What is a Reflective Essay? – Definition, Format & Tips
Find out detailed information on how to write a reflective essay. What are the most common features of the reflective essay? Here are the answers
The reflective essay remains one of the most popular types of essays that should be written by thousands of students in both colleges and universities worldwide. What are the most common features of the reflective essay? What makes it different from the other types of academic papers? How can you write your reflection essay with little effort? Below you will find top tips on how to write a successful text amazingly easy!
The Structure and Features
A reflective essay is a type of academic paper that requires writing a description of an important moment or your bright experience that is related to the subject of the lesson. In this type of essay, you should add some personal views, ideas, opinions and feelings, as well as give some detailed information on how it affected your life. It doesn’t require any research or proven facts.
The Reflective Essay Should Contain:
- Your own conclusions about what you’ve seen or read;
- The connections between you and your text;
- Your personal experience with numerous details and findings.
Note: Despite the fact that the reflective essay should include your personal impressions on the lesson, lecture or article, write your paper using a formal language only.
The Format of the Reflective Essay
The format differs from the classic research papers. As a rule, its length varies between 350 and 700 words. This type of essay is always well-structured and is usually written using APA or MLA styles. However, ask your professor for the requirements for formatting.
What is the Structure of the Reflective Essay?
- Outline. To start writing your academic paper you will need to find the best topic for your essay. Divide your list into three different columns: “Experience”, “Description” and “Reflection”. Make sure that the first two columns will take less than 10% of your academic paper. When you are ready with the topic, move on to the introduction.
- Introduction. Here you will need to attract reader’s attention with a brief preview of what you are going to write about. You might start with the related question and then provide the answers. Moreover, your thesis should contain some information about your experience.
- Body paragraphs. It’s a good idea to write your reflection essay in the chronological order. You might start with your expectations and then gradually move to the first impressions from the subject of your essay. Describe the experience gained, your emotions. You should emphasize personal attitude to the topic of your essay.
- Conclusion. The conclusion is just a wrap-up for everything you’ve written in the main paragraphs. Make a couple of conclusions and summaries, indicate the important statements and add some of your plans for the future related to the main subject of your reflective essay. Note: your conclusion should comply with the thesis of your essay.
Basic Questions and Ideas for Your Essay
- Your brightest experience
- Your hardest choice
- Your most memorable adventure
- The meaning of any meaningful event in your life
- How did you overcome any type of fear?
- Which moment in your life would you like to relive?
- How did a certain experience change your beliefs and viewpoints?
- How does my experience relate to the current studies?
- Can it help me in my future career?
- Was it emotionally difficult?
- Would you like to repeat your experience?
- How did a certain moment affect your life?
- What skills did you learn?
- What might have you done in another way?
Note: the answers to these questions might be separate paragraphs of your reflective essay. You can provide a more detailed description; expand a few answers, while missing some others.
Like with any other type of academic paper, you will need to proofread your reflective essay. Since your essay might be expressive and emotional, you can easily make a few grammar and spelling mistakes. Moreover, make sure to meet all the requirements to formatting.
Don’t be afraid to start writing your reflective essay: just share your own views, expectations and plans. Mind you can always address the “Please write my reflection essay fast” concern to a competent provider, having your manuscript drawn up by a seasoned academic wordsmith for a good price. Use this method in case of a studying emergency and you’ll get your “A” hassle-free.
you can try DoMyResearchPaper.com for help in your Academic paper
