writing a college reflection paper, feel free to ask for essay help from professional reflection paper writers working for us. Even if you are on a budget, you can still buy an essay online or buy a research paper , just say please write my essay for cheap . We will gladly help with college paper writing and provide you with a good example of reflection essay on any topic that can be used as an excellent guide for learning how to write a perfect reflection essay.
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Step 1: Introduction
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General tips for academic reflections
An overview of key things to keep in mind for academic reflections.
Make sure you know what the assessor is asking for
Your main consideration when producing written or any kind of academic reflection is to know exactly what is expected of you. Therefore, you should ask your assessor what kind of language and structure they are expecting. With that in mind, the characteristics described here and in the sections on language and structure for academic reflections are what is often sought after.
Language of academic reflections
Structure of academic reflections
Using private reflections as foundations for academic reflections
Academic reflective writing is often used to evidence that you have done reflection. Therefore, it is often beneficial to first do a private reflection where you can be as informal and unstructured as you want, and then readapt that into a piece of academic writing.
By using a private reflection initially, you can ensure that you get the full learning opportunity without censoring yourself or being conscious of language, before deciding how best to present your reflections to your assessor. This is similar to figuring out what your argument is and taking notes before writing an essay, or to all the background work you do to solve a technical/mathematical problem that you do not include in your hand-in.
Just as developing your argument and working through each step of a problem can be essential for the final essay or hand-in, for some people doing a private reflection can be very helpful in writing an effective academic reflection. For others, writing their reflection in a formal and structured way from the outset helps them structure their thoughts.
The core elements of academic reflective writing
Academic reflective writing is a genre and just like an essay has characteristics, so does academic reflective writing.
Academic reflective writing requires critical and analytic thought, a clear line of argument, and the use of evidence through examples of personal experiences and thoughts and often also theoretical literature.
You should aim for a balance between personal experience, tone, and academic practice and rigor.
Academic reflective writing should:
- develop a perspective or line of reasoning
- develop a link between your experience or practice and existing knowledge (theoretical or personal)
- show understanding and appreciation of different perspectives to your own
- show recognition that your own understanding is likely incomplete and situations are rarely clear-cut and simplistic
- show learning resulting from the reflection (either by discovering something new or confirming existing knowledge) and how you plan to use it
- be written in an appropriate style with language relevant to your academic discipline
- sometimes, but not always, use theoretical literature to inform your understanding.
People can have misconceptions about academic reflective writing – some of the common ones are described below.
Developed from:
Ryan, M., 2011. Improving reflective writing in higher education: a social semiotic perspective. Teaching in Higher Education, 16(1), 99-111.
University of Portsmouth, Department for Curriculum and Quality Enhancement (date unavailable). Reflective Writing: a basic introduction [online]. Portsmouth: University of Portsmouth.
Queen Margaret University, Effective Learning Service (date unavailable). Reflection. [online]. Edinburgh: Queen Margaret University.
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Guide to Writing a Reflective Essay or Report
Reflective report writing is often perceived as easy. You do not need to locate and reference dozens of sources or discuss complex theories in this kind of assignment like you do in traditional essay writing . However, many students get low marks for a reflective portfolio essay or report just because they do not follow the main principles of reflective writing. These principles are not always explained in the assignment guidelines; professors may assume that you already know them. We have created this guide to answer any questions you may have on how to write a reflective assignment.
What Are Markers Looking For in Your Reflective Paper?
A reflective assignment is given to see how you can learn from your experiences. The experience itself is not actually as important as the lessons you extract from it. Show your tutor that you can evaluate your actions critically – what you did right and what you did wrong, why it was successful or not.
When the reflective report is about your learning experiences on the module, be as specific as possible. Simply stating that you learned a lot throughout the course is not enough. Name one or two of the most important things that you learned and how you are going to use them in the future. For example, in learning about the five conflict resolution styles, you may become willing to apply the collaborating style in your future workplace to get on better with your colleagues.
Where Do I Start?
Like with any other essay, you need to grab the reader’s attention from the start. To remain focused and relevant, read the assignment guidelines carefully. They are likely to outline the most important of your tutor’s expectations. You may even be given a particular experience to write about.
Although the concept of reflective writing has been around for over a century, it is still understood by different people in different ways. Do not expect the structure and style you used in one course to do just as well for another instructor. Reading the guidelines is the key to understanding their specific expectations and demands.
The next step is choosing the experience to write about. Generally (if the guidelines do not state otherwise), you will need one experience for an essay and three for a report.
Write down what kind of experience it was and the main thing you learned from it. For example:
Watching the video from Two Sisters
Even large and reputable companies can have gross safety violations. As a manager, I will always insist on learning as much about our suppliers as possible.
This is the starting point for your reflective assignment.
Which Experiences Should You Write About?
It is best to select experiences that affected you strongly. In this case, you will find it easier to explain why it was important. However, there is a danger of getting too emotional or carried away when describing it.
A good technique to get over this problem is to write ‘as it is’, whatever you want to say about this experience, then lay the paper aside for a few days, then proofread carefully, removing the unnecessary details. A break may be needed for any emotions to cool down a bit, and for you to be able to look at your paper through the reader’s eyes. With this in mind, it is best not to leave reflective writing for the last day before your deadline. Allow yourself several days to edit and proofread the paper with fresh eyes.
The experience you write about does not have to be a victory or success. You may also reflect on a failure that taught you an important lesson. However, avoid any experiences that show you in a negative light.
Remember that your paper will probably be read by different people. It may even get published on your university website or elsewhere. Although your name will be removed, the people who know you personally may still be able to identify you as the author – by any particular details or situations you describe. Thus, it is in your best interest not to disclose any aspects that may harm you or other people involved in the situation.
Minimising the possible damage to yourself and other people is an important consideration when deciding which experiences and details to include in your account. Ask yourself a question: Will I be fine if the whole world knows about that? Go ahead only when the answer is a confident ‘yes’.
