reflective essay ideas higher english

• How to Order

Reflective Essay Writing

Reflective Essay Topics

Best Reflective Essay Topics For Your Paper

20 min read

People also read

A Complete Guide To Writing A Reflective Essay

How to Create a Reflective Essay Outline | Easy Guide with Examples

Reflective essays offer a powerful way to explore ourselves. They let us dig into our thoughts, experiences, and feelings, giving us a chance to understand ourselves better. 

Picking the right topic for a reflective essay is key—it's the starting point for a meaningful journey of self-discovery. 

In this blog, we'll look at a range of reflective essay topics that can make you think, feel, and grow. We will also look at tips for choosing a good reflective essay topic. Let’s get started!

• 1. What Are Reflective Essay Topics?
• 2. Reflective Essay Topics for Students
• 3.  Reflective Essay Topics by Subject
• 4. Reflective Essay Topics Ideas by Categories
• 5. Unique Reflective Essay Topics
• 6. Easy Reflective Essay Topics
• 7. What are the Features of a Strong Reflective Essay Topic?
• 8. How to Choose a Good Reflective Essay Topic?
• 9. Tips for Effective Reflective Essay Writing 

What Are Reflective Essay Topics?

Reflective essay topics are like starting points for a personal journey. They're about you and what you've been through, felt, or thought about. Unlike typical topics, they go deeper, asking you to explore how your experiences have shaped you, the lessons you've learned, and what you've realized.

For example, instead of just writing about a vacation, a reflective essay might ask you to think about how a specific trip changed your outlook on life. It's not just about telling a story; it's about understanding your reactions and how you've grown from them.

That's why these topics are often used for college application essays or personal statements —they show colleges who you are and how you've developed as a person.

Reflective Essay Topics for Students

In this section, we will explore a list of reflective essay topic examples to get you inspired and help you choose the best one for your essay assignment. 

Reflective Essay Topics for University Students 

• The transition from high school to university: Challenges and triumphs
• My academic growth journey: From freshman to senior year
• The most influential professor or mentor in my university life
• Balancing academics and personal life: My strategies and insights
• The impact of extracurricular involvement on my university experience
• Exploring cultural diversity on campus: What I've learned
• My most memorable study abroad experience
• Overcoming academic setbacks: What failure taught me
• The role of technology in my university education
• My career aspirations and the skills I've gained in university

Reflective Essay Topics for College Students 

• The impact of social media on students
• First day in college
• The moment when you were really embarrassed
• Your favorite TV program 
• What is your most favorite subject in college?
• What do you hate most about your professors?
• What you have learned so far from your time in college. 
• When you got caught lying
• The house where you grew up 

Reflective Essay Topics for Grade 11

• The most exciting experience
• A time you were embarrassed.
• Shifting to a new town or city
• When you first spoke in public
• Watching birds flying in the sky
• Your inner reasons for doing the hobby
• Creating a plan for a vacation
• Eating a dish you didn’t really like
• Favorite place to eat
• Your favorite adventure

Reflective Essay Topics for Grade 12

• My journey toward graduation: Challenges and achievements
• The most impactful book I read in high school
• A teacher who made a significant difference in my education
• How I've evolved as a critical thinker and learner
• The role of resilience in my academic success
• The impact of high school relationships on my personal growth
• The lessons I learned from my extracurricular involvement
• The influence of technology on my generation's education
• My aspirations and goals beyond high school
• Reflecting on my high school years: What I'll take with me

Reflective Essay Topics for High School Students

The following are some good reflective essay topics for high school students. Be sure to pick an appropriate topic from the following reflective essay topic examples to make your audience listen carefully about your experience.

Reflective Essay Topics for Grade 9

• Playing with your pet 
• Experiencing an earthquake
• The city where you live
• Your favorite restaurant 
• Your favorite family members
• Eating something that you did not like
• Going to a new school
• A memorable dream
• A doctor’s visit that was unpleasant 
• A moment when you felt ashamed

Reflective Essay Topics for Grade 10 

• A funny story with your friend
• The happiest day in your life
• The first thing you think of in the morning
• Playing with friends
• Family reunion 
• The time you laughed hard
• Your favorite short story 
• Who inspires you 
• When you felt guilty 
• When you got your first pet

Reflective Essay Topics for Middle School 

Middle School students often face challenges when they are required to write an essay. Therefore, for your help, we compiled some great essay topics.

Reflective Essay Topics for Grade 6 

• A challenging homework assignment and what I learned
• The person who inspires me the most
• My favorite family tradition
• What I learned about myself from my most memorable field trip
• A time I overcame a fear
• Reflecting on school: Changes I would make for personal growth
• The importance of kindness in my life
• My proudest achievement so far
• A lesson I learned from a mistake
• The role of pets in our lives

Reflective Essay Topics for Grade 7

• A time I overcame a difficult challenge
• The most memorable family vacation
• The influence of a role model in my life
• My experience with a new hobby or activity
• A book that changed my perspective
• The importance of friendship and loyalty
• A significant change I went through
• The role of technology in my daily life
• A time I learned a valuable life lesson
• The impact of volunteering or helping others on me

Reflective Essay Topics for Grade 8

• When you skipped school
• A surprise that you prepared for someone
• A sport activity which you took part in
• When you first met a new family member
• When someone made you laugh
• Smelling a flower
• Running outdoors
• The day you helped somebody 
• Quality you look for in a friend
• Your favorite holiday memory 

 Reflective Essay Topics by Subject

Here are reflective essay topics categorized by subject areas:

Reflection Essay Topics on Literature 

• The impact of classic literature on my understanding of human nature.
• How my reading habits have evolved over the years.
• Analyzing the role of symbolism in a favorite book.
• A character in literature who resonates with my personal experiences.
• The influence of a literary genre on my perspective on life.
• Reflecting on my growth as a writer through literary analysis.
• Exploring the connection between literature and cultural identity.
• The lessons learned from reading literature from different cultures.
• How a particular poem or short story has inspired my creativity.
• The role of literature in shaping my values and beliefs.

History Reflective Essay Titles 

• A personal reflection on a pivotal moment in history
• Exploring my connection to a historical figure
• The lessons of history: how past events impact my present
• Analyzing the relevance of history in today's world
• A historical event that continues to shape my perspective
• How studying history has changed my understanding of society
• The impact of historical research on my critical thinking
• Personal insights gained from exploring world history
• A historical place or artifact that left a lasting impression
• The influence of history on my identity and values

Sociology Reflective Essay Topics 

• Reflecting on my cultural identity and how it shapes my perspectives
• The impact of social media on my social relationships and behavior
• Analyzing the effects of income inequality on society and my life
• Exploring the role of gender in my personal experiences and beliefs
• A sociological perspective on my family dynamics and relationships
• The significance of diversity and inclusion in my social environment
• Reflecting on the influence of social institutions on my values
• Personal insights gained from studying sociological theories
• The role of social movements in shaping my worldview
• How sociology has deepened my understanding of human society and interactions

Reflective Essay Topics on Psychology

• Exploring the influence of early childhood experiences on my personality
• A reflection on my emotional intelligence and its impact on my relationships
• Analyzing the role of resilience in my mental health journey
• Reflecting on a personal experience that sparked my interest in psychology
• The impact of stress management strategies on my well-being
• Discussing the role of nature vs. nurture in my own development
• A self-reflection on my coping mechanisms and strategies
• The influence of psychological theories on my self-awareness
• Personal insights gained from studying human behavior and cognition
• How psychology has helped me understand my own motivations and goals

Reflective Essay Ideas About Public Health 

• The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on my perception of public health
• Reflecting on the importance of vaccination in public health initiatives
• Analyzing the role of public health campaigns in promoting healthy behaviors
• Personal insights gained from studying epidemics and their global consequences
• A reflection on healthcare disparities and their effects on vulnerable populations
• Exploring the ethics of public health policies and their impact on society
• The role of public health education in my own health and lifestyle choices
• Discussing environmental factors and their influence on public health
• Reflecting on the challenges and successes of public health interventions
• How my understanding of public health has evolved and shaped my community involvement

Reflective Essay Topics on Religion

• How my faith shapes my daily life
• Exploring questions of belief and doubt
• My spiritual journey: From doubt to faith
• Religious traditions in my family
• Finding meaning and purpose through religion
• The role of prayer in my spiritual practice
• Lessons learned from religious texts or teachings
• Celebrating religious holidays and festivals
• Understanding different perspectives on God or higher power
• Reflecting on the role of religion in society

Environmental Science Reflection Essay Topics

• The impact of climate change on my community
• Exploring sustainable living practices
• My connection to nature: lessons learned from the outdoors
• The importance of biodiversity conservation
• Reflecting on environmental activism and advocacy
• The role of renewable energy in mitigating climate change
• Lessons learned from environmental disasters
• Exploring solutions to plastic pollution
• The ethics of environmental conservation
• Personal reflections on environmental responsibility

Tough Essay Due? Hire Tough Writers!

Reflective Essay Topics Ideas by Categories

In this section, we have compiled some reflection topics for students according to different categories. Check out these reflection paper title ideas below and get inspired for your own paper. 

Self-Reflective Essay Topics 

• My journey of self-discovery: Exploring personal values and beliefs.
• The impact of my childhood on who I am today.
• The role of resilience in overcoming life's challenges.
• A time when I stepped out of my comfort zone and grew.
• The influence of role models on my personal growth.
• My relationship with self-care and mental health.
• Exploring my strengths and weaknesses: A path to self-improvement.
• The significance of goal setting in my life.
• A personal crisis that taught me important life lessons.
• The journey of building self-confidence and self-esteem.

Reflective Essay Topics About Nature

• Watching animals at a zoo
• Swimming in a lake
• Your favorite animal
• Seeing a rainbow
• Diving in the ocean
• Mountain climbing 
• Witnessing a natural disaster
• What you like about sunsets
• A hike to remember

Reflective Essay Topics about Relationship 

• When your parents punished you
• A time when you were embarrassed
• The time when you realized you are in love
• The role of friendship in my life
• Sharing secrets with your parents
• The time when you felt bad for your siblings
• Describe your relationship with a family member
• The qualities of your best friend
• Who is your role model in life and why?
• What makes a good relationship?

Reflective Essay Topics About Life Moments

• A turning point in my life: How I overcame a major challenge
• Reflecting on a life-altering decision and its consequences
• A moment of personal triumph: Celebrating my achievements
• The impact of a life lesson learned through a difficult experience
• A memorable family gathering: What it taught me about relationships
• Exploring the role of friendship in shaping my life moments
• A significant loss: Reflecting on grief and the healing process
• The joy of giving: A life moment of acts of kindness and charity
• A reflection on the meaning of life through moments of solitude
• How a travel experience changed my perspective on life

Reflective Essay Topics About Events

• Moving to a new city
• A college experience I will never forget 
• Visiting a museum or the zoo
• Renovating your room
• An unexpected gift
• When you first voted
• Going on a vacation
• An award ceremony you attended
• Going to another school 
• A proud moment 

Reflective Essay Topics About Places 

• Your best online space
• Your favorite vacation spot 
• Your first trip abroad
• The place you would never want to visit 
• Your first hiking experience
• Places where you feel safe
• Your grandma’s house 
• A place where you used to hang out with your friends 
• The most special holiday
• Your favorite holiday destination

Hobbies and Outdoor Activities Reflective Essay Topics 

• Should I use my hobby to help others?
• Running outdoors.
• Swimming in the sea or lake
• Reading books
• A hobby that grew up into a career
• Listening to music
• A hobby or activity that I enjoy outside of school/work
• Mountain climbing
• Can my hobby help my mental health?
• Watching sunset 

Home and Family Reflective Essay Topics 

• The last family gathering
• Why is family important in our life?
• Influence of family in your life
• When your new family member comes
• An amazing family reunion
• Your last quarrel with your parents
• Marriage and family therapy
• The attitude of leaving home
• Family and friends
• Parents and siblings 

Unique Reflective Essay Topics

• Rediscovering my creativity: Exploring a new art form
• The soundtrack of my life: Songs that define important moments
• Unconventional wisdom: Lessons learned from unexpected sources
• The hidden gems of my hometown: Exploring offbeat destinations
• Embracing imperfection: Learning to love my flaws
• From page to screen: Analyzing the adaptation of a favorite book
• The power of play: How hobbies fuel my imagination
• Urban exploration: Discovering beauty in forgotten spaces
• How I transformed challenges into opportunities for personal growth and development
• The language of food: Exploring identity through culinary adventures

Easy Reflective Essay Topics

• The power of music in my life
• A meaningful conversation that changed my perspective
• Exploring nature: my favorite outdoor adventure
• Overcoming a personal challenge through perseverance
• My favorite childhood toy and its impact on me
• Discovering my passion: how I found what I love to do
• The role of gratitude in my daily life
• Reflecting on a significant friendship
• Lessons learned from a hobby or interest
• The importance of self-care in maintaining balance

Paper Due? Why Suffer? That's our Job

What are the Features of a Strong Reflective Essay Topic?

Here are the main elements of a reflective essay topic that make it stands out:

• Personal Link: It should connect with you on a personal level, touching on your experiences, feelings, and memories.
• Exploration: A good reflective topic has many layers, allowing you to dig deep and explore. It's much like the topics you'd choose for exploratory essays.
• Change and Growth: The best topics show your personal growth, illustrating how you've changed or developed.
• Being Unique: Your topic should be unique, showcasing your individual experiences and perspectives.

How to Choose a Good Reflective Essay Topic?

Here are some guidelines that can help you choose a perfect topic for your reflective essay. 

• It is always better to choose a topic on a familiar subject. Academic essay topics usually focus on some aspect of your life. So, if you choose a familiar topic, It will be easier for you to present your ideas. 
• Based on your studying and personal experiences, you could easily write on a topic that completely bores you. So, if you get bored while writing, think about how your readers will feel. So, a good approach is choosing a topic you are emotionally attached to or excited about. 
• Choose a topic that you can approach from a different angle. In this way, you can write about a unique perspective. Also, show off your personality in a way that will be more interesting to write.