How Do I Write a Reflective Essay?
A student reflection essay follows the conventional essay structure. In short, it must have an introduction, a body, and a conclusion. Do not use sub-headings unless specifically requested by the guidelines.
In the introduction, you explain what kind of experience it was and why it was important. Do not go in too much detail; keep it to one or two most important features.
In the body, describe how the experience unfolded and how you felt during and after it. Focus on your own actions rather than those of other people.
Be analytical: explain why you received this outcome and how you could have done better.
Mention relevant academic theories and concepts where appropriate. Explain how they helped you make sense of the situation and choose the right course of action.
In the conclusion section, state one or two things that you have learned from this experience and why they are important to you. Outline your plan for handling or preventing similar situations in the future.
The introduction is often the most difficult part to write. You may find it easier, to start with the body of the writing and write the introduction last.
How Do I Write a Reflective Report?
Reflective reports are more structured than essays. Generally, you will include more than one experience and use section headings and sub-headings. If a specific structure is prescribed by the assignment guidelines, always follow it.
- In this part, you explain your purpose for writing this report and substantiate your choice of experiences. For example, when the purpose is to reflect on your group project work experience, you may want to write about the main conflicts and challenges you faced as a group.
- Write about each experience in a separate section with an appropriate heading. If no specific requirements for the structure are set, treat each section as a small essay. However, reports are more practical than essays. Focus on the lessons you learned for practice. The description of the situation and your feelings need to be concise – just enough for your reader to get the point.
- State the main lessons you have learned and how you are going to apply this knowledge in your future professional and academic life. There needs to be at least one lesson learned from each experience you included.
What Are Reflection Models and Why Do I Need Them?
Even if your assignment does not give a specific reflection model to follow, you may still want to use one. A reflection model is a sequence of steps to follow, or a sequence of questions to answer when writing down your account of an experience. When you are new to reflective writing, reflection models can provide a much-needed step-by-step guide.
One of the most popular and handy models is Gibbs reflection cycle (presented in the figure below).
Source: https://www.midwives.org.au/log-reflect-your-cpd
Gibbs Reflection Cycle Example
A learning experience reported using Gibbs cycle can look like this:
What happened?
I failed to get the interview I absolutely needed for my dissertation.
What were you thinking and feeling?
For a moment, I felt helpless and frustrated. But then I started thinking who else could give me that information. Fortunately, two of my senior colleagues had it and responded gladly to my request.
What was good and bad about the experience?
The good thing was that I managed to get information despite the obstacle that seemed overwhelming at the first moment. However, this incident highlighted the gaps in my preparation. I had no Plan B in case if my department manager refused to be interviewed.
What sense can you make of the situation?
I should have made a list of several interviewees representing each functional area. If one of them refused to participate, I could talk to the next one on my list. That would have increased my chances of collecting comprehensive data about the department performance.
What else could you have done?
Besides, I could have worded my invitation better and choose the time to approach the manager more carefully. In this case, I could have obtained the manager’s agreement and interview.
If it arose again, what would you do?
Facing a similar problem again, I would not be that stressed. I would accept the refusal calmly and immediately approach the next potential interviewee on my list.
Following a reflection model, you can produce a piece of writing that is coherent, persuasive and has a strong internal structure, like in the example above. To put it short, a reflection model maximises your chances of achieving a high mark.
However, Gibb’s reflection cycle is not the only model suitable for writing a great reflective report. If you are looking for an alternative, Kolb’s reflective cycle is a much more concise framework for cases in which you have a strict word count limit.
Source: https://www.researchgate.net/figure/Kolbs-learning-cycle-and-experiential-learning-styles_fig1_325475416
Kolb's Framework Example
To follow Kolb’s framework, you can always use the following example.
Concrete Experience
Try to focus on one-two very specific events that you have encountered in your personal or professional life. For example, if you have internship experiences, it would be great to describe how you first completed your work responsibilities or how you chose to communicate with your manager. Try to add as much detail as possible. If you’re struggling, the following questions can be helpful.
- When exactly did the experience occur?
- What were my thoughts and feelings at the time?
- Why did I choose to proceed with a particular choice of action?
- What were the results of my decisions?
For example, your experience can look like this.
While I was the president of this student society, I prepared student project fairs and organised community gatherings. For one of these events, the attendance figures were much lower than predicted; I understood that I failed to motivate my followers. To address this, I conducted a joint meeting to change the format of student fairs.
Reflective Observation
This is the stage in which you begin to transform your experience into more of an abstract idea. You should definitely compare your experience with some relevant theories to impress your tutor and stay critical and evaluative. To keep track of your reflective observation, answer the following questions.
- What are the theories and models most relevant to my experience?
- What is the gap between these frameworks and my own actions?
- What methods or strategies did I fail to implement?
- What were the immediate and long-term effects of my actions?
If you need guidance, you can refer to the next example.
I failed to understand that I followed the paradigm of servant leadership. I addressed the needs of my followers by extending deadlines for submitting student projects at the expense of my own project planning needs. However, I did not sufficiently motivate other students to participate in meetings or offer ideas for improvement. I did not establish a specific vision or praised the achievements of my followers.
Abstract Conceptualisation
To complete this section of your reflective report, you should focus on what you have learned as a result of your chosen experience. This should definitely refer back to the theories you chose when conducting your reflective observations. You should clearly highlight how your new idea changes your approach to practice. The following questions should be helpful.
- What did I learn as a result of the event?
- How would I change my approach in the future?
- How can I summarise my learning into one specific idea?
- How would I evaluate the feasibility of my future strategy?
The following example showcases how a good abstract conceptualisation part should be written.
I learnt that a transformational leadership style is better suited for leading a student society. In the future, I will conduct regular monthly meetings with my followers to prepare for new fairs and other events. This should increase their motivation and engagement with such projects. While this would add a week to the timeframe for student fairs, I do not see any other barriers to the feasibility of this leadership strategy.
Active Experimentation
Active experimentation focuses on applying the results of abstract conceptualisation in practice. If you cannot experiment with your learning, you should definitely outline a plan of action and how you would ensure your commitment to improving your practice. To guide your active experimentation, you should answer the next questions.
- What are the key steps required to implement the previously outlined recommendations?
- What instruments should I use to ensure my commitment to professional and personal improvement?
The following is an example of an active experimentation paragraph answering the above questions.
To monitor my results, I will keep a personal leadership journal after each student meeting; I will evaluate my progress in becoming a better leader. In my opinion, keeping a journal for two-three months should be sufficient to achieve this aim. I will also request monthly feedback from other students on how I should improve my leadership style.
What Constitutes a Good Writing Style in Reflective Assignments?
Although reflective assignments are less scholarly in their content and style than most other papers, they are still academic assignments. Thus, you must stick to conventional English. Use contractions, colloquial expressions, or slang only when directly citing a person’s words.
If your mastery of English is far from perfect, do not try to produce ‘fine’ or ‘literary’ writing. Instead, keep it short and clear.
Reflective essays and reports are written in the first person (‘I’) unless the opposite is explicitly stated in your assignment guidelines.
When describing your feelings, name them without getting overly dramatic. “I was anxious when starting on the test” is appropriate. “My heart pounded, and I was shaking all over” is better saved for a personal diary.
Keep your paragraphs within reasonable length (3 to 8 sentences). Shorter paragraphs are better for reflective reports and longer ones for essays.
When describing a setting or event, add in some details to help your readers imagine it. The details can be about visual appearance, sounds, smells, or general ambiance. However, do not try to convey the whole picture with words. One or two features that struck you most about the place will do the job.
Do not overload your reader with the information that does not add to your core argument. Keep your main purpose – talk about the lesson you learned from this situation – in focus.
Using References when Writing a Reflective Report
Academic writing usually requires using references such as books, journal articles or online sources. However, the case is not so clear for reflective reports which are often based on your personal experiences and, therefore, are very difficult to link to academic theories and models. If your tutor explicitly allows to not use any references without incurring a penalty on your final mark, you should definitely take advantage of such an opportunity. If not, a general rule of thumb is that your references for a reflective report should not be radically different from your references for any other types of work. Do not reference books on writing reflective reports as these sources contain no information relevant to your actual development. Instead, try to find books or journal articles discussing the same problems that you had encountered before such as a lack of motivation, or a shortage of creativity exhibited by your colleagues.
How to be Critical and Analytical when Writing a Reflective Report?
Being critical and analytical is probably the most frequent requirement for writing a good reflective report; nonetheless, there is a surprising lack of knowledge on what this actually entails. The trick is to focus on the things you did not do as much as on the things you did do. For example, when discussing your leadership, you could always mention leadership styles that you ignored in the past. This, however, is not enough to meet the criteria for good academic criticism. You should also clearly indicate the negative consequences of your choice. Continuing the above example on leadership, one’s failure to use transformational or servant leadership typically leads to reduced follower motivation and one’s peers’ unwillingness to complete specific tasks. Do not be shy to be as unambiguous as possible and avoid using words such as “may” or “could”.
Best Books on Reflective Writing
You may want to read these to get a better idea of what is expected of you in reflective writing.
- Research Methods for Business Students by Saunders, Lewis, and Thornhill. Look for the 2016 edition. Sections 1.5 and 14.8 provide handy instructions on how to craft reflective diary entries. These can be used for reflective report sections as well.
- Reflective Writing by Williams, Woolliams, and Spiro. This book was written by professors who found reflective assignments to be extremely confusing to many of their students. The book is packed with actionable tips; relevant concepts are explained very simply. Chapter 2 highlights the differences between common types of reflective assignments, including diaries, learning logs, and portfolios.
- Writing at University: A Guide for Students by Creme and Lea. Reflective writing is covered in Chapter 13. Section 13.1 contains plenty of ideas on how you can benefit from reflective writing. Use these to answer the question about how reflective writing assisted your learning.
Key Takeaways
In short, a recipe for a good reflective piece can be written down as follows:
- Study the assignment guidelines and marking scheme thoroughly to understand what is expected of you. Do not assume the requirements of reflective writing to be the same across courses and schools.
- If still unsure where to start, consult the books on reflective writing.
- Select an experience that taught you something important.
- Start with a description, proceed with analysis and evaluation, and conclude with an action plan for the future.
- Follow the introduction-body-conclusion structure.
- Include only relevant information.
- Be honest about your feelings.
- Use details to make your description vivid, but not too many.
Good luck with crafting a reflection that will win the hearts of your readers! You can check our successful reflection sample to see how these tips are applied in practice. Try our professional reflective report writing service to avoid the mistakes most students make in reflections.
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Examples of Reflective Writing
Types of reflective writing assignments.
A journal requires you to write weekly entries throughout a semester. May require you to base your reflection on course content.
A learning diary is similar to a journal, but may require group participation. The diary then becomes a place for you to communicate in writing with other group members.
A logbook is often used in disciplines based on experimental work, such as science. You note down or 'log' what you have done. A log gives you an accurate record of a process and helps you reflect on past actions and make better decisions for future actions.
A reflective note is often used in law. A reflective note encourages you to think about your personal reaction to a legal issue raised in a course.
An essay diary can take the form of an annotated bibliography (where you examine sources of evidence you might include in your essay) and a critique (where you reflect on your own writing and research processes).
a peer review usually involves students showing their work to their peers for feedback.
A self-assessment task requires you to comment on your own work.
Some examples of reflective writing
Social science fieldwork report (methods section), engineering design report, learning journal (weekly reflection).