Tips for Effective Reflective Essay Writing 

Here are some simple tips on how to approach reflective essay writing effectively:

• Start with Reflection: Begin by reflecting on your experiences, emotions, and thoughts related to the essay topic. Consider what you learned, how you felt, and why the experience was significant to you.
• Brainstorm Freely: Allow yourself to brainstorm freely, jotting down any ideas, memories, or insights that come to mind. Don't worry about organization at this stage; focus on capturing your thoughts and feelings.
• Organize Your Thoughts: Once you have a collection of ideas, organize them into themes or categories. Look for common threads or connections between your experiences to help structure your essay effectively.
• Structure Your Essay: Begin your essay with an engaging introduction that sets the stage for your reflection. Then, organize your main points logically, using paragraphs to explore each idea or experience in depth. Conclude your essay by summarizing your reflections and emphasizing the key insights or lessons learned.
• Incorporate Personal Experiences: Use specific examples and anecdotes from your own life to illustrate your points and bring your reflections to life. Be honest and authentic in sharing your experiences, and don't be afraid to show vulnerability or share personal insights.

To Sum it Up, 

Now you have plenty of reflection paper topics to choose from. Each topic, whether it's about overcoming challenges, celebrating achievements, or exploring new ideas, provides a chance to reflect, learn, and grow.

Once you have decided on the topic, start creating the reflective essay outline or begin writing your thesis statement for the essay. 

If you are still unsure, stuck, or need expert help, our reflective essay writing service will always be here to guide you. Our writing service can provide you with the best topics for writing a reflective essay.

Simply place your " write my essays online " request and get help from a legitimate essay writing service for your academic needs.

Write Essay Within 60 Seconds!

Caleb S. has been providing writing services for over five years and has a Masters degree from Oxford University. He is an expert in his craft and takes great pride in helping students achieve their academic goals. Caleb is a dedicated professional who always puts his clients first.

Paper Due? Why Suffer? That’s our Job!

Keep reading

Reflective Essay

Reflective Essay Topics

Last updated on: Apr 26, 2024

Good Reflective Essay Topics for Your Next Paper

By: Barbara P.

Reviewed By: Chris H.

Published on: Feb 9, 2021

A reflective essay is a piece of writing that helps the writer process their experiences, thoughts, and emotions. The focus in this genre isn't on events happening but rather what's going on internally with themselves.

The reflective essay is a type of writing that can be done by anyone. The format and style change depending on the audience, but it isn't difficult to write.

Reflective essays give you the space to explore your own thoughts and feelings about what you have learned. Below, we have offered a list of self-reflective essay topics that can help guide you through the first step of the writing process.

On this Page

Reflective Essay Topics Examples

Choosing a reflective essay topic is tough. There are so many potentials, but you want to make sure that your choice matches the prompt and follows all of the guidelines for what makes an excellent reflection paper. Fortunately, there is help!

Below we have provided you with a list of topics divided into different categories to help you get started.

Reflective Essay Topics for Grade 7

• Visiting the museum
• A memorable birthday party
• Reunion of my family
• The consequences of lies in a relationship
• When your father punished you
• Why do you wish to have something others have
• Things that made you cry
• The first time visit to a bookstore
• Receiving an expensive gift
• Your most favorite high school subject

Reflective Essay Topics for Grade 9

• The moment when you felt broken
• My first trip to an unusual place
• My first hiking experience
• Your favorite vacation spot
• Going to church
• A time when you felt happy
• Watching a horror movie
• Your driving experience
• The time you felt ashamed
• Your first thought in the morning

Reflective Essay Topics for Grade 10

• Climbing a mountain
• Your dream car
• Doing a new sport
• Renovating your room
• Meeting your best friend
• Scuba diving experience
• The time when you lied
• Your biggest loss
• Your biggest fear
• Best online space

Reflective Essay Topics for Grade 11

• The biggest obstacle in your life
• Visiting your favorite store
• Swimming for the first time
• A memorable dream
• Watching a sunrise
• Shifting to a new city
• Favorite personality
• Your favorite outlet store
• Favorite book
• Places where you feel safe

Reflective Essay Topics for Grade 12

• Looking at the full moon
• A visit to a different place
• A memorable high school experience
• Watching a movie with your friends
• A funny story with your friend
• The time when you felt embarrassed
• The moment you made your parents proud
• Your favorite place for dining out
• What is your biggest strength?
• What is your biggest weakness?

Reflective Essay Topics for High School Students

• A visit to the circus
• The most memorable music
• Hunting with your dad
• Choosing between sister and brother
• The movie that made you cry
• A thunderstorm
• The best party in your life
• My first mountaineering experience
• The role of friendship in my life
• What is the meaning of true friendship?

Reflective Essay Topics for College Students

• What is the best pet for a college student?
• How do I get out of doing chores?
• What do you dislike the most about teaching?
• Should I drop out?
• What semester is the most important?
• What punishments are used in schools?
• Can you learn without studying?
• How does social media affect behavior?
• What happens if I go part-time in college?
• Why is parental supervision important?

Reflective Essay Topics About Places

• The house I grew up in
• Your hometown
• A place in school where you used to hang out with friends
• Your favorite store
• A former workplace
• Going to the house of your grandparents
• Going to a coffee shop
• The place where you work
• Your favorite lunch spot
• Your favorite place to have a wedding

Reflective Essay Topics on Nature

• Standing on the beach
• Watching the sunset
• Picking-up berries
• Outdoors running
• Visiting the zoo
• Trail hiking
• Seeing an insect
• Spending time with your pet
• Walking in a field of wildflowers
• Smelling a wildflower

Reflective Essay Topics on Relationship

• A situation with your friend that made you angry
• A moment when you felt disappointed
• What it means to hear ‘I am proud of you’
• When you met someone for the first time
• When you got caught lying
• When you got punished by your parents
• A time when you felt lonely
• When you helped someone else
• A time you spent with friends without permission of your parents
• A time when you cried and a family member comforted you

Reflective Essay Topics Nursing

• My studies to become a nurse
• My philosophy of nursing
• Your favorite nurse practice setting
• The work of a nurse in the emergency room
• Possible career options in nursing
• The role of teamwork in nursing
• Gender issues in nursing
• The role of nursing in the future
• The use of telehealth nursing
• Medical home services

Personal Reflective Essay Topics Higher English

• What you love about yourself
• How did a loss change your perspective on life
• A place that is important to you for any reason
• What was the experience of giving a speech at your college?
• How you overcome difficulties
• Your childhood
• A moment when you laugh at a serious moment
• A moment of victory
• Share your personal experience of social media
• The process of studying foreign languages

How to Choose the Best Reflective Essay Topic?

The first step in learning how to write an essay begins with choosing which topics will be most interesting and engaging so that readers remain engaged throughout.

Choosing the right topic for your reflective essay is a real challenge, but here are some guidelines that can help you through this process.

• Academic reflective essays are typically about your life. If you choose a topic that is very familiar to you, it will be easier for you to present the ideas in an engaging manner.
• One of the most important things you can do when writing is to pick a topic that excites and intrigues your audience. The best way to ensure this happens is by choosing an interesting subject matter of perspective.
• Choose a topic that you can approach from a unique angle. In this way, you can write about your unique perspective and show off your personality in a more creative way. So, it will be easier to enjoy reading what is being written.

To finish off,

Choosing a reflective topic can be tough, but with the help of our essay experts and their creative prompts, you'll find your perfect subject in no time. These topics are sure to spark your inner reflection.

If you are looking for more topics or an expert writer to write a reflective essay from scratch, trust MyPerfectPaper.net.  

Our paper writing service has a team of professional writers who can help you with any good essay topic at an affordable price. We also offer free revisions if needed.

We're here to support you throughout your writing journey, so don't hesitate to reach us out if you need someone to “ write papers for me .”

Feel free to visit our essay maker to get efficient and quick assistance with reflective essay writing!

Literature, Marketing

Dr. Barbara is a highly experienced writer and author who holds a Ph.D. degree in public health from an Ivy League school. She has worked in the medical field for many years, conducting extensive research on various health topics. Her writing has been featured in several top-tier publications.

Was This Blog Helpful?

Keep reading.

• Reflective Essay: How to Turn Experience into a Great Reflective Essay

People Also Read

• illustration essay
• how to write an abstract
• dissertation structure
• thesis introduction
• research paper outline

Burdened With Assignments?

Advertisement

• LEGAL Privacy Policy

© 2024 - All rights reserved

• Search for:

Reflective writing (choosing a topic)

Watch this to explore how to choose a topic for your Reflective essay in Higher English (and why you should never hide in a drawer)

search thinkfour.

I have a vivid memory of playing hide and seek with my three older siblings when I was about 4.

My brother offered to help me hide in a drawer; he convinced me that this would be an excellent hiding place.

He was right. I was not found for hours, long forgotten by my siblings, whose desire to eat cake became more important than finding their little sister.

This is not a groundbreaking story. It certainly did not make the news; I suspect I was only missing for a matter of minutes before my brother realised that I could not get out by myself.

However, this would make a good basis for a Reflective Essay for Higher English.

Let’s look at why.

This is ThinkFour.

Choosing a suitable topic for your essay is arguably the most difficult part of the writing process.

You might claim that nothing interesting has ever happened to you.

But what you write about in itself doesn’t have to be extraordinary.

A child’s game of hide-and-seek is nothing special, but I firmly believe that that experience shaped who I am today: I have a deep-rooted fear of being trapped in small places and I certainly don’t like feeling that I’ve been forgotten.

Nevertheless, my brother did rescue me in the end, and that knowledge that he will always be there for me has never left me.

Your choice of topic is not the whole essay but more of a springboard to explore your deeper feelings: how did the experience affect you personally and what are the wider implications of the experience? In this case, I might consider how what we experience as children affects us through our lives.

And so, although the experience doesn’t need to be something news-worthy, it should be something that has had an impact on who you are.

Whenever I am asking my class to choose a topic, l ask them to think of moments in their lives when they have felt strong emotions.

Fear, anger, regret...

Wonder, excitement, pride.

The list is by no means exhaustive but it’s a good place to start.

So, what has happened to you to make you experience any of these emotions? It’s that emotion that you need to tap into for your essay.

Once you have found your moment, you can start building your story because, after all, a Reflective Essay is just a story. However, the important fact is that it’s YOUR story, it’s what happened to YOU that has made you... well... YOU.

Of course, you might be lucky – or unlucky – to already have a big life event that you can write about.

Your Reflective Essay is the perfect time to explore your response to your chosen event. In fact, it can be quite cathartic, an opportunity to dig deep and consider how whatever has happened has changed you and shaped you into the person you are now.

If it is an unhappy event, try to find the good; try to find a way forward through the pain to explore your own resilience.

Above all else, always be honest with yourself and your reader: this will make your essay more engaging and more relatable.

In MY story the thing that was most frightening about being trapped in a drawer was that I couldn’t get out by myself. I needed help. Eventually, my screams were heard, and I was set free.

So don’t get stuck in a drawer with your essay writing: ask for help with your ideas. Discuss all of the little moments with your family, friends, and teacher...

I guarantee that eventually, you will find your moment, you will find your story.

Because you can make the ordinary extraordinary.

This was thinkfour, thanks for watching.

© 2024 thinkfour. all rights reserved by thinkfour

• Business Management
• Mathematics
• Modern Studies

Privacy Overview

• +44 (0) 207 391 9032

Recent Posts

• What Is an Internship? Everything You Should Know

How Long Should a Thesis Statement Be?

• How to Write a Character Analysis Essay
• Best Colours for Your PowerPoint Presentation: How to Choose
• How to Write a Nursing Essay
• Top 5 Essential Skills You Should Build As An International Student
• How Professional Editing Services Can Take Your Writing to the Next Level
• How to Write an Effective Essay Outline
• How to Write a Law Essay: A Comprehensive Guide with Examples
• What Are the Limitations of ChatGPT?
• Academic News
• Custom Essays
• Dissertation Writing
• Essay Marking
• Essay Writing
• Essay Writing Companies
• Model Essays
• Model Exam Answers
• Oxbridge Essays Updates
• PhD Writing
• Significant Academics
• Student News
• Study Skills
• University Applications
• University Essays
• University Life
• Writing Tips

A complete guide to writing a reflective essay

(Last updated: 3 June 2024)

Since 2006, Oxbridge Essays has been the UK’s leading paid essay-writing and dissertation service

We have helped 10,000s of undergraduate, Masters and PhD students to maximise their grades in essays, dissertations, model-exam answers, applications and other materials. If you would like a free chat about your project with one of our UK staff, then please just reach out on one of the methods below.

“The overwhelming burden of writing my first ever reflective essay loomed over me as I sat as still as a statue, as my fingers nervously poised over the intimidating buttons on my laptop keyboard. Where would I begin? Where would I end? Nerve wracking thoughts filled my mind as I fretted over the seemingly impossible journey on which I was about to embark.”

Reflective essays may seem simple on the surface, but they can be a real stumbling block if you're not quite sure how to go about them. In simple terms, reflective essays constitute a critical examination of a life experience and, with the right guidance, they're not too challenging to put together. A reflective essay is similar to other essays in that it needs to be easily understood and well structured, but the content is more akin to something personal like a diary entry.

In this guide, we explore in detail how to write a great reflective essay , including what makes a good structure and some advice on the writing process. We’ve even thrown in an example reflective essay to inspire you too, making this the ultimate guide for anyone needing reflective essay help.

Types of Reflection Papers

There are several types of reflective papers, each serving a unique purpose. Educational reflection papers focus on your learning experiences, such as a course or a lecture, and how they have impacted your understanding. Professional reflection papers often relate to work experiences, discussing what you have learned in a professional setting and how it has shaped your skills and perspectives. Personal reflection papers delve into personal experiences and their influence on your personal growth and development.