Brookfield, S 1987, Developing critical thinkers: challenging adults to explore alternative ways of thinking and acting , Open University Press, Milton Keynes.
Mezirow, J 1990, Fostering critical reflection in adulthood: a guide to transformative and emancipatory learning , Jossey-Bass, San Francisco.
Schön, DA 1987, Educating the reflective practitioner , Jossey-Bass. San Francisco.
We thank the students who permitted us to feature examples of their writing.
Prepared by Academic Skills, UNSW. This guide may be distributed or adapted for educational purposes. Full and proper acknowledgement is required.
Essay and assignment writing guide
- Essay writing basics
- Essay and assignment planning
- Answering assignment questions
- Editing checklist
- Writing a critical review
- Annotated bibliography
- How do I write reflectively?
- Examples of reflective writing
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Reflective Report Samples and Examples
Are you stuck at a part of your reflective report and need some inspiration to follow? We understand this problem and have prepared various examples of reflective reports. These reflective report samples have been prepared by professionals and are of the high Research Prospect standard to help you follow a structure for your reflective report. Read our samples and start working on your report now!
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Frequently Ask Questions?
How can our reflective report samples help.
What are reflective reports?
First, let’s look at what reflective reports are. They are assignments frequently given in colleges and universities. Unlike essays and dissertations, reflective reports need to describe individuals, outline their experiences, and critically evaluate occurrences and situations.
Understanding the purpose of a reflective report is key; knowing the exact purpose of what you’re writing, you make a better job of it. These assignments are usually given as a means of grading your ability to critically evaluate.
What is in reflective reports?
Reflective reports ask you to talk about what you have learned in life through different experiences. They allow you to talk about your personal achievements and to outline your future plans.
While relating experiences, it’s important to begin with the academic and progress to the practical. It is advisable to avoid discussing your failures; but you can strategically refer to them if the event led to a subsequent accomplishment.
How are they assessed?
This work will be assessed on how well you evaluate yourself and your experiences. Showing you can learn good lessons from your encounters is very valuable, and is very important within the assignment. A reflective piece is not complete if you do not discuss your learning from experiences and where this supports your plans.
Our samples
Now you know the purpose of reflective reports, look at the samples published on the site. You’ll see that these samples include the critical evaluation of events and a description of how you can apply what you learned to similar future situations.
Examining our samples will help you in writing and submitting an outstanding reflective report. They demonstrate the usual structure and the format that is required.
Headings are not common in reflective reports because paragraphs start with topic sentences. Another point to note is that you write in the first person; this is because you are talking about personal experiences.
As such – and you’ll see this in our samples – you are unlikely to need to include many references. Although it is still required if you mention particular concepts or theories.
How we can help
Are you looking for help writing your reflective report? Getting professional help can mean the difference between passing or failing – and possibly writing the whole thing again.
At Research Prospect, we can make sure your reflective report contains everything it’s supposed to. Tell us about the requirements of the report and we can get to work on it.
We assign a writer to your task, and while our writers are outstanding, they still need your contribution for a reflective report. So, they will ask for your input, whether it concerns academic or professional experience. This helps them relate to your position and produce a reflection from your point of view.
Why is reflective work so different?
Reflective writing is very different to essay writing. Rather than discussing an academic subject, you write about personal experiences. You then reflect on your experiences, what you learned from them, and how you can apply this learning in the future. The writing is in the first person and you give your opinions because it’s a subjective piece of work.
What academic subjects does Research Prospect’s essay service cover?
We cover subjects from A to Z. Well, OK, there isn’t much call for Z subjects. But if you need some Z-based writing, we’ll be able to do it.
How do you reflect on personal experience of a client?
When ordering you can give us detailed information about experiences or situations encountered. The more information on experiences, feelings, and thoughts, the better. This can be enough for us to formulate an account from your viewpoint. Really, we are rearranging your words to their best advantage.
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How to Write a Reflective Essay: Easy Guide with Pro Tips 2023
Defining What is a Reflective Essay: Purpose + Importance
Being present is a cornerstone of mindfulness and meditation. You must have often heard that staying in the moment helps you appreciate your surroundings, connects you with people and nature, and allows you to feel whatever emotions you must feel without anxiety. While this is helpful advice as you become more focused and avoid getting lost in thought, how can you truly appreciate the present without reflecting on your past experiences that have led you to the current moment?
We don't say that you should dwell on the past and get carried away with a constant thought process, but hey, hear us out - practice reflective thinking! Think back on your previous life events, paint a true picture of history, and make connections to your present self. This requires you to get a bit analytical and creative. So you might as well document your critical reflection on a piece of paper and give direction to your personal observations. That's when the need for reflective essays steps in!
In a reflective essay, you open up about your thoughts and emotions to uncover your mindset, personality, traits of character, and background. Your reflective essay should include a description of the experience/literature piece as well as explanations of your thoughts, feelings, and reactions. In this article, our essay writer service will share our ultimate guide on how to write a reflective essay with a clear format and reflective essay examples that will inspire you.
How to Write a Reflective Essay with a Proper Reflective Essay Outline
To give you a clear idea of structuring a reflective essay template, we broke down the essential steps below. Primarily, the organization of a reflective essay is very similar to other types of papers. However, our custom writers got more specific with the reflective essay outline to ease your writing process.
Reflective Essay Introduction
When wondering how to start a reflective essay, it is no surprise that you should begin writing your paper with an introductory paragraph. So, what's new and different with the reflection essay introduction? Let's dissect:
- Open your intro with an attention-seizing hook that engages your audience into reflective thinking with you. It can be something like: 'As I was sitting on my bed with my notebook placed on my shaky lap waiting for the letter of acceptance, I could not help but reflect, was enrolling in college the path I wanted to take in the future?'