Each of these requires a slightly different approach, but all aim to provide insight into your thoughts and experiences, demonstrating your ability to analyse and learn from them. Understanding the specific requirements of each type can help you tailor your writing to effectively convey your reflections.

Reflective Essay Format

In a reflective essay, a writer primarily examines his or her life experiences, hence the term ‘reflective’. The purpose of writing a reflective essay is to provide a platform for the author to not only recount a particular life experience, but to also explore how he or she has changed or learned from those experiences. Reflective writing can be presented in various formats, but you’ll most often see it in a learning log format or diary entry. Diary entries in particular are used to convey how the author’s thoughts have developed and evolved over the course of a particular period.

The format of a reflective essay may change depending on the target audience. Reflective essays can be academic, or may feature more broadly as a part of a general piece of writing for a magazine, for instance. For class assignments, while the presentation format can vary, the purpose generally remains the same: tutors aim to inspire students to think deeply and critically about a particular learning experience or set of experiences. Here are some typical examples of reflective essay formats that you may have to write:

A focus on personal growth:

A type of reflective essay often used by tutors as a strategy for helping students to learn how to analyse their personal life experiences to promote emotional growth and development. The essay gives the student a better understanding of both themselves and their behaviours.

A focus on the literature:

This kind of essay requires students to provide a summary of the literature, after which it is applied to the student’s own life experiences.

Pre-Writing Tips: How to Start Writing the Reflection Essay?

As you go about deciding on the content of your essay, you need to keep in mind that a reflective essay is highly personal and aimed at engaging the reader or target audience. And there’s much more to a reflective essay than just recounting a story. You need to be able to reflect (more on this later) on your experience by showing how it influenced your subsequent behaviours and how your life has been particularly changed as a result.

As a starting point, you might want to think about some important experiences in your life that have really impacted you, either positively, negatively, or both. Some typical reflection essay topics include: a real-life experience, an imagined experience, a special object or place, a person who had an influence on you, or something you have watched or read. If you are writing a reflective essay as part of an academic exercise, chances are your tutor will ask you to focus on a particular episode – such as a time when you had to make an important decision – and reflect on what the outcomes were. Note also, that the aftermath of the experience is especially important in a reflective essay; miss this out and you will simply be storytelling.

What Do You Mean By Reflection Essay?

It sounds obvious, but the reflective process forms the core of writing this type of essay, so it’s important you get it right from the outset. You need to really think about how the personal experience you have chosen to focus on impacted or changed you. Use your memories and feelings of the experience to determine the implications for you on a personal level.

Once you’ve chosen the topic of your essay, it’s really important you study it thoroughly and spend a lot of time trying to think about it vividly. Write down everything you can remember about it, describing it as clearly and fully as you can. Keep your five senses in mind as you do this, and be sure to use adjectives to describe your experience. At this stage, you can simply make notes using short phrases, but you need to ensure that you’re recording your responses, perceptions, and your experience of the event(s).

Once you’ve successfully emptied the contents of your memory, you need to start reflecting. A great way to do this is to pick out some reflection questions which will help you think deeper about the impact and lasting effects of your experience. Here are some useful questions that you can consider:

• What have you learned about yourself as a result of the experience?
• Have you developed because of it? How?
• Did it have any positive or negative bearing on your life?
• Looking back, what would you have done differently?
• Why do you think you made the particular choices that you did? Do you think these were the right choices?
• What are your thoughts on the experience in general? Was it a useful learning experience? What specific skills or perspectives did you acquire as a result?

These signpost questions should help kick-start your reflective process. Remember, asking yourself lots of questions is key to ensuring that you think deeply and critically about your experiences – a skill that is at the heart of writing a great reflective essay.

Consider using models of reflection (like the Gibbs or Kolb cycles) before, during, and after the learning process to ensure that you maintain a high standard of analysis. For example, before you really get stuck into the process, consider questions such as: what might happen (regarding the experience)? Are there any possible challenges to keep in mind? What knowledge is needed to be best prepared to approach the experience? Then, as you’re planning and writing, these questions may be useful: what is happening within the learning process? Is the process working out as expected? Am I dealing with the accompanying challenges successfully? Is there anything that needs to be done additionally to ensure that the learning process is successful? What am I learning from this? By adopting such a framework, you’ll be ensuring that you are keeping tabs on the reflective process that should underpin your work.

How to Strategically Plan Out the Reflective Essay Structure?

Here’s a very useful tip: although you may feel well prepared with all that time spent reflecting in your arsenal, do not, start writing your essay until you have worked out a comprehensive, well-rounded plan . Your writing will be so much more coherent, your ideas conveyed with structure and clarity, and your essay will likely achieve higher marks.

This is an especially important step when you’re tackling a reflective essay – there can be a tendency for people to get a little ‘lost’ or disorganised as they recount their life experiences in an erratic and often unsystematic manner as it is a topic so close to their hearts. But if you develop a thorough outline (this is the same as a ‘plan’) and ensure you stick to it like Christopher Columbus to a map, you should do just fine as you embark on the ultimate step of writing your essay. If you need further convincing on how important planning is, we’ve summarised the key benefits of creating a detailed essay outline below:

An outline allows you to establish the basic details that you plan to incorporate into your paper – this is great for helping you pick out any superfluous information, which can be removed entirely to make your essay succinct and to the point.

Think of the outline as a map – you plan in advance the points you wish to navigate through and discuss in your writing. Your work will more likely have a clear through line of thought, making it easier for the reader to understand. It’ll also help you avoid missing out any key information, and having to go back at the end and try to fit it in.

It’s a real time-saver! Because the outline essentially serves as the essay’s ‘skeleton’, you’ll save a tremendous amount of time when writing as you’ll be really familiar with what you want to say. As such, you’ll be able to allocate more time to editing the paper and ensuring it’s of a high standard.

Now you’re familiar with the benefits of using an outline for your reflective essay, it is essential that you know how to craft one. It can be considerably different from other typical essay outlines, mostly because of the varying subjects. But what remains the same, is that you need to start your outline by drafting the introduction, body and conclusion. More on this below.

Introduction

As is the case with all essays, your reflective essay must begin within an introduction that contains both a hook and a thesis statement. The point of having a ‘hook’ is to grab the attention of your audience or reader from the very beginning. You must portray the exciting aspects of your story in the initial paragraph so that you stand the best chances of holding your reader’s interest. Refer back to the opening quote of this article – did it grab your attention and encourage you to read more? The thesis statement is a brief summary of the focus of the essay, which in this case is a particular experience that influenced you significantly. Remember to give a quick overview of your experience – don’t give too much information away or you risk your reader becoming disinterested.

Next up is planning the body of your essay. This can be the hardest part of the entire paper; it’s easy to waffle and repeat yourself both in the plan and in the actual writing. Have you ever tried recounting a story to a friend only for them to tell you to ‘cut the long story short’? They key here is to put plenty of time and effort into planning the body, and you can draw on the following tips to help you do this well:

Try adopting a chronological approach. This means working through everything you want to touch upon as it happened in time. This kind of approach will ensure that your work is systematic and coherent. Keep in mind that a reflective essay doesn’t necessarily have to be linear, but working chronologically will prevent you from providing a haphazard recollection of your experience. Lay out the important elements of your experience in a timeline – this will then help you clearly see how to piece your narrative together.

Ensure the body of your reflective essay is well focused and contains appropriate critique and reflection. The body should not only summarise your experience, it should explore the impact that the experience has had on your life, as well as the lessons that you have learned as a result. The emphasis should generally be on reflection as opposed to summation. A reflective posture will not only provide readers with insight on your experience, it’ll highlight your personality and your ability to deal with or adapt to particular situations.

In the conclusion of your reflective essay, you should focus on bringing your piece together by providing a summary of both the points made throughout, and what you have learned as a result. Try to include a few points on why and how your attitudes and behaviours have been changed. Consider also how your character and skills have been affected, for example: what conclusions can be drawn about your problem-solving skills? What can be concluded about your approach to specific situations? What might you do differently in similar situations in the future? What steps have you taken to consolidate everything that you have learned from your experience? Keep in mind that your tutor will be looking out for evidence of reflection at a very high standard.

Congratulations – you now have the tools to create a thorough and accurate plan which should put you in good stead for the ultimate phase indeed of any essay, the writing process.

Step-by-Step Guide to Writing Your Reflective Essay

As with all written assignments, sitting down to put pen to paper (or more likely fingers to keyboard) can be daunting. But if you have put in the time and effort fleshing out a thorough plan, you should be well prepared, which will make the writing process as smooth as possible. The following points should also help ease the writing process:

• To get a feel for the tone and format in which your writing should be, read other typically reflective pieces in magazines and newspapers, for instance.
• Don’t think too much about how to start your first sentence or paragraph; just start writing and you can always come back later to edit anything you’re not keen on. Your first draft won’t necessarily be your best essay writing work but it’s important to remember that the earlier you start writing, the more time you will have to keep reworking your paper until it’s perfect. Don’t shy away from using a free-flow method, writing and recording your thoughts and feelings on your experiences as and when they come to mind. But make sure you stick to your plan. Your plan is your roadmap which will ensure your writing doesn’t meander too far off course.
• For every point you make about an experience or event, support it by describing how you were directly impacted, using specific as opposed to vague words to convey exactly how you felt.
• Write using the first-person narrative, ensuring that the tone of your essay is very personal and reflective of your character.
• If you need to, refer back to our notes earlier on creating an outline. As you work through your essay, present your thoughts systematically, remembering to focus on your key learning outcomes.
• Consider starting your introduction with a short anecdote or quote to grasp your readers’ attention, or other engaging techniques such as flashbacks.
• Choose your vocabulary carefully to properly convey your feelings and emotions. Remember that reflective writing has a descriptive component and so must have a wide range of adjectives to draw from. Avoid vague adjectives such as ‘okay’ or ‘nice’ as they don’t really offer much insight into your feelings and personality. Be more specific – this will make your writing more engaging.
• Be honest with your feelings and opinions. Remember that this is a reflective task, and is the one place you can freely admit – without any repercussions – that you failed at a particular task. When assessing your essay, your tutor will expect a deep level of reflection, not a simple review of your experiences and emotion. Showing deep reflection requires you to move beyond the descriptive. Be extremely critical about your experience and your response to it. In your evaluation and analysis, ensure that you make value judgements, incorporating ideas from outside the experience you had to guide your analysis. Remember that you can be honest about your feelings without writing in a direct way. Use words that work for you and are aligned with your personality.
• Once you’ve finished learning about and reflecting on your experience, consider asking yourself these questions: what did I particularly value from the experience and why? Looking back, how successful has the process been? Think about your opinions immediately after the experience and how they differ now, so that you can evaluate the difference between your immediate and current perceptions. Asking yourself such questions will help you achieve reflective writing effectively and efficiently.
• Don’t shy away from using a variety of punctuation. It helps keeps your writing dynamic! Doesn’t it?
• If you really want to awaken your reader’s imagination, you can use imagery to create a vivid picture of your experiences.
• Ensure that you highlight your turning point, or what we like to call your “Aha!” moment. Without this moment, your resulting feelings and thoughts aren’t as valid and your argument not as strong.
• Don’t forget to keep reiterating the lessons you have learned from your experience.

Bonus Tip - Using Wider Sources

Although a reflective piece of writing is focused on personal experience, it’s important you draw on other sources to demonstrate your understanding of your experience from a theoretical perspective. It’ll show a level of analysis – and a standard of reliability in what you’re claiming – if you’re also able to validate your work against other perspectives that you find. Think about possible sources, like newspapers, surveys, books and even journal articles. Generally, the additional sources you decide to include in your work are highly dependent on your field of study. Analysing a wide range of sources, will show that you have read widely on your subject area, that you have nuanced insight into the available literature on the subject of your essay, and that you have considered the broader implications of the literature for your essay. The incorporation of other sources into your essay also helps to show that you are aware of the multi-dimensional nature of both the learning and problem-solving process.

Reflective Essay Example

If you want some inspiration for writing, take a look at our example of a short reflective essay , which can serve as a useful starting point for you when you set out to write your own.

Some Final Notes to Remember

To recap, the key to writing a reflective essay is demonstrating what lessons you have taken away from your experiences, and why and how you have been shaped by these lessons.

The reflective thinking process begins with you – you must consciously make an effort to identify and examine your own thoughts in relation to a particular experience. Don’t hesitate to explore any prior knowledge or experience of the topic, which will help you identify why you have formed certain opinions on the subject. Remember that central to reflective essay writing is the examination of your attitudes, assumptions and values, so be upfront about how you feel. Reflective writing can be quite therapeutic, helping you identify and clarify your strengths and weaknesses, particularly in terms of any knowledge gaps that you may have. It’s a pretty good way of improving your critical thinking skills, too. It enables you to adopt an introspective posture in analysing your experiences and how you learn/make sense of them.

If you are still having difficulties with starting the writing process, why not try mind-mapping which will help you to structure your thinking and ideas, enabling you to produce a coherent piece. Creating a mind map will ensure that your argument is written in a very systematic way that will be easy for your tutor to follow. Here’s a recap of the contents of this article, which also serves as a way to create a mind map:

1. Identify the topic you will be writing on.

2. Note down any ideas that are related to the topic and if you want to, try drawing a diagram to link together any topics, theories, and ideas.

3. Allow your ideas to flow freely, knowing that you will always have time to edit your reflective essay .

4. Consider how your ideas are connected to each other, then begin the writing process.

And finally, keep in mind that although there are descriptive elements in a reflective essay, we can’t emphasise enough how crucial it is that your work is critical, analytical, and adopts a reflective posture in terms of your experience and the lessons you have learned from it.

Essay exams: how to answer ‘To what extent…’

How to write a master’s essay.

• essay writing
• reflective essays
• study skills
• writing a good essay
• writing tips

Writing Services

• Essay Plans
• Critical Reviews
• Literature Reviews
• Presentations
• Dissertation Title Creation
• Dissertation Proposals
• Dissertation Chapters
• PhD Proposals
• Journal Publication
• CV Writing Service
• Business Proofreading Services

Editing Services

• Proofreading Service
• Editing Service
• Academic Editing Service

Additional Services

• Marking Services
• Consultation Calls
• Personal Statements
• Tutoring Services

Our Company

• Frequently Asked Questions
• Become a Writer

Terms & Policies

• Fair Use Policy
• Policy for Students in England
• Privacy Policy
• Terms & Conditions
• [email protected]
• Contact Form

Payment Methods

Cryptocurrency payments.

📕 Studying HQ

Ultimate Guide to Writing a Reflective Essay

Carla johnson.

• June 14, 2023
• How to Guides

Writing about yourself is a powerful way to learn and grow as a person. It is a type of writing that makes you think about your thoughts, feelings, and experiences and how they have affected your personal and professional growth. A reflective essay is a type of writing that lets you talk about your own experiences, thoughts, and insights. In this article , we’ll tell you everything you need to know about writing a reflective essay, from how to define it and figure out what it’s for to how to do it well.

What You'll Learn

Definition of a Reflective Essay

A reflective essay is a type of writing in which you write about your own thoughts, feelings, and experiences. It is a type of personal writing that lets you talk about your own thoughts and experiences and share them with other people. Students are often asked to write reflective essays for school, but they can also be used for personal or professional growth.

Purpose of a Reflective Essay

The goal of a reflective essay is to get you to think about your life and how it has affected your personal and professional growth. Reflective essays can help you learn more about yourself and your experiences, as well as find places where you can grow and improve. They can also help you get better at writing and better at getting your ideas across.

Importance of Reflective Writing

Writing about yourself and your work is an important way to grow personally and professionally. It can help you learn more about yourself, figure out where you need to grow and change, and learn more about how you think and feel. Writing about yourself can also help you get better at critical thinking and analysis , and it can help you get your ideas across better. It is a useful tool for anyone who wants to grow personally and professionally, and it can be used in many different situations, from academic writing to keeping a personal journal.

Writing about yourself and your work is a powerful way to grow personally and professionally. Reflective essays give you a chance to think about your own life and how it has affected your personal and professional growth. By writing about your thoughts and feelings, you can learn more about them, find ways to grow and improve, and improve your writing and communication skills . In the next parts of this article, we’ll show you how to write a good reflective essay step by step, from choosing a topic and organizing your thoughts to writing and revising your essay.

Elements of a Reflective Essay

A reflective essay is a type of writing that allows you to reflect on your personal experiences, thoughts, and feelings. There are several essential elements that should be included in a reflective essay to ensure that it is effective in conveying your personal reflections and experiences.

Personal Reflection

The first essential element of a reflective essay is personal reflection. This involves exploring your own thoughts and feelings about the experience you are reflecting on. It is important to be honest and open about your thoughts and feelings, as this will make your essay more authentic and meaningful.

Description of the Experience

The second element of a reflective essay is a description of the experience that you are reflecting on. This includes providing details about the experience, such as where it took place, who was involved, and what happened. The description should be clear and concise, and should provide enough detail for the reader to understand the context of your reflection.

Analysis of the Experience

The third element of a reflective essay is analysis of the experience. This involves exploring the experience in more depth, and examining your thoughts and feelings about it. You should consider what you learned from the experience, and how it impacted your personal and professional growth .

Evaluation of the Experience

The fourth element of a reflective essay is evaluation of the experience. This involves examining the experience from different perspectives, and considering its strengths and weaknesses. You should reflect on what you would do differently if you were in the same situation again, and how you could improve your response or approach.

Identification of Key Learning

The fifth element of a reflective essay is identifying the key learning that you gained from the experience. This involves reflecting on the insights and lessons that you learned from the experience, and how these have impacted your personal and professional growth. This can include new skills, knowledge, or perspectives that you gained from the experience.

Planning for Future Action

The final element of a reflective essay is planning for future action. This involves considering how you can apply the lessons and insights gained from the experience to improve your future actions. You should reflect on how you can use what you learned to approach similar situations differently in the future.

How to Write a Reflective Essay

Writing a reflective essay can be a challenging task, but by following a few simple steps, you can write an effective and meaningful essay .

Steps for Writing a Reflective Essay:

1. Brainstorming and Selecting a Topic

Begin by brainstorming and selecting a topic for your reflective essay. Think about a personal experience or event that had a significant impact on your personal or professional growth.

2. Creating an Outline

Create an outline for your essay . This should include an introduction, body, and conclusion, as well as sections for each of the essential elements described above.

3. Writing the Introduction

Write the introduction for your essay . This should include a brief overview of the experience that you will be reflecting on, as well as the purpose and focus of your essay.

4. Writing the Body

Write the body of your essay, which should include the personal reflection, description of the experience, analysis of the experience, evaluation of the experience, identification of key learning, and planning for future action . Make sure to use specific examples and details to support your reflection.

5. Writing the Conclusion

Write the conclusion for your essay , which should summarize the key points of your reflection and provide closure for the reader. You can also include a final reflection on the experience and what it means to you.

6. Revising and Editing

Pay close attention to grammar, spelling, and sentence structure as you reread and edit your essay . Make sure your essay is easy to read and flows well. You might also want someone else to look over your essay and give you feedback and ideas.

If you follow these steps, you should be able to write a good reflective essay. Remember to be honest and open about your thoughts and feelings, and to support your reflection with specific examples and details. You can become a good reflective writer with practice , and you can use this skill to help your personal and professional growth.

Reflective Essay Topics

Reflective essays can be written on a wide range of topics, as they are based on personal experiences and reflections. Here are some common categories of reflective essay topics:

Personal Experiences

– A time when you overcame a personal challenge

– A difficult decision you had to make

– A significant event in your life that changed you

– A moment when you learned an important lesson

– A relationship that had a significant impact on you

Professional Experiences

– A challenging project or assignment at work

– A significant accomplishment or success in your career

– A time when you had to deal with a difficult colleague or boss

– A failure or setback in your career and what you learned from it

– A career change or transition that had a significant impact on you

Academic Experiences

– A challenging course or assignment in school

– A significant accomplishment or success in your academic career

– A time when you struggled with a particular subject or topic and how you overcame it

– A research project or paper that had a significant impact on you

– A teacher or mentor who had a significant impact on your academic career

Cultural Experiences

– A significant trip or travel experience

– A significant cultural event or celebration you participated in

– A time when you experienced culture shock

– A significant interaction with someone from a different culture

– A time when you learned something new about a different culture and how it impacted you

Social Issues

– A personal experience with discrimination or prejudice

– A time when you volunteered or worked for a social cause or organization

– A significant event or moment related to a social issue (e.g. protest, rally, community event)

– A time when you had to confront your own biases or privilege

– A social issue that you are passionate about and how it has impacted you personally

Reflective Essay Examples

Example 1: Reflecting on a Personal Challenge

In this reflective essay, the writer reflects on a personal challenge they faced and how they overcame it. They explore their thoughts, feelings, and actions during this time, and reflect on the lessons they learned from the experience.

Example 2: Reflecting on a Professional Experience

In this reflective essay, the writer reflects on a challenging project they worked on at work and how they overcame obstacles to successfully complete it. They explore their thoughts and feelings about the experience and reflect on the skills and knowledge they gained from it.

Example 3: Reflecting on an Academic Assignment

In this reflective essay, the writer reflects on a challenging academic assignment they completed and how they overcame difficulties to successfully complete it. They explore their thoughts and feelings about the experience and reflect on the skills and knowledge they gained from it.

Example 4: Reflecting on a Cultural Experience

In this reflective essay, the writer reflects on a significant cultural experience they had, such as traveling to a new country or participating in a cultural event. Theyexplore their thoughts and feelings about the experience, reflect on what they learned about the culture, and how it impacted them personally.

Example 5: Reflecting on a Social Issue

In this reflective essay, the writer reflects on their personal experiences with discrimination or prejudice and how it impacted them. They explore their thoughts and feelings about the experience, reflect on what they learned about themselves and the issue, and how they can take action to address it.

These examples demonstrate how reflective essays can be used to explore a wide range of personal experiences and reflections. By exploring your own thoughts and feelings about an experience, you can gain insights into your personal and professional growth and identify areas for further development . Reflective writing is a powerful tool for self-reflection and personal growth, and it can be used in many different contexts to help you gain a deeper understanding of yourself and the world around you.

Reflective Essay Outline

A reflective essay should follow a basic outline that includes an introduction, body, and conclusion. Here is a breakdown of each section:

Introduction: The introduction should provide an overview of the experience you will be reflecting on and a preview of the key points you will be discussing in your essay .

Body: The body of the essay should include several paragraphs that explore your personal reflection, description of the experience, analysis of the experience, evaluation of the experience, identification of key learning, and planning for future action.

Conclusion: The conclusion should summarize the key points of your reflection and provide closure for the reader.

Reflective Essay Thesis

A reflective essay thesis is a statement that summarizes the main points of your essay and provides a clear focus for your writing. A strong thesis statement is essential for a successful reflective essay, as it helps to guide your writing and ensure that your essay is focused and coherent.

Importance of a Strong Thesis Statement

A strong thesis statement is important for several reasons. First, it provides a clear focus for your writing, which helps to ensure that your essay is coherent and well-organized. Second, it helps to guide your writing and ensure that you stay on topic throughout your essay . Finally, it helps to engage your reader and provide them with a clear understanding of what your essay is about.

Tips for Writing a Thesis Statement

To write a strong thesis statement for your reflective essay, follow these tips:

– Be clear and concise: Yourthesis statement should clearly state the main focus and purpose of your essay in a concise manner.

– Use specific language: Use specific language to describe the experience you will be reflecting on and the key points you will be discussing in your essay .

– Make it arguable: A strong thesis statement should be arguable and provide some insight or perspective on the experience you are reflecting on.

– Reflect on the significance: Reflect on the significance of the experience you are reflecting on and why it is important to you.

Reflective Essay Structure

The structure of a reflective essay is important for ensuring that your essay is well-organized and easy to read. A clear structure helps to guide the reader through your thoughts and reflections, and it makes it easier for them to understand your main points.

The Importance of a Clear Structure

A clear structure is important for several reasons. First, it helps to ensure that your essay is well-organized and easy to read. Second, it helps to guide your writing and ensure that you stay on topic throughout your essay. Finally, it helps to engage your reader and provide them with a clear understanding of the key points you are making.

Tips for Structuring a Reflective Essay

To structure your reflective essay effectively, follow these tips:

– Start with an introduction that provides an overview of the experience you are reflecting on and a preview of the key points you will be discussing in your essay .

– Use body paragraphs to explore your personal reflection, description of the experience, analysisof the experience, evaluation of the experience, identification of key learning, and planning for future action. Ensure that each paragraph has a clear focus and supports your thesis statement .

– Use transition words and phrases to connect your paragraphs and make your essay flow smoothly.

– End your essay with a conclusion that summarizes the key points of your reflection and provides closure for the reader.

– Consider using subheadings to organize your essay and make it more structured and easy to read.

By following these tips, you can create a clear and well-structured reflective essay that effectively communicates your personal experiences and reflections. Remember to use specific examples and details to support your reflection, and to keep your focus on the main topic and thesis statement of your essay .

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1. what is a reflective essay.

A reflective essay is a type of writing that allows you to reflect on your personal experiences, thoughts, and feelings. It involves exploring your own thoughts and feelings about an experience, and reflecting on what you learned from it.

2. What are the elements of a reflective essay?

The essential elements of a reflective essay include personal reflection, description of the experience, analysis of the experience, evaluation of the experience, identification of key learning, and planning for future action.

3. How do I choose a topic for a reflective essay?

To choose a topic for a reflective essay, think about a personal experience or event that had a significant impact on your personal or professional growth. You may also consider professional experiences, academic experiences, cultural experiences, or social issues that have impacted you personally.

Reflective writing is a powerful tool for personal and professional development. By exploring your own thoughts and feelings about an experience, you can gain insights into your personal and professional growth and identify areas for further development. To write an effective reflective essay, it is important to follow a clear structure, use specific examples and details to support your reflection, and stay focused on the main topic and thesis statement of your essay . By following these tips and guidelines, you can become a skilled reflective writer and use this tool to improve your personal and professional growth.

Start by filling this short order form order.studyinghq.com

And then follow the progressive flow. 

Having an issue, chat with us here

Cathy, CS. 

New Concept ? Let a subject expert write your paper for You​

Have a subject expert write for you now, have a subject expert finish your paper for you, edit my paper for me, have an expert write your dissertation's chapter.

Typically replies within minutes

Hey! 👋 Need help with an assignment?

🟢 Online | Privacy policy

WhatsApp us

• Link to facebook
• Link to linkedin
• Link to twitter
• Link to youtube
• Writing Tips

How to Write a Reflective Essay

• 3-minute read
• 29th August 2018

If you think that a “reflective essay” is a college paper written on a mirror, this post is for you. That’s because we’re here to explain exactly what a reflective essay is and how to write one. And we can tell you from the outset that no mirrors are required to follow our advice.

What Is Reflective Writing?

The kind of “reflection” we’re talking about here is personal. It involves considering your own situation and analyzing it so you can learn from your experiences. To do this, you need to describe what happened, how you felt about it, and what you might be able to learn from it for the future.

This makes reflective writing a useful part of courses that involve work-based learning . For instance, a student nurse might be asked to write a reflective essay about a placement.

When writing a reflective essay, moreover, you may have to forget the rule about not using pronouns like “I” or “we” in academic writing. In reflective writing, using the first person is essential!