- Provide context with a quick overview of the reflective essay topic. Don't reveal too much information at the start to prevent your audience from becoming discouraged to continue reading.
- Make a claim with a strong reflective essay thesis statement. It should be a simple explanation of the essay's main point, in this example, a specific event that had a big impact on you.
Reflective Essay Body Paragraphs
The next step is to develop the body of your essay. This section of the paper may be the most challenging because it's simple to ramble and replicate yourself both in the outline and the actual writing. Planning the body properly requires a lot of time and work, and the following advice can assist you in doing this effectively:
- Consider using a sequential strategy. This entails reviewing everything you wish to discuss in the order it occurred. This method ensures that your work is structured and cohesive.
- Make sure the body paragraph is well-rounded and employs the right amount of analysis. The body should go into the effects of the event on your life and the insights you've gained as a consequence.
- Prioritize reflecting rather than summarizing your points. In addition to giving readers insight into your personal experience, a reflective stance will also show off your personality and demonstrate your ability to handle certain challenges.
Reflective Essay Conclusion
The goal of your reflective essay conclusion should be to tie everything together by summarizing the key ideas raised throughout, as well as the lessons you were able to take away from experience.
- Don't forget to include the reasons for and the methods used to improve your beliefs and actions. Think about how your personality and skills have changed as well.
- What conclusions can you draw about your behavior in particular circumstances? What could you do differently if the conditions were the same in the future?
Remember that your instructor will be searching for clear signs of reflection.
Understanding a Reflection Paper Format
The format of reflective essay greatly differs from an argumentative or research paper. A reflective essay is more of a well-structured story or a diary entry rife with insight and reflection. You might be required to arrange your essay using the APA style or the MLA format.
And the typical reflection paper length varies between 300 and 700 words, but ask your instructor about the word length if it was assigned to you. Even though this essay is about you, try to avoid too much informal language.
If your instructor asks you to use an APA or MLA style format for reflective essay, here are a few shortcuts:
Reflective Essay in MLA Format
- Times New Roman 12pt font double spaced;
- 1" margins;
- The top right includes the last name and page number on every page;
- Titles are centered;
- The header should include your name, your professor's name, course number, and the date (dd/mm/yy);
- The last page includes a Works Cited.
Reflective Essay in APA Style
- Include a page header on the top of every page;
- Insert page number on the right;
- Your reflective essay should be divided into four parts: Title Page, Abstract, Main Body, and References.
Reflective Essay Writing Tips
You may think we've armed you with enough tips and pointers for reflective writing, but it doesn't stop here. Below we gathered some expert-approved tips for constructing uncontested reflection papers.
- Be as detailed as possible while writing. To make your reflective essay writing come to life, you should employ several tactics such as symbolism, sentence patterns, etc.
- Keep your audience in mind. The reader will become frustrated if you continue writing in the first person without taking a moment to convey something more important, even though you will likely speak about something from your own perspective.
- Put forth the effort to allow the reader to feel the situation or emotion you are attempting to explain.
- Don't preach; demonstrate. Instead of just reporting what happened, use description appropriately to paint a clear picture of the event or sensation.
- Plan the wording and structure of your reflective essay around a central emotion or subject, such as joy, pleasure, fear, or grief.
- Avoid adding dull elements that can lessen the effect of your work. Why include it if it won't enhance the emotion or understanding you wish to convey?
- There must be a constant sense of progression. Consider whether the event has transformed you or others around you.
- Remember to double-check your grammar, syntax, and spelling.
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Reflective Essay Topic Ideas
As a reflective essay should be about your own views and experiences, you generally can't use someone else's ideas. But to help you get started, here are some suggestions for writing topics:
- An experience you will never forget.
- The moment you overcame a fear.
- The most difficult choice you had to make.
- A time your beliefs were challenged.
- A time something changed your life.
- The happiest or most frightening moment of your life so far.
- Ways you think you or people can make the world a better place.
- A time you felt lost.
- An introspective look at your choices or a time you made the wrong choice.
- A moment in your life you would like to relive.
You may find it convenient to create a chart or table to keep track of your ideas. Split your chart into three parts:
- In the first column, write key experiences or your main points. You can arrange them from most important to least important.
- In the second column, list your response to the points you stated in the first column.
- In the third column, write what, from your response, you would like to share in the essay.
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Reflective Essay Sample
Referring to reflective essay examples can help you a lot. A reflective essay sample can provide you with useful insight into how your essay should look like. You can also buy an essay online if you need one customized to your specific requirements.
How to Conclude a Reflective Essay
As we come to an end, it's only logical to reflect on the main points discussed above in the article. By now, you should clearly understand what is a reflective essay and that the key to writing a reflective essay is demonstrating what lessons you have taken away from your experiences and why and how these lessons have shaped you. It should also have a clear reflective essay format, with an opening, development of ideas, and resolution.
Now that you have the tools to create a thorough and accurate reflective paper, you might want to hand over other tasks like writing definition essay examples to our experienced writers. In this case, feel free to buy an essay online on our platform and reflect on your past events without worrying about future assignments!
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How To Write Reflection Paper: Step-by-Step Guide
18 May 2022
Quick Navigation
❓What Is a Reflection Paper?
📄Types of Reflective Writing
Critical Reflection Paper
Personal reflection paper, reading reflection paper.
🎓Approaches to Reflective Inquiry
✏️Writing a Reflection Paper Outline
🔍Reflection Paper Format
✍How to Write a Reflection Paper: Step-by-Step Guide
✅Tips on Writing Your Paper
📝Reflection Paper Example
Do you have any questions about how to write the methodology?
Now is the time to answer one major question. How to write a reflection paper? To write reflection content, you will need to know a lot of things, and you will need to understand the format and types and also get additional help if you are a newbie. Below we have all of that in a simple and plain form so you can get all the help you need in one place. You will also learn the insights of reflective paper writing, how to format it, and how to make the process more comfortable and appealing. At the end of the day, you will have stunning reflection papers that will impress your professor. All of this may sound complicated or impossible, but it is definitely something you can do, and now you will see how.