The Reflective Cycle

There are many approaches to reflective learning, but one of the most popular is Gibb’s Reflective Cycle . This was developed by Professor Graham Gibbs and can be applied to a huge range of situations. In all cases, though, it involves the following steps:

Find this useful?

Subscribe to our newsletter and get writing tips from our editors straight to your inbox.

• Description – You will need to describe your experiences in detail. This includes what happened, where and when it happened, who else was involved, and what you did.
• Feelings – How you felt before, during, and after the experience you describe.
• Evaluation and Analysis – Think about what went well and what could be improved upon based on your experience. Try to refer to ideas you’ve learned in class while thinking about this.
• Conclusions – Final thoughts on what you’ve learned from the experience.
• Action – How you will put what you’ve learned into practice.

If your reflective essay addresses the steps above, you are on the right track!

Structuring a Reflective Essay

While reflective essays vary depending upon topic and subject area, most share a basic overall structure. Unless you are told otherwise, then, your essay should include the following:

• Introduction – A brief outline of what your essay is about.
• Main Body – The main part of your essay will be a description of what happened and how it made you feel . This is also where you will evaluate and analyze your experiences, either as part of the description or as a separate section in the essay.
• Conclusion – The conclusion of your essay should sum up what you have learned from reflecting on your experiences and what you would do differently in the future.
• Reference List – If you have cited any sources in your essay, make sure to list them with full bibliographic information at the end of the document.

Finally, once you’ve written your essay, don’t forget to get it checked for spelling and grammar errors!

Share this article:

Post A New Comment

Got content that needs a quick turnaround? Let us polish your work. Explore our editorial business services.

5-minute read

Free Email Newsletter Template (2024)

Promoting a brand means sharing valuable insights to connect more deeply with your audience, and...

6-minute read

How to Write a Nonprofit Grant Proposal

If you’re seeking funding to support your charitable endeavors as a nonprofit organization, you’ll need...

9-minute read

How to Use Infographics to Boost Your Presentation

Is your content getting noticed? Capturing and maintaining an audience’s attention is a challenge when...

8-minute read

Why Interactive PDFs Are Better for Engagement

Are you looking to enhance engagement and captivate your audience through your professional documents? Interactive...

7-minute read

Seven Key Strategies for Voice Search Optimization

Voice search optimization is rapidly shaping the digital landscape, requiring content professionals to adapt their...

4-minute read

Five Creative Ways to Showcase Your Digital Portfolio

Are you a creative freelancer looking to make a lasting impression on potential clients or...

Make sure your writing is the best it can be with our expert English proofreading and editing.

Reflective Essay Guide

Writing Reflective Essay

Last updated on: Feb 9, 2023

A Step by Step Guide to Writing a Reflective Essay

By: John K.

Reviewed By: Jacklyn H.

Published on: May 11, 2021

If you have been assigned the task of writing a reflective essay, it will be an excellent opportunity to polish your creativity and writing skills.

A reflective essay is slightly different from other essays as it requires a personal point of view of a chosen subject. Thus, you need to analyze a particular subject with your personal experience, understanding, and knowledge.

The only key to write a reflective paper is that you need to be more expressive. The more expressive you are, the merrier it will be for your essay. Feel free to talk about life experiences that are valid to your topic. Writing your reflections can actually be a strength in this kind of essay.

If this sounds like something that interests or concerns you, then keep reading! This blog contains every detail necessary to produce an impressive reflective essay.

On this Page

What Is a Reflective Essay?

A reflective essay describes an experience or event and analyzes the meaning of that particular experience and the lessons it delivers. One thing that makes it a reflective essay is that the writer analyzes an event of the past from the present.

When writing a reflective essay, you are required to open up about your emotions and thoughts to paint a clear picture of your personality, history, and individual traits.

It is required that you include a description and a vivid summary of the experience; it will make the reader feel that he has experienced it as well. Moreover, you need to explain your reactions, thoughts, feelings, and emotions.

A good reflective paper should be creative, insightful, and authentic. It needs to express your opinions on a specific topic interestingly so that the reader wants to follow what you're saying without getting bored or leaving it before reading.

Reflective Essay Format

REFLECTIVE ESSAY FORMAT AND TEMPLATE

How to Start a Reflective Essay?

Writing a great reflective essay is a chance to polish your skills of writing and enhance your creativity. However, sometimes, it gets difficult and confusing to write it. There are many high schools as well as college students who get confused thinking where to start.

So, we have compiled some steps that will help you to write a perfect essay.

Let’s discuss them in detail.

1. Choose Your Topic Carefully

If you are given the freedom to choose a topic and don’t have any idea regarding it, the best way is to brainstorm and research some trending and good topic ideas. Unfortunately, a common mistake when writing a reflective essay is to choose a topic that is too broad or too narrow.

2. Research About Your Subject

Make sure you do thorough research on your topic first. Close your eyes and start imagining or remembering. Then, watch, listen, and read the information regarding your topic.

3. Brainstorm

Before you even start writing, brainstorm your ideas first. It is always a wise step to take before writing anything.

4. Choose Reflection Questions

Take a look at the questions below to get a better idea:

• What did I notice?
• What do I feel about it?
• Why am I feeling this way?

5. Answer the Questions You Have Chosen

After selecting your questions, you need to give their answers. Start from one essay question; make sure you answer it properly. After that, head on to the next one.

6. Recognize Your Experience Meaning

Before you even start writing, you need to choose the most significant lesson you have learned from your experience. This “most significant lesson or thing” is going to be the thesis of your essay.

7. Follow the Structure

Like all the other essays, the reflective essay also has the same format, which comprises the introduction, body, and conclusion paragraph.

Therefore, follow these steps and makes your essay writing process easy.

Paper Due? Why Suffer? That's our Job!

How to Write a Reflective Essay?

Here are some steps that you should follow when you start writing your reflective paper.

1. Write the Introduction

To understand and know how to start a reflective essay introduction, you must first understand that an introduction is a piece of brief information about the main topic and its background.

In the reflective essay introduction, you will recognize the subject and provide the reader with an overview of the impression you have taken from it. Therefore, the introductory paragraph of your reflective essay needs to include a thesis statement that will act as a focal point of your paper.

2. Body Paragraphs

The first body paragraph should mention the impactful impression your subject has made on you. Then, provide relevant facts to support your thesis statement.

Moreover, the body of your essay will also describe most of the ideas you touched on in your introduction.

3. Write a Conclusion

Restate your thesis statement and summarize all the reasons you have mentioned in the essay’s body paragraphs. After that, sum up your essay with your final thoughts on the subject; close your essay with some reflective thoughts.

4. Proofread and Edit

Never submit your essay without editing or proofreading. Even though you have spent hours of effort and put a lot of hard work in doing your essay, your essay will have no worth if you haven’t proofread and edited it.

Here is the reflective essay outline sample for your ease.

Reflective Essay Outline

REFLECTIVE ESSAY OUTLINE

Reflective Essay Examples

We have compiled some perfect reflective essay examples below to help you get started on your paper.

Personal Reflective Essay Examples

PERSONAL REFLECTIVE ESSAY EXAMPLES

ENGLISH REFLECTIVE ESSAY EXAMPLES

Tough Essay Due? Hire Tough Writers!

Reflective Essay Topics

Check out these reflective essay ideas on the most common subjects you can write about:

• Something from your imagination
• Something you have experienced in real
• A special object
• Something you have seen, heard, read, watched, touched, or smelled.

We are sure these subjects must have sparked your imagination, but here are a few essay topics that will help you get the bigger picture. In addition, these topics will help you understand the kind of topics teachers like to assign.

• The desert, mountains, countryside, or beach
• A special room or hideaway
• The house you grew up
• Home of some relative
• A person that taught me how to improve reflective writing skills
• New Experiences
• When your piece of writing published
• Important conversation
• The older man line of thought
• The time you overcame your fears

A list of topics will help you get a picture of what good ideas are like and how to come up with one of your own.

5StarEssays.com is the best essay writing service online with exceptional quality work and insanely affordable rates. In addition, our round-the-clock customer support is ready to help you out with your academic growth.

Your essays are assigned to highly qualified essay writers who have years of experience and education. They make sure to provide you with mind-blowing, error-free, and on-time essays. They don’t just cater to the reflective essay but help with all types of essays.

So, contact us now and get the best write my essay for me? service at affordable rates.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long is a reflective essay.

The reflective essay should be between 300 and 500 words. However, it will vary according to the chosen topic.

What is the purpose of a reflective essay?

A reflective essay is a great opportunity for the author to explore what has happened in their life and show how this specific event may have changed them.

PhD Essay, Literature

John K. is a professional writer and author with many publications to his name. He has a Ph.D. in the field of management sciences, making him an expert on the subject matter. John is highly sought after for his insights and knowledge, and he regularly delivers keynote speeches and conducts workshops on various topics related to writing and publishing. He is also a regular contributor to various online publications.

Was This Blog Helpful?

Keep reading.

• Best Reflective Essay Topics Recommended by Experts

People Also Read

• literary analysis essay outline
• elements of press release
• writing a book review
• essay writing service

Burdened With Assignments?

Advertisement

• Homework Services: Essay Topics Generator

© 2024 - All rights reserved

How to Write a Reflective Essay?

07 August, 2020

17 minutes read

Author:  Elizabeth Brown

A reflective essay is a personal perspective on an issue or topic. This article will look at how to write an excellent reflexive account of your experience, provide you with reflexive essay framework to help you plan and organize your essay and give you a good grounding of what good reflective writing looks like.

What is a Reflective Essay?

A reflective essay requires the writer to examine his experiences and explore how these experiences have helped him develop and shaped him as a person.  It is essentially an analysis of your own experience focusing on what you’ve learned.

Don’t confuse reflexive analysis with the rhetorical one. If you need assistance figuring out how to write a rhetorical analysis , give our guide a read!

Based on the reflective essay definition, this paper will follow a logical and thought-through plan . It will be a discussion that centers around a topic or issue. The essay should strive to achieve a balance between description and personal feelings.

It requires a clear line of thought, evidence, and examples to help you discuss your reflections. Moreover, a proper paper requires an analytical approach . There are three main types of a reflective essay: theory-based, a case study or an essay based on one’s personal experience.

Unlike most academic forms of writing, this writing is based on personal experiences and thoughts. As such, first-person writing position where the writer can refer to his own thoughts and feelings is essential. If the writer talks about psychology or medicine, it is best to use the first-person reference as little as possible to keep the tone objective and science-backed.

To write this paper, you need to recollect and share personal experience . However, there is still a chance that you’ll be asked to talk about a more complex topic.

By the way, if you are looking for good ideas on how to choose a good argumentative essay topic , check out our latest guide to help you out!

The Criteria for a Good Reflective Essay

The convention of an academic reflective essay writing will vary slightly depending on your area of study. A good reflective essay will be written geared towards its intended audience. These are the general criteria that form the core of a well-written piece:

• A developed perspective and line of reasoning on the subject.
• A well-informed discussion that is based on literature and sources relevant to your reflection.
• An understanding of the complex nuance of situations and the tributary effects that prevent them from being simple and clear-cut.
• Ability to stand back and analyze your own decision-making process to see if there is a better solution to the problem.
• A clear understanding of h ow the experience has influenced you.
• A good understanding of the principles and theories of your subject area.
• Ability to frame a problem before implementing a solution.

These seven criteria form the principles of writing an excellent reflective essay.

Still need help with your essay? Handmade Writing is here to assist you!

What is the Purpose of Writing a Reflective Essay?

The purpose of a reflective essay is for a writer to reflect upon experience and learn from it . Reflection is a useful process that helps you make sense of things and gain valuable lessons from your experience. Reflective essay writing allows you to demonstrate that you can think critically about your own skills or practice strategies implementations to learn and improve without outside guidance.

Another purpose is to analyze the event or topic you are describing and emphasize how you’ll apply what you’ve learned.

How to Create a Reflective Essay Outline

• Analyze the task you’ve received
• Read through and understand the marking criteria
• Keep a reflective journal during the experience
• Use a reflective framework (Schon, Driscoll, Gibbs, and Kolb) to help you analyze the experience
• Create a referencing system to keep institutions and people anonymous to avoid breaking their confidentiality
• Set the scene by using the five W’s (What, Where, When, Who and Why) to describe it
• Choose the events or the experiences you’re going to reflect on
• Identify the issues of the event or experience you want to focus on
• Use literature and documents to help you discuss these issues in a wider context
• Reflect on how these issues changed your position regarding the issue
• Compare and contrast theory with practice
• Identify and discuss your learning needs both professionally and personally

Don’t forget to adjust the formatting of your essay. There are four main format styles of any academic piece. Discover all of them from our essay format guide!

Related Posts: Essay outline | Essay format Guide

Using Reflective Frameworks

A good way to develop a reflective essay plan is by using a framework that exists. A framework will let help you break the experience down logical and make the answer easier to organize. Popular frameworks include: Schon’s (1983) Reflection in action and reflection on action .

Schon wrote ‘The Reflective Practitioner’ in 1983 in which he describes reflection-in-action and reflection-on-action as tools for learning how to meet challenges that do not conform to formulas learned in school through improvisation.  He mentioned two types of reflection : one during and one after. By being aware of these processes while on a work-experience trail or clinical assignment you have to write a reflective account for, you get to understand the process better. So good questions to ask in a reflective journal could be:

<td “200”>Reflection-pre-action <td “200”>Reflection-in-action <td “200”>Reflection-on-Action<td “200”>What might happen? <td “200”>What is happening in the situation? <td “200”>What were your insights after?<td “200”>What possible challenges will you face? <td “200”>Is it working out as you expected? <td “200”>How did it go in retrospect?<td “200”>How will you prepare for the situation? <td “200”>What are the challenges you are dealing with? <td “200”>What did you value and why?<td “200”>  <td “200”>What can you do to make the experience a successful one? <td “200”>What would you do differently before or during a similar situation?<td “200”>  <td “200”>What are you learning? <td “200”>What have you learned?

This will give you a good frame for your paper and help you analyze your experience.

Kolb’s (1984) Learning Cycle

Kolb’s reflective framework works in four stages:

• Concrete experience. This is an event or experience
• Reflective observation. This is reflecting upon the experience. What you did and why.
• Abstract conceptualization. This is the process of drawing conclusions from the experience. Did it confirm a theory or falsify something? And if so, what can you conclude from that?
• Active experimentation. Planning and trying out the thing you have learned from this interaction.

Gibb’s (1988) Reflection Cycle

Gibbs model is an extension of Kolb’s. Gibb’s reflection cycle is a popular model used in reflective writing. There are six stages in the cycle.

• Description. What happened? Describe the experience you are reflecting on and who is involved.
• Feelings. What were you thinking and feeling at the time? What were your thoughts and feelings afterward?
• Evaluation. What was good and bad about the experience? How did you react to the situation? How did other people react? Was the situation resolved? Why and how was it resolved or why wasn’t it resolved? Could the resolution have been better?
• Analysis. What sense can you make of the situation? What helped or hindered during the event? How does this compare to the literature on the subject?
• Conclusion. What else could you have done? What have you learned from the experience? Could you have responded differently? How would improve or repeat success? How can you avoid failure?
• Action plan. If it arose again what would you do? How can you better prepare yourself for next time?

Driscoll’s Method (1994) and Rolfe et al (2001) Reflexive Learning

The Driscoll Method break the process down into three questions. What (Description), So What (Analysis) and Now What (Proposed action). Rolf et al 2001 extended the model further by giving more in-depth and reflexive questions.

• What is the problem/ difficulty/reason for being stuck/reason for feeling bad?
• What was my role in the situation?
• What was I trying to achieve?
• What actions did I take?
• What was the response of others?
• What were the consequences for the patient / for myself / for others?
• What feeling did it evoke in the patient / in myself / in others?
• What was good and bad about the experience?
• So, what were your feelings at the time?
• So, what are your feelings now? Are there any differences? Why?
• So, what were the effects of what you did or did not do?
• So, what good emerged from the situation for yourself and others? Does anything trouble you about the experience or event?
• So, what were your experiences like in comparison to colleagues, patients, visitors, and others?
• So, what are the main reasons for feeling differently from your colleagues?
• Now, what are the implications for you, your colleagues and the patients?
• Now, what needs to happen to alter the situation?
• Now, what are you going to do about the situation?
• Now, what happens if you decide not to alter anything?
• Now, what will you do differently if faced with a similar situation?
• Now, what information would you need to deal with the situation again?
• Now, what methods would you use to go about getting that information?

This model is mostly used for clinical experiences in degrees related to medicine such as nursing or genetic counseling. It helps to get students comfortable thinking over each experience and adapting to situations.

This is just a selection of basic models of this type of writing. And there are more in-depth models out there if you’re writing a very advanced reflective essay. These models are good for beginner level essays. Each model has its strengths and weaknesses. So, it is best to use one that allows you to answer the set question fully.

This written piece can follow many different structures depending on the subject area . So, check your assignment to make sure you don’t have a specifically assigned structural breakdown. For example, an essay that follows Gibbs plan directly with six labeled paragraphs is typical in nursing assignments. A more typical piece will follow a standard structure of an introduction, main body, and conclusion. Now, let’s look into details on how to craft each of these essay parts.

How to Write an Introduction?

There are several good ways to start a reflective essay . Remember that an introduction to a reflective essay differs depending on upon what kind of reflection is involved. A science-based introduction should be brief and direct introducing the issue you plan on discussing and its context.

Related post: How to write an Essay Introduction

For example, a nursing student might want to discuss the overreliance on medical journals in the industry and why peer-reviewed journals led to mistaken information. In this case, one good way how to start a reflective essay introduction is by introducing a thesis statement. Help the reader see the real value of your work.

Do you need help with your thesis statement? Take a look at our recent guide explaining what is a thesis statement .

Let’s look at some reflective essay examples.

‘During my first month working at Hospital X, I became aware just how many doctors treated peer-views journal articles as a gospel act. This is a dangerous practice that because of (a), (b) and (c) could impact patients negatively.’

The reflective essay on English class would begin differently. In fact, it should be more personal and sound less bookish .

How to Write the Main Body Paragraphs?

The main body of the essay should focus on specific examples of the issue in question. A short description should be used for the opener. Each paragraph of this piece should begin with an argument supporting the thesis statement.

The most part of each paragraph should be a reflexive analysis of the situation and evaluation . Each paragraph should end with a concluding sentence that caps the argument. In a science-based essay, it is important to use theories, other studies from journals and source-based material to argue and support your position in an objective manner.

How to Write the Conclusion?

A conclusion should provide a summary of the issues explored, remind the reader of the purpose of the essay and suggest an appropriate course of action in relation to the needs identified in the body of the essay.

This is mostly an action plan for the future. However, if appropriate a writer can call readers to action or ask questions. Make sure that the conclusion is powerful enough for readers to remember it. In most cases, an introduction and a conclusion is the only thing your audience will remember.

Reflective Essay Topics

Here are some good topics for a reflective essay. We’ve decided to categorize them to help you find good titles for reflective essays that fit your requirement.

Medicine-related topics:

• Write a reflective essay on leadership in nursing
• How did a disease of your loved ones (or your own) change you?
• Write a reflection essay on infection control
• How dealing with peer-reviewed journals interrupts medical procedures?
• Write a reflection essay about community service
• Write a reflective essay on leadership and management in nursing

Topics on teamwork:

• Write a reflective essay on the group presentation
• What makes you a good team player and what stays in the way of improvement?
• Write a reflective essay on the presentation
• Write about the last lesson you learned from working in a team
• A reflective essay on career development: How teamwork can help you succeed in your career?

Topics on personal experiences:

• Write a reflective essay on the pursuit of happiness: what it means to you and how you’re pursuing it?
• Write a reflective essay on human sexuality: it is overrated today? And are you a victim of stereotypes in this area?
• Write a reflective essay on growing up
• Reflective essay on death: How did losing a loved one change your world?
• Write a reflective essay about a choice you regret
• Write a reflective essay on the counseling session

Academic topics:

• A reflective essay on the writing process: How does writing help you process your emotions and learn from experiences?
• Write a reflective essay on language learning: How learning a new language changes your worldview
• A reflective essay about a choice I regret

Related Posts: Research Paper topics | Compare&Contrast Essay topics

Reflective Essay Example

Tips on writing a good reflective essay.

Some good general tips include the following:

As long as you use tips by HandMade Writing, you’ll end up having a great piece. Just stick to our recommendations. And should you need the help of a pro essay writer service, remember that we’re here to help!

A life lesson in Romeo and Juliet taught by death

Due to human nature, we draw conclusions only when life gives us a lesson since the experience of others is not so effective and powerful. Therefore, when analyzing and sorting out common problems we face, we may trace a parallel with well-known book characters or real historical figures. Moreover, we often compare our situations with […]

Ethical Research Paper Topics

Writing a research paper on ethics is not an easy task, especially if you do not possess excellent writing skills and do not like to contemplate controversial questions. But an ethics course is obligatory in all higher education institutions, and students have to look for a way out and be creative. When you find an […]

Art Research Paper Topics

Students obtaining degrees in fine art and art & design programs most commonly need to write a paper on art topics. However, this subject is becoming more popular in educational institutions for expanding students’ horizons. Thus, both groups of receivers of education: those who are into arts and those who only get acquainted with art […]

• Essay Guides
• Main Academic Essays

How to Write a Reflective Essay: A Quick Guide + Examples

• Speech Topics
• Basics of Essay Writing
• Essay Topics
• Other Essays
• Research Paper Topics
• Basics of Research Paper Writing
• Miscellaneous
• Chicago/ Turabian
• Data & Statistics
• Methodology
• Admission Writing Tips
• Admission Advice
• Other Guides
• Student Life
• Studying Tips
• Understanding Plagiarism
• Academic Writing Tips
• Basics of Dissertation & Thesis Writing

• Research Paper Guides
• Formatting Guides
• Basics of Research Process
• Admission Guides
• Dissertation & Thesis Guides

Table of contents

Use our free Readability checker

A reflective essay is a type of writing where you explore how an event, experience, or concept has influenced your development or perspective. It involves deep thinking, self-analysis, and personal reflection. In a reflective essay, you explai what you learned and how you changed as a result of that experience.

In this article, you will learn how to write a reflective essay, and how to highlight impactful experiences. A reflection essay seems easy as you don’t have to defend one’s point of view or convince the reader of something. But it has its challenges, so we recommend to keep on reading and find out everything you need to know about this type of essay. More complex examples are available down below.

What Is a Reflective Essay: Definition

A good question to start with is, “What is a reflective essay?” A reflective essay is a type of academic writing, in which the student has to test personal life experience/position towards a particular topic. Unlike in argumentative writing, the student does not have to defend the personal position. It does not require a complicated, professional language with some terminology. Do not define something - focus on sharing personal life experience, skills, development, and the most vivid examples to illustrate the topic.

Reflective Essay Format

A reflection essay student writes to meet the college writing standards has a different format from the one a magazine writer should present to reach the issue’s audience. However, each reflective paper has a similar outline. Reflective essay format depends on the general requirements your teacher provides. Some of them can ask for a specific format for your essay. APA writing style , MLA, and Chicago are the basic formats you can use. But if you don’t know exactly which formatting to use, you can use reflective essay apa format. This is the most common college essay format, so knowing its requirements is critical: Font:  Times New Roman, 12 points Interval:  Double interval Margins:  1 inch all round Page Numbers:  Insert a title in the upper left corner of each page.  

Reflective Essay Outline and Structure

Knowing how to write a reflective essay is essential. Even if you feel confident about your thoughts and knowledge, don’t start your writing without a clear and well-designed plan. Without logical essay structure , your essay will likely achieve lower marks. To avoid this situation, follow 10 easy steps we provided below. The first thing every student needs to understand how to write a good reflective essay is an effective, detailed outline. It has 3 typical sections: introduction, body paragraphs, and conclusion. Writing a reflective essay does not require any references – the only person to refer is the student who decides to share his thoughts & ideas. Let’s look at 4 main reasons to include an outline of reflective essays.  

• An outline assists in laying out the details the student wants to leave after narrowing down the draft before working on the final paper. It prevents them from concluding the essay by realizing something is missing.
• An outline provides a clear, concise roadmap, which prevents the writer from taking curvy paths and facing dead ends. It shows the way like a compass in the woods.
• An outline helps to save a lot of time.
• An outline helps the potential readers, including teachers & classmates, to avoid falling off the main point when reading the essay partially.

Reflective essay outline is not much different from other types of essays. Use this reflective essay template in creating your perfect reflective essay:

How to Start a Reflective Essay: Creating an Introduction

Let’s figure out how to write a reflective essay introduction. Start with stating the primary focus of the personal reflection. Avoid being indirect and covering a range of topics; stay direct and concise by underlining the basic purpose of sharing a life experience. Professional Opinion:

“Giving a preview of the most exciting part of the story is a clue. The target reader may lack time to read the full piece from cover to cover. “There are many things I have learned from Marketing class. The most valuable lesson I have obtained is checking the effectiveness of 2 different approaches or services through utilizing so-called A/B testing.” It will make the reader think about what is special about this specific method. The reader will go on reading the body paragraphs to find out!” Professor Hemsworth, History & Anthropology teacher and academic writer at StudyCrumb

Another way to attract attention in the introductory paragraph is to come up with the intriguing hook for essay sentences like statistics, fact, quote, metaphor, rhetorical question, or joke. It depends on the mood of your reflective narrative.

Working on Reflective Essay Thesis

Some people may say that a reflective essay does not need a thesis. However, the example shared in the previous section talking about introduction is an example of the inspiring thesis statement. Include at least a reflective summary of the primary idea. The best idea would be to focus on previewing the peak of the plot development or highlighting the most valuable lesson learned. Let’s take a look at this little reflective essay thesis sample.

If you find it challenging, rely on our  professional essay writing service  and have your reflective essay done with academic standards in mind. 

Writing a Reflection Essay Body Paragraph

What is the purpose of a body paragraph ? The body paragraphs of the reflective analysis interpret the way the author evolved or what he/she has absorbed from a particular life lesson (mention 3 different lessons). When writing your reflective essay you should mention the circumstances that forced you to pass a certain way. If you study a subject like English Literature or Arts, the paper’s prompt may ask you to describe how you changed as a field professional during the course of study. It is important to choose a specific interval of time to list the improvements. Compare & contrast the initial skills to the knowledge you have today. It is a great idea to tell the audience the ways various tasks, challenges, and lessons made the author grow since the beginning of his education. There is no need to conduct research to collect the supporting evidence. The author alone is responsible for defending every stated claim with the help of vivid samples that describe the topic the best. Example: In case the student has become more professional in the field of writing, he should list the causes of those changes (new English teacher, more practice at home, part-time job related to the field of writing). Who knows – some of the ideas may be used by other students to succeed!  

How to Write a Reflective Essay Conclusion

The question of how to end a reflection paper is not less important. The last challenge is to prepare an impressive, inspiring, and powerful conclusion, which will make the target readers want to develop the same positive way. Write a reflective summary regarding the way you have changed over a given period of time. Share some forecast by looking ahead: how the experiences listed in the essay would influence further personal development. By looking at the past events, decide which of them was the most important. The good idea is to compare & contrast past and future events to stress the gaps between the obtained skills and experience, possibly gained in the future. Don't want to bother with writing any conclusions? Use a summary maker to generate e reflective essay conlusion in seconds.