What Is a Reflection Paper?
Before we share what you need to know about reflection paper writing an effective reflection, we need to clarify what this type of essay is. It is your personal opinion and reaction about something. It can be a book, a movie, or a trip. You will have to write about how that topic affected you instead of using facts and arguments only. As such, these papers are very appealing, and most students enjoy writing them. Of course, some don't like these; hence they rely on research paper writing service , and they will always get a paper done in no time that is also professional and answers the main idea perfectly. There are a few variations here, and we will have to explain each one below. The main purpose here is to create a paper expressing your thoughts and opinion about the main topic.
Types of Reflective Writing
To write a reflection paper, you must pay close attention to the type you will use. Word count is low here; hence you need to stay focused and use all the steps and all the proper elements. The essential element here is to know about three different types. These will determine how to write a reflection paper, how you need to optimize body paragraphs, and so much more. This is also one reason that makes writing reflection papers so hard.
This is the most common and the hardest type here. It will be based on your studying and has to include different points. For example, you need to elaborate on what you have learned, the experiences you received, and how and what challenges it took. You don't have enough room only, so you will need to be professional in this kind of academic writing, and you still need to focus on the main themes. In addition, you will have to provide details about your experiences and reactions and analyze them in detail. Studying reflection paper example papers may be necessary to get a general idea.
Studying math at college: My experience.
Here you also need to provide your experiences. But you will also have to explain how it concerned you. There are countless examples and plenty of things you are about to discover. It is different from a critical reflection paper and has a greater focus on the personal element of the experience rather than on anything else. You can always write about all the personal experiences you like and want, but try to focus on the essential occasion. This is an essay that will have a huge effect on your life.
A reflection paper is a type of essay that has a huge role in education. This means you will need to clarify how a book or the books have affected you and what experience you got from them. A reflection paper on a book is the most common type at some schools. All teachers will want you to write about this, and you will need to include all the main points and all the elements of this academic paper. How long should a reflection paper be? This type is usually 2-3 pages long.
Why did 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea make me want to read all the books of this genre?
Approaches to Reflective Inquiry
When you start a reflection paper, the first task is to understand your teacher's requirements. Not even mentioning your analysis should be closely related to the course you are studying. The personal subject you’ve decided to reflect on should be directly connected with the key principles you have learned in the course of the subject. The professor will evaluate not only the structure of the work but also the compliance of your opinions to write the essay. That is why you must go through a long thought process requiring critical thinking. As a result, you must come to unique insights that will mirror your perspective toward the analyzed situation.
Experiential Reflection
Talking about your own experiences can be difficult because things become very intimate. When writing a reflection paper based on personal observations, you must clearly link the situation to the learning context.
Reading Reflection
When you are asked to write a reflective essay based on what you have read, focus on the interpretation of key ideas. Combine the impression of the book or article with your general beliefs. How did the information you read strike you?
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Writing a Reflection Paper Outline
You may ask yourself what an outline is and why it is important. This is a clear plan for writing your work, which gives you a reliable perspective. A reflection paper outline is necessary to mention all the essential facts and keep the correct structure of the reflection paper. These days you can easily use " write my paper for me " and get an outline that will be spotless. The outline is very important in helping you write a reflection paper, and we must reveal something about it.
First comes the Introduction . It is the passage to interest the reader in your reflection paper. To make it coherent, follow these guidelines:
- Begin with a thesis statement. It is a strong phrase that summarizes and presents the main topic of your reflection paper.
- Catch the reader on a hook. It can be any intriguing fact that is related to your study.
- Do a brief overview of what is presented in your essay.
A body paragraph is the heart of any reflection paper. This is the part where you are reflecting on your personal experiences and expressing how your thoughts changed or consolidated because of the occasion. To keep the structure strict, start each new idea with a new paragraph, although having more than three body paragraphs is not advisable.
- Clearly describe the experience.
- Link your practice to the concepts you’re studying.
- Elaborate the conclusions and explain your point to the reader.
- Analyze your new cognitions and link them with your previous beliefs.
The conclusion is an integral part of a reflection paper. To write one, you should summarize the data you received while reflecting.
- Make the conclusions coherent with the introductory section.
- Be brief when summing up the results.
- Tell the reader how the received data can be useful in life.
Know how to structure your paper
- 12-point Times New Roman
- 0" between paragraphs
- 1" margin all around
- double spaced (275 words/page) / single-spaced (550 words/page)
- 0.5" first line of a paragraph
PapersOwl editors can also format your paper according to your specific requirements.
Reflection Paper Format
Here we can see one crucial fact about reflective writing. All papers of this kind must use proper formatting. It is more important than you may believe. A reflective paper format will make your essay look as it should, and you won't have any issues with your professor making any mistake possible. In simple terms, this is the template you can use for all papers of this kind. To encourage you to explore your own ideas for different reflective essay topics , we will have to interpret the main facts below, and you will need to use them. Keep in mind that your school may have a different requirement, in which case you will have to talk to your professor and get the guidelines and then use them to write a reflection paper. You need to do this before any academic writing, and it is different worldwide.
You need to write on A4 paper (in Office Word or on real paper).
Margins must be 1 inch.
The text size is 12 points.
Fonts you can use are Times New Roman, Arial, and Calibri.
All lines must be paired with double spaces.
The citation will be defined by a teacher (usually, it is APA or Chicago style).
The length should be between 250 and 750 words.
How to Write a Reflection Paper: Step-by-Step Guide
Here we will have a complete process of creating an effective reflective paper. All the experts use this simple guide, and it can have a huge effect on your writing. Each reflective paper must follow the points, so you can imagine how crucial these are. It is necessary to add that you should use all of them and don't skip one. If you do, you can finish up with a poor result and get a lower grade. While at college, you can use these all the time but only on papers of this kind.