How to Write a Reflective Essay: 10 Easy Steps

Writing personal reflection helps students to stress their individuality by highlighting various skills, knowledge, behavior, feelings, and even mood. The purpose of writing a reflective essay is to show how the person changed over time and what factors played an important role in those metamorphoses. Keep on reading this section to learn steps that will make your reflective writing perfect. Step 1:  Think of the questions that interest you the most. It may be your experience, feelings, or an event in life. Make sure you analyzed the question well. Check credible sources and collect relevant information. Step 2:  Decide what you want to write about. Make sure you know how to title an essay . Identify the topic. Step 3:  After you decided on a topic, create an appealing title that will entice readers. Make sure your title is clear and to the point. Step 4:  Create an outline of your essay. Step 5:  Create an attention-grabbing hook for reflective essay. It should be some intriguing sentence or phrase that will arouse the interest of your readers. Step 6:  Create an introduction of your reflection paper. Step 7:  Think what you will include in the main body of your text. Start writing your body paragraphs. Step 8:  Diversify your text with all the necessary details to make your readers see a clear picture of the environment in your story. It can be some place, people, atmosphere, etc. Step 9:  After the reader is already familiar with the setting and characters, you should tell about yourself. What were your feelings? How has the situation affected you? What did you learn from this situation? Step 10:  Conclude your reflective essay. Briefly summarize all the points that were mentioned in your text and provide a short moral with recommendations. You can use these steps as a checklist for your writing process. In case you need another step-by-step guide on response essays  or any other type of writing, we've got you covered.

>> Read more: How to Write Essays

Reflective Essays Sample From Successful College Students

No recommendations, tips & tricks help the students to understand the way a particular assignment should look like in the end as effectively as the examples. The article contains one of the up-to-date reflective essay examples from a college student.

Writing a Reflective Essay: Bottom Line

Congratulations, we have learned how to write a reflective essay. We really do hope that our guidelines, tips, and examples were useful to you. Now, you can definitely work on your reflection assignment with a clear understanding of its structure and main points. So start your writing, and the sky's the limit! 

In case you need more writing tips, feel free to browse our Blog. Be it a diagnostic essay , a synthesis essay  or a response paper , we have tutorials for any type of writing. 

Consider  buying essay papers  in case you've got other plans for the evening. Submit your details to StudyCrumb and get an astounding paper written in line with your requirements. Your assigned writer will handle any assignment with a blink of an eye!

Frequently Asked Questions about Writing a Reflective Essay

1. what is a common mistake when writing a reflective essay.

A common mistake when writing a reflective essay is to drift away from the subject you're writing about. It usually happens when you don’t stick to your initial plan. So plan your writing well and if you feel that you go a bit off topic, be sure that you return to the same topic you originally discussed.

2. What is the purpose of writing a reflective essay?

The purpose of writing a reflective essay is to make a student write about their personal experience, explore it, reflect on it and find positive and negative aspects. The goal is to analyze how a student changed due to this experience and what made them change. What lesson a student learned is an essential point in persuasive writing.

3. How to write a reflective essay on a book?

If you are writing a reflective essay on a book, the main task is to show your teacher how you reflect on a chosen book, how you understand the problem presented by an author. To create a good essay, start with brief information about the author. Then, without spoilers, briefly summarize the main points of a book. After that explain the main conflicts, share your impressions. Ask questions like: “What are the peculiarities of the main characters?”, “What did an author want to say by indicating the main issues?”

Daniel Howard is an Essay Writing guru. He helps students create essays that will strike a chord with the readers.

You may also like

How to write a reflective essay

Published September 27, 2020. Updated May 19, 2022.

Reflective Essay Definition

A reflective essay is a type of writing that examines an experience from the past by looking through the lens of the present.

Overview of reflective Essay

The purpose of a reflective essay is to explore an impression you had, looking into the reasons for that impression.  A reflective essay is not writing about an experience. It is writing about your reaction to that experience. A reflective essay is not learning from doing. It is about learning from thinking about what you did. A reflective essay is not about trying to influence anyone of anything. It is about drawing the meaning from your own experience. A reflective essay is not about being correct. It is about being honest. A reflective essay is actually designed to help you improve how you think and learn.

Key takeaways

• A reflective essay examines an experience from the past looking through the lens of the present.
• The purpose of a reflective essay is to explore an impression you had, looking into reasons for that impression.
• A reflective essay is very personal: the topic isn’t so much the experience but how YOU felt ABOUT the experience.

What is a reflective essay?

Sometimes it’s easier to explain what something is NOT.

• A reflective essay is not writing about an experience. It’s writing about your reaction to that experience.
• A reflective essay is not learning from doing. It’s about learning from thinking about what you did.
• A reflective essay is not about trying to convince anyone of anything. It’s about drawing meaning from your own experience.
• A reflective essay is not about being correct. It’s about being honest.

Think about the word “reflection.” What you see in the mirror is not you; it is a reflection of you.

Do you realize that you can never really see yourself? You can only see a reflection of yourself.

Every life experience is like that. You never really see the experience as it’s happening. You only see it and learn from it when you see it through reflection.

Also, you cannot see your reflection if you are too close to the mirror. You need to step back in order to see yourself clearly.

Reflective writing is like that.

A reflective essay is a way of writing where you, as the writer, take a step back from your experience and write about it with some distance.

It is a way of writing about the past from the perspective of the present.

You are no longer going through an experience. Rather, you are reflecting on it to see it more clearly.

Worried about your writing? Submit your paper for a Chegg Writing essay check , or for an Expert Check proofreading . Both can help you find and fix potential writing issues.

Purpose of a reflective essay

Regardless of how you feel about writing essays, most essays are designed to help you improve how you write. A reflective essay is actually designed to help you improve how you think and learn.

The reflective essay can be very helpful because writing it helps you process whatever you are writing about. That act of processing leads to deeper understanding.

John Dewey, an American scholar, said: “We do not learn from experience. We learn from reflecting on experience.”

Difference between a personal essay and a reflective essay

More than other essays, a reflection is about YOU. Unlike a personal essay, however, a reflective essay requires you to take a step back from an experience and write about it from a distance.

Where a personal essay might say, “Here is something I did,” a reflective essay would try to answer, “Why did I do what I did?”

A reflective essay is a good place to explore questions like, “How did I feel before and after I did that?”, “If I encountered a similar experience, would I do the same thing again?”, and “What did I learn from this experience?”

As you can see, all of the questions are personal: they are not asking about the experience itself, they are asking how YOU felt ABOUT the experience.

Don’t worry about finding the “right” answer. There is no such thing. Every person’s experience and interpretation is unique, and you are writing about your own. You don’t need to compare it to anyone else’s.

Make sure you write the essay in the first person.

Possible topics for a reflective essay

When choosing your topic for a reflective essay, think about whether it caused an impression on you.  Remember that the topic you write about isn’t the focus – the focus is your interpretation of it.

• A teacher who believed in you
• A friend who betrayed you
• A family member
• A place in nature where you feel most comfortable
• The house you grew up in
• A place you visited for the first time, that felt “familiar”
• Going somewhere very foreign
• A new experience
• Failing or succeeding at something
• Learning something new
• Something you’ve done before, but this time something was different

Questions to ask about your topic

Since you want to go deeper with your understanding of the topic, the questions that you ask yourself as you write are important.

• How did I feel, and why did I feel this way?
• How did I react, and why did I react like this?
• Did this change me? Why or why not?
• Would I do something differently next time?
• Was this experience positive or negative for me?
• What does this mean in my life?
• What did I learn from this experience?

Parts of an essay

Every essay you write, including reflective essays, should have three parts: an introduction, a body, and a conclusion. The reflective essay should have those parts as well.

However, the way a reflective essay is organized might be a little different.

Let’s go through each of those parts for a reflective essay. Each part will include a sample.

Introduction

You want to begin your essay with a hook. A hook is an interesting opening that “catches” your readers and makes them want to read more. Your hook is usually the first sentence.

After you’ve hooked the readers, you want to give some context, or background information. In a reflective essay, use the introduction to mention the experience that you will be writing about. Think of each sentence in your intro as a stepping point. Each sentence brings you closer to your thesis statement.

Once you’ve given some context, write a thesis statement, which tells the readers exactly what they’re going to read about. For a reflective essay, the thesis statement should give the readers an idea of the impression the experience made on you. Think of it like a map to the rest of your essay.

Sample introduction

Can you identify the hook, background information, and thesis statement in this sample?

I had seen pictures of the Mona Lisa my whole life. Last summer, I went to Paris and got to see the original painting in the Louvre Museum. As I stood looking at the Mona Lisa, I really was seeing her for the first time. What I found surprising is that I felt the woman in the painting was seeing me as well. I actually felt a connection to the painting.

A typical essay will have from one to three body paragraphs, though you can write as many as you need (or as many as your teacher assigns you). Regardless of how many body paragraphs you have, they will all be organized in a similar manner.

Start with a topic sentence to show your reader what is coming up. This is a general sentence that gives an overview of that paragraph. Since your thesis statement should be about the impression your experience made on you, each topic sentence should be a reason for that impression.

The body paragraph should explain the reason for your impression in depth.

End a body paragraph with a sentence that summarizes what you wrote or that leads into the next paragraph.

Sample body paragraphs

Can you identify the topic sentences? Do the body paragraphs discuss the reasons in depth

I first felt a connection because of the Mona Lisa’s expression. Her face looks calm and seems to give nothing away. Every time I had seen the picture before, I felt like her expression was empty, with nothing behind it. As if the subject was a rich, carefree woman who was just sitting to have her portrait painted. When I stood in front of the original masterpiece, though, her expression opened up. At the time, all I knew was that I was seeing something I hadn’t seen before. Now I know that I saw a woman trying to get through life while feeling like she didn’t know what she was doing. I have often felt the same way. I may look calm to the outside world, but I am trying to hide anxiety. Now I recognize that the Mona Lisa was doing the same thing.

The second reason I felt a connection was because of the Mona Lisa’s posture. The subject looks like she’s sitting in a chair. Her body is facing to the left, but her face is looking at the viewer. It seems as if she wants to go in one direction but is forced to face another. I have felt that way. Like when my parents suggest which future would be better for me. Like when my friends want to do something I’m not comfortable doing. Like when I want to stay home and read but my boyfriend wants us to go to a party. Which way should I go?

Lastly, I felt a connection to the background in the painting. Behind the Mona Lisa is a natural vista with a road and mountains and a lake. The landscape itself seems improbable. Why is there a road when there is no other sign of life? There are no buildings or people in the background. Having the Mona Lisa placed in such a strange background adds to the feeling of anxiety and uncertainty. Again, it seems like the Mona Lisa is talking to me: “Do you ever feel like you don’t know where you are? Or where you belong?” Yes, I feel that way a lot.

Before you turn in that paper, don’t forget to cite your sources in APA format , MLA format , or a style of your choice.

This is how your essay ends and includes the last impression your reader takes away.

In a reflective essay, you may use your conclusion to give closure to the experience you’re writing about.

Add any insights to explain your reasons for your impression.

Finally, remember that a reflection is a way to write about the past from the perspective of the present. Make a clear connection from the past to the present.

Sample conclusion

Does this conclusion give a sense of closure? Does it add any insights? Does it make a connection between past and present?

That summer in Paris was supposed to be an exciting trip for me, but it was actually a difficult time in my life. I was trying to decide what university to go to, what major I should choose, and whether my boyfriend and I should break up or try a long-distance relationship. I had questions brewing in my head and it was difficult to appreciate the beauty of Paris. Seeing the Mona Lisa at that time in my life made me feel at peace. Now I understand what I saw in her that made me feel connected: I saw someone else with doubt and uncertainty, but I knew she would be okay in the end, and so will I. 

Example reflective essay on the Mona Lisa

Example reflective essay on environmental troubles.

By Halina Stolar. Halina has a master’s degree in teaching and taught English as a second language and writing for almost 15 years overseas. She now works as a freelance writer, and geeks out over grammar for fun.

Common Writing Assignments, Apps & Tests

• Analytical Essay
• AP synthesis Essay
• Argumentative Essay
• Book Report
• Compare and Contrast Essay
• Cause and Effect Essay
• College Admissions Essay
• Critical Analysis Essay
• Definition Essay
• Descriptive Essay
• Dissertation
• Explanatory Essay
• Expository Essay
• Informative Essay
• Narrative Essay
• Opinion Essay
• Personal Essay
• Persuasive Essay
• Reflective Essay
• Research Paper
• Rhetorical Analysis
• Scholarship Essay
• Short Essay
• Thesis Paper

What’s included with a Chegg Writing subscription

• Unlimited number of paper scans
• Plagiarism detection: Check against billions of sources
• Expert proofreading for papers on any subject
• Grammar scans for 200+ types of common errors
• Automatically create & save citations in 7,000+ styles
• Cancel subscription anytime, no obligation

• Schools & departments

Reflective essays

Guidance and information on using reflective essays.

The reflective essay is one of the most common reflective assignments and is very frequently used for both formative and especially summative assessments. Reflective essays are about presenting reflections to an audience in a systematic and formal way.

Generally, all good academic practice for assignments applies when posing reflective essays.

Typical reflective essay questions

Reflective essays tend to deal with a reflective prompt that the essay needs to address. This also often means that the essay will have to draw on a range of experiences and theories to fully and satisfactorily answer the question.

The questions/prompts should not be too vague, for example ‘reflect on your learning’, but should define an area or an aspect relevant to your learning outcomes. This is most easily ensured with thorough guidelines, highlighting elements expected in the essay.

Questions could be something like (not exhaustive):

• reflect on learning in the course with regards to [choose an aspect]
• reflect on personal development across an experience with regards to certain skills
• reflect on development towards subject benchmarks statements and the extent to which these are achieved
• reflect on the progression towards the course’s defined learning outcomes or the school’s or the University’s Graduate Attributes
• reflect on some theory relevant to the course. (Remember that for this to be a reflective essay and not an academic/critical essay, the student must use that theory to explain/inform their own experiences, and use their own experiences to criticise and put the theory into context – that is, how theory and experience inform one another.)

Typical structure and language

Reflective essays will often require theoretical literature, but this is not always essential.  Reflective essays can be built around a single individual experience, but will often draw on a series of individual experiences – or one long experience, for example an internship, that is broken into individual experiences.

The typical language and structure is formal – for thorough descriptions on this, see ‘Academic reflections: tips, language and structure’ in the Reflectors’ Toolkit, which can be valuable to highlight to students.

Academic reflections: tips, language and structure (within the Reflectors’ Toolkit)

Length and assignment weight if assessed

There is no one length that a reflective essay must take. As with all written assignments, the main consideration is that the length is appropriate for evidencing learning, answering the question and meeting the criteria.

Similarly, there is no clear answer for what percentage of the overall mark is attached to the assignment. However, the choice should mirror the required workload for the reflector to complete it, how that fits into your initiative, and the amount of preparation the reflector has had.

For instance, if the student has received formative feedback on multiple pieces of work, a larger proportion of the course mark may be appropriate, compared to if the student had not had a chance to practice. It is important to keep in mind that many students will not have had many chances to practice reflective essays before university.

Back to ‘Components of reflective tasks’

• Accessibility
• Main SQA Website
• Using the site
•  >  Subjects
•  >  English
•  >  Advanced Higher
•  > Portfolio-writing

In this section

Select a subject Accounting Administration and IT Applications of Mathematics Apprenticeships Art and Design Baccalaureates Barista Skills Biology Business Management Care Chemistry Childcare & Development Classical Studies Computing Science Core Skills Dance Design and Manufacture Drama Economics Engineering Science English Environmental Science ESOL Fashion and Textiles French Gaelic Gaidhlig Geography German Graphic Communication Health and Food Technology History HN Human Biology Italian Latin Mandarin Mathematics Mathematics of Mechanics Media Modern Studies Music Music Technology National 1 & 2 NPA Philosophy Photography Physical Education Physics Politics Practical Cake Craft Practical Cookery Practical Electronics Practical Metalworking Practical Woodworking Psychology RMPS Scots Language Skills for Work Sociology Spanish Statistics SVQ Urdu

• National 3 and 4
• Literary Study
• Textual Analysis
• Portfolio-writing
• Project Dissertation
• Presentations
• Course Reports
• Additional resources for sessions 2020-22

Advanced Higher English - portfolio-writing

Portfolio-writing 2021  (all links open as pdf files), reflective writing - a reflection of my 12-year-old feminist self.

• Candidate 1 Evidence

Reflective writing - The Ruby Jubilee

• Candidate 2 Evidence

Reflective writing - Old Saint Paul’s

• Candidate 3 Evidence
• Candidates 1 to 3 Commentaries

Candidate 2 (Creative - poetry | Celestial)

• Candidate 2 Commentary

Candidate 3 (Creative - poetry | The Boy Soldier)

• Candidate 3 Commentary

Candidate 4 (Creative - reflective | These Old Yellow Bricks)

• Candidate 4 Evidence
• Candidate 4 Commentary

Candidate 5 (Creative - drama | Corruption)

• Candidate 5 Evidence
• Candidate 5 Commentary

Candidate 6 (Creative - prose fiction | Inner Demons)

• Candidate 6 Evidence
• Candidate 6 Commentary

Candidate 7 (Creative - prose fiction | Get to Heaven Fables)

• Candidate 7 Evidence
• Candidate 7 Commentary

Candidate 8 (Discursive - persuasive | Politics: Public Profile over Policy?)

• Candidate 8 Evidence
• Candidate 8 Commentary

Candidate 9 (Creative - prose fiction | Split Infinities)

• Candidate 9 Evidence
• Candidate 9 Commentary

Candidate 10 (Creative - prose fiction | White Rose)

• Candidate 10 Evidence
• Candidate 10 Commentary

Candidate 11 (Creative - poetry | Sonderkommando Man)

• Candidate 11 Evidence
• Candidate 11 Commentary

Candidate 12 (Creative - reflective | Fifteen, five, twenty, and ten ... Can I return?)

• Candidate 12 Evidence
• Candidate 12 Commentary
• Terms & Conditions
• Back To Top

• International
• Education Jobs
• Schools directory
• Resources Education Jobs Schools directory News Search

40 x Higher English A grade folio essays: creative, reflective, persuasive, discursive.

Subject: English

Age range: 11-14

Resource type: Other

Last updated

25 February 2019

• Share through email
• Share through twitter
• Share through linkedin
• Share through facebook
• Share through pinterest

Tes paid licence How can I reuse this?

Get this resource as part of a bundle and save up to 86%

A bundle is a package of resources grouped together to teach a particular topic, or a series of lessons, in one place.

100 A grade essays: GCSE National 5 Higher A level English

A bundle of 100 A grade essays relevant to the GCSE, National 5, Higher and A Level English syllabi.

Creative writing bundle: Primary-Higher English Essays, Worksheets, Powerpoints

Creative writing bundle: Primary-Higher level English essays, worksheets, and Powerpoints.

118 x A-grade Higher and National 5 English Folio and Critical Essays

Your rating is required to reflect your happiness.

It's good to leave some feedback.

Something went wrong, please try again later.

Definitely worth the money

Empty reply does not make any sense for the end user

Report this resource to let us know if it violates our terms and conditions. Our customer service team will review your report and will be in touch.

Not quite what you were looking for? Search by keyword to find the right resource:

Folio Writing

Below you can find advice and resources to support the creation of your writing folio.

Instructions for the submission of National 5 and Higher English coursework (portfolios) November 2017 (1)

EnglishCandidateTemplate2017_18 (1)

CREATIVE – Imaginative 

Write an imaginative piece involving a symbol.  Make sure there is a clear sense of your character’s ‘journey’ and an overall theme and purpose/message in the piece – everything in the story should contribute to the delivery of this message.  Remember to use all your creative writing techniques for effect (description, imagery, sentence structure, tone) and make your symbol ‘evolve’ to reflect the character’s journey/message of the story.   Don’t forget to give your story a title which creatively embodies your meaning.

Advice: writing a monologue ; Your Shoes by Michele Roberts

Exemplars: Beyond the Bars ; Havsmusik v2 ; Little-Angel-Dressed-in-White ; Where the Dust Falls – English essay

CREATIVE – Personal and Reflective

Write a personal essay reflecting on a significant moment/experience/occurrence in your life.  Do not simply describe the experience.  Look at your journey and try to explore some insight into an aspect of the human condition (how we live our lives).  Remember this is a type of CREATIVE writing so you must use all your creative techniques (language choice, imagery, structure etc.) to engage the audience and make your piece vivid and descriptive.  Your voice and personality should come through – be reflective and thoughtful in style.

Advice: Reflective Writing ; Personal&Reflective ideas ; personal reflective ; Personal & Reflective Writing – Style

Exemplars: Smile exemplar  (cat 2); Gifts Galore  (cat 1); Arriving in nepal Cat 2 The-Cinderella-Story ; Precious Metal ; What Forres Means to Me

Discursive – Persuasive OR Argumentative

Choose a controversial subject and write either a persuasive or argumentative essay on it.  Remember that in both styles of writing your point of view must be clear throughout – the difference is how forceful your language and techniques are and, structurally, how you use/present the alternative viewpoint.  You must use reliable and sophisticated secondary sources and remember to reference them fully and accurately (see Mrs Munn’s help sheet or further advice below)

Advice:  Discursive Writing steps ; Planning and Writing a Discursive Essay ; Persuasive Essay writing ; Writing to Argue and Persuade ; USING TRANSITIONAL MARKERS ; Referencing ; Example Bibliography

Topics: Discursive Topics , Disc Writing

Exemplars:  Age of Criminal Responsibility – Argumentative ; Daylight Saving Time – Argumentative , Royal Family – Persuasive ; Television Time – Persuasive ;  Deriving each other to madness  – full marks in folio; Copy of An Invasion of E Books ; Trash Those Cans  – high marks in folio;

Glow Blogs uses cookies to enhance your experience on our service. By using this service or closing this message you consent to our use of those cookies. Please read our Cookie Policy. OK

• Sep 28, 2021

Maximising success in your N5 or Higher English folio

Kenny, our Subject Leader at Saturday School has put together this brilliant blog to help and support Higher and National 5 English students with their all-important folio. We hope you find it useful!

As I am sure you will know, the folio is of huge importance, it accounts for 30 percent of your final award. Consequently, it can help to compensate for any deficiencies you may have elsewhere. Indeed, a score of 24 in your folio would allow you to “scrape” a pass in the RUAE and Critical Reading papers and still receive a B as your final grade; it would also allow you to score (just) underneath 70 percent for every other element and still receive an A!

This year (2021/22), you will only have to submit one folio piece. It will be scored out of 15 and then doubled. As a result, it would be wise to spend some time considering where your strengths lie and focus on channelling them towards the type of writing that will secure you the best mark, regardless of whether your teacher forces you to write two or not.

Broadly Creative

This refers to:

Personal/ reflective

This involves looking at an event(s) or experience(s) in your life and/ or an aspect of your personality and/ or an aspect of your life that is of huge importance.

Choosing your topic:

A timeline of the major events in your life - making sure you only list things of which you have a vivid memory.

A mind map of all the main relationships in your life and your interests.

A mind map of your personality- introvert, extrovert, shy etc.

Once you have your topic, the next thing you need is a theme. A theme is, ‘THE BIGGER PICTURE,’ the part of human existence you are going to write about. Examples would be bullying, change, love, relationships, death, pressure, confidence. You should talk about theme in a general sense by using the word we .

Feelings should be explored on 3 levels:

Stated: ‘I felt…’

Explained/ explored: ‘I felt…because…’

Compared: ‘while most people would feel… I …’

I have found the “ We I We” structure to be highly effective. This involves the following:

We : start with a paragraph exploring your theme in general using the word We instead of I.

I : how does this theme relate to your experience? Tell your story.

We : reflect on how the experiences you have described and explored link to the theme in general.

A good technique to secure a high mark is the inclusion of an extended metaphor. For example, use water imagery for feelings: stream, river, sea, ocean, swamped, drowning, flooded, etc.

A symbol of something or an object used to communicate an idea. For example, you can mention something that connected you to another person early in the essay and return to it at the end.

Short Story Writing

I would personally avoid this unless you actually enjoy reading and perhaps do this in your spare time. It tends to receive little focus in class teaching after second year. If you are going to attempt it, here are some top tips:

· Use 3rd person instead of 1st as this gives you more scope and prevents it from reading like an outlandish personal/ reflective essay

· Don’t try to do too much with your essay. As many candidates often do not read much, they attempt to base their narrative on some film that they have watched. The result is an often-undeveloped series of huge events that have global significance yet the story lacks any real setting or character development.

· Try to focus your events on a select group of people and a limited time frame. For example, I have read great essays on a person who lost their sight going outside for the first time since this happened; I have read a great essay on a president about to make a huge yet unnamed decision; I have read a great essay about a pupil returning to school for the first time since being disfigured in an assault. All of these short stories took place over a few hours, made use of flashbacks/ memories and had a maximum of three big things happening.

· Have your characters face internal and external obstacles and overcome them. Internal obstacles are human flaws such as greed, jealousy, indecision, uncertainty, fear. External obstacles are things outside of the character’s control such as a car crash or a flood.

· Play about with the chronology of your story. It can be a highly effective strategy to begin your story at the end of the events and ten work your way back to it.

Broadly Discursive

For most candidates, this means either an argumentative or persuasive essay. The following are tips for ensuring a quality piece of work:

· Try to select a topic that is not overdone or overly simplistic UNLESS you genuinely believe there is something new and different you can bring to the argument. It is worth noting that this is less true for National 5 than Higher. Indeed, at N5 level, you would be given more leniency with regards to the selection of your topic. That said, there are exceptions. For example, I would caution most pupils against doing an essay on capital punishment; however, three years ago I marked a persuasive essay with this as its topic that scored 13/15.

· Topics that might be considered overdone/ too simplistic (especially at Higher) are as follows: school uniform, banning boxing, legalising cannabis, freeing Orcas, capital punishment, size zero/ body image, the negative effects of social media.

· Another thing to guard against is essays that focus on America such as gun control or racism in this country. You are better focusing on British/ Scottish issues

· Try to select a topic that is current. You can keep abreast of issues by reading the comment/ opinion sections of quality broadsheet newspapers such as The Guardian and The Scotsman.

· Here are some examples to consider: we need to embrace technology, the treatment of the elderly, profiteering from COVID, sex and gender in sports, funding for music, climate change, the cost of pharmaceuticals, how do we adapt to a post-covid world? Do Disney princesses have a negative effect upon young girls?

· Make sure your introductions clearly show what you are going to be writing about. In a persuasive essay, use a range of persuasive techniques to get your points across. In an argumentative piece it is okay to make it clear what your thoughts are/ position is.

· Avoid ‘In this essay I will…’

· In the body of the essay, try to have 5-6 paragraphs for a persuasive essay and 6 for an argumentative essay.

· Try to link your paragraphs and sentences using words such as Furthermore, Indeed, However, Despite this…

· Get the structure of your paragraphs right: have a topic sentence, present your evidence, react to this. In a persuasive essay, react by persuading using a variety of techniques; in an argumentative, weigh up and evaluate the evidence as you consider its implications.

· Finish strongly. In a persuasive essay, drive home your point using persuasive language. Inclusive language such as we and our is particularly effective. In an argumentative essay, go over the main points but don’t feel that you have to come to a decision upon which side you agree with - you might still be undecided.

_______________________________________________________________________________

If you need support in National 5 or Higher subjects you can book classes here.

Not ready to book? That's fine! Sign up for updates here instead until you're ready to book.

• SQA Nat 5 and Higher English

Recent Posts

Saturday School Guide to Higher RUAE

SQA National 5 English: An expert guide to National 5 RUAE

SQA Higher English: an expert guide to RUAE