Choose the topic
The first is to pick the topic if that is possible. If you do, you will have an easier time writing, and you will be able to focus more on the things you like and find interesting. You can also find some reflection paper topic examples. If the topic is not something you can opt for, you will probably have a harder time. This is one of the reasons why so many students need help and want to get a good reflection paper done. They don't want to write about some topic they don't like. You can always buy research paper or any other and get over with. In addition, the topic you choose must be a perfect match for your experience and your opinion, and you should be passionate about it. Here is one example.
How can I deal with stress these days?
Start with the main theme.
Here you will need to write about what you have learned from the experience you are defining. Try to match the readers. They will want to be able to link up with you, and they will need that. In other words, if you can choose this, you have a good reflection paper already. They should be able to relate to that from reading your essay. If you are trying to define this from a book, you can use strong words and a lot of details. At college, this is essential.
After watching X-Files, I realized that there are a lot of secrets in society.
Brainstorming part
This can be an interesting part. You will need to relax, and you will need to write down all the ideas that you have on your mind for reflective writing. It is not substantial how silly they are or how special they sound. Just write them down. Once you are done, you can organize them and make corrections. You should start with a title page when this is a more significant element. In general, you will have to write down anything memorable that may have any impact on the essay you are writing now.
Main theme: A constant fear of missing out.
- I only feel FOMO when I’m studying instead of having fun.
- Studies show that FOMO is a display of fear of social exclusion.
- Social media foments the fomo.
- Now I realize the main solution to FOMO is to spend less time checking on the feed.
Analyze how and why
Now you will need to choose that idea and analyze it in depth. Here you will need to write about how and why it hit you and your experience at the end. This is more important than you may believe, and it has a huge role. While at school, you always need to ask yourself how and why. These are mandatory questions for all types of writing, which can help you get the grade you like.
- “Before” questions: What will I receive from this experience? Which skills do I need to overcome it? Are there any issues I can face?
- “During” questions: What is the expertise I receive from the occasion? How do I feel about it? Does this experience change my outlook?
- “After” questions: How have these past experiences altered my life and thoughts? Did it meet my expectations? How can I express my feelings about it?
Connect your opinion, experience, and observation
Here you will need to write about the connection between what you thought about that idea, what experience you had, and what you have observed. Try to link these in a simple way and try to reach your readers as well. It may sound obvious, but it is one element that can be essential for understanding. If you are writing about the book, you will need to say something about the author, the characters' names, and how it affected you.
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Tips on Writing Your Paper
The ideas from your body paragraphs can vary, and there are countless examples. We have provided you with some experiential reflection writing tips to make this easier. All the experts use the ones below, and in fact, they were developed by professionals. As such, you will want to implement them into any piece of writing you can. We will keep all of this simple and easy because the best tip is the one that is easy but has huge importance.
Firstly, we already have mentioned that it is essential to choose the topic if possible. It will make the title page and the essay a much simpler task for you. You can also check the writing essay service for comprehensive reflection paper example. You will need one topic that you fully understand and are passionate about. If you have to work on something you need help understanding, you probably will need more time to explain all the elements and thoughts.
Secondly, writing an educational reflective paper will be a complicated task. As with any other, you will need days or even weeks to produce high-quality content. This means one thing only. You need time to finish the job, which will take more than 15 minutes. Start as soon as possible, and you can complete it. Even professionals like this tip and have been using it for ages.
Another fact you should know is the importance of a reflective essay outline . It is a path you will follow. It can help you avoid any mistakes and focus on the most important thoughts of your reflection essay. You will need to complete this before you start with the actual writing, and it will apply to all papers and all types of writings out there.
An important remark is that if you use slang words, you might have a problem. Professors don't like these and don't have any room for professional reflection essays. Instead, you will need to use proper and professional words. Use big words when you can so you don't see any problems. But you also need to be direct, and you need to stay focused at any given moment. These are mandatory elements, and they deserve a special spot.
Furthermore, you need to use first-person singular in your reflection essay! This is another mistake many students make, and it can have a huge side effect on the whole content. There are no exceptions, so you can memorize this tip and always use it.
Remember that reflection papers are deep, and they don't need to touch the idea in a shallow way. You need to express as much as you can and use plenty of details. The more details you use, the better. In other words, this is more than a simple summary you will need to provide, and you are done with it. This is complicated content that needs to explore personal emotions, opinions, thoughts, and reflections in the deepest way imaginable. The deeper you get, the easier it is to connect with the readers.
Finally, the description must focus on the life experiences and how they affected your thoughts and understanding, not on the objects or locations. Many students believe the opposite, so they will waste time explaining the wrong element here. Remember that this is not an essay where you must explain all the elements in the same detail level. Some elements, like experiences, are far more important than others.
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Reflection Paper Example
“Reflecting on the Moment I Received a Long-Desired Possession” I still vividly remember the day I received the item I had been longing for - a sleek, silver MacBook Pro laptop. It was a momentous occasion for me, as I had been saving up for it for months and constantly researching and comparing different models and features. The laptop symbolized a new level of independence and creativity for me, and I was beyond excited to finally have it in my hands. As I eagerly tore open the box, I felt a rush of emotions - excitement, gratitude, and a sense of accomplishment. I had worked hard for this, and it was a tangible representation of my efforts and determination. I felt proud of myself for setting a goal and following through with it, and I couldn't wait to start using my new laptop to its full potential. Using the MacBook Pro was like a dream come true. Its sleek design, fast processing speed, and advanced features made it so much easier for me to accomplish tasks and unleash my creativity. Whether I was working on school projects, writing personal essays, or just browsing the web, I felt inspired and empowered. This experience taught me a valuable lesson about the power of perseverance and hard work. I learned that if I set my mind to something and put in the effort, I can make it happen. This sense of control and autonomy was empowering and gave me a new level of confidence. In conclusion, receiving my long-desired MacBook Pro was a moment that will stay with me for a long time. It taught me about the rewards of hard work and perseverance, and gave me a new sense of confidence and independence. I am grateful for this experience, and I am looking forward to using my laptop for many years to come.
What is a reflection in writing?
How many paragraphs are in a reflection paper, how to conclude a reflection paper, was this article helpful, thanks for your feedback.
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IMAGES
COMMENTS
1 Identify the main themes. [2] In your notes, summarize the experience, reading, or lesson in one to three sentences. These sentences should be both descriptive yet straight to the point. 2 Jot down material that stands out in your mind. Determine why that material stands out and make another note of what you figure out.
10 min read A reflection paper is a very common type of paper among college students. Almost any subject you enroll in requires you to express your opinion on certain matters. In this article, we will explain how to write a reflection paper and provide examples and useful tips to make the essay writing process easier.
You might be assigned to write a reflective essay on an academic text, such as an essay, a book, or an article. Unlike a reflective essay about your own personal experiences, this type of reflective essay involves analysis and interpretation of the material.
First, know that - like any other academic piece of writing - a reflection requires a narrow focus and strong analysis. The best approach for identifying a focus and for reflective analysis is interrogation. The following offers suggestions for your line of inquiry when developing a reflective response. Experiential Reflection
This may involve: Reflecting on your own professional or academic practice Scrutinising an experience and the way you dealt with it Evaluating a project or experiment and considering how to do it better next time Reflecting on things you have read and linking theory with practice/reality
1. Answer key questions. To write a reflection paper, you need to be able to observe your own thoughts and reactions to the material you've been given. A good way to start is by answering a series of key questions. For example: What was your first reaction to the material? Was it positive, negative, or neutral?
1. Understand and summarize the material It's important that you review the material before writing the reflection paper. You can review similar texts and authorities to help you understand the content of the text. Some reflection papers may require you to review a particular event.
Key takeaways: A reflection paper is an introspective piece of writing that shares your thoughts and/or reactions to an experience or topic. There are two main types of reflection papers: experiential and reading (or textual). Starting a reflection paper begins by asking questions and noting your ideas or thoughts on the subject matter.
What reflective reports are composed of The process of generating a reflective report Reflective report examples We shall go through all this and so much more. Hence if you have any queries on reflective reports, you do not want to miss out on this article. Table Of Contents What Is A Reflective Report?
For example: "Unconditional love is the best kind of love because it does not expect anything in return.". Step #5: Create an Outline. An outline is like a map for your paper. A good essay outline will help keep you on track as you write and organize all of your thoughts into coherent paragraphs.
Thinking About Reflective Thinking. Educational theorists have developed numerous models of reflective thinking that your professor may use to frame a reflective writing assignment. These models can help you systematically interpret your learning experiences, thereby ensuring that you ask the right questions and have a clear understanding of what should be covered.
Figure 1 shows that the reflective thinking process starts with you. Before you can begin to assess the words and ideas of others, you need to pause and identify and examine your own thoughts. Doing this involves revisiting your prior experience and knowledge of the topic you are exploring. It also involves considering how and why you think the ...
Both the language and the structure are important for academic reflective writing. For the structure you want to mirror an academic essay closely. You want an introduction, a main body, and a conclusion. Academic reflection will require you to both describe the context, analyse it, and make conclusions. However, there is not one set of rules ...
Report writing is an essential skill in many disciplines. Master it now at university and writing reports in the workplace will be easier. A report aims to inform and sometimes to persuade. They should be written as clearly and succinctly as possible with evidence about a topic, problem or situation. Here are some general guidelines but check ...
When writing a reflective report, you want to start with an introduction that acknowledges your subject and gives the reader an impression of what you are trying to communicate. The introduction should include a thesis statement, serving as your focal point. You can provide facts to support your thesis statement in the second body paragraph.
Step 1: Introduction. To begin your reflection paper, introduce the topic or experience you will be reflecting upon. Engage your readers by providing context, sharing relevant details, or posing thought-provoking questions. A compelling introduction sets the tone for the rest of your paper and captures the reader's attention.
Academic reflective writing requires critical and analytic thought, a clear line of argument, and the use of evidence through examples of personal experiences and thoughts and often also theoretical literature. You should aim for a balance between personal experience, tone, and academic practice and rigor. Academic reflective writing should:
Describe an experience - provide some details on an object or an event. Examine the experience - integrate personal and academic contexts. Provide in-depth analysis of those experiences. Tell readers what you learned after analysis. Clarify how analyzed subject will be useful in your future.
Guide to Writing a Reflective Essay or Report Reflective report writing is often perceived as easy. You do not need to locate and reference dozens of sources or discuss complex theories in this kind of assignment like you do in traditional essay writing .
1. Addresses the assignment question 2. Reflects on direct experiences 3. Direct reference to the course activity 4. The style is relatively informal, yet still uses full sentences.
Reflective Report Writing Sample Discipline: Education Quality: 1st / 71% View this Sample Masters Significant Learning Experience Reflective Report Nursing Masters Read More Masters Mastering Management: A Reflective Report on My Journey and Learning Outcomes Reflective Report Management Masters Read More Undergraduate
The format of reflective essay greatly differs from an argumentative or research paper. A reflective essay is more of a well-structured story or a diary entry rife with insight and reflection. You might be required to arrange your essay using the APA style or the MLA format. And the typical reflection paper length varies between 300 and 700 ...
Link your practice to the concepts you're studying. Elaborate the conclusions and explain your point to the reader. Analyze your new cognitions and link them with your previous beliefs. The conclusion is an integral part of a reflection paper. To write one, you should summarize the data you received while reflecting.