Nova A.
Nova A.

Reflective Essay Writing- An Easy Guide for Beginners | 2024

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Published on: Jun 26, 2020

Last updated on: Mar 16, 2024

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Have you been assigned to write a reflective essay? If yes, then it will be the perfect opportunity for you to hone your creative writing skills.This blog post is a complete guide for writing reflective essays, including topics and examples. Students in their educational careers often use essays to reflect on a personal experience.These assignments can be helpful because they give the students time to think about what happened and process how they feel about it. It can be hard to know where you should start when writing your essay, but we have created this blog post as a resource for writing a perfect reflective essay.

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Reflective Essay Definition

A reflective essay is a type of personal writing that takes the writer’s thoughts and emotions. It is also about an experience or event to create something for the reader. These types of essays are often confused with narrative essays.

But reflective essays are different because instead of just telling your story, they show how events in life have changed you. Narrative essays differ from reflective ones because narrative texts only tell a story without reflecting on it.

Reflective essays give the writer a chance to share their thoughts and feelings with the target audience. This usually involves describing past events in detail, explaining how they felt during these experiences. And reflecting on what that person has learned from them.

How to Write a Reflective Essay?

Below you can find all the steps for writing a great reflective essay.

  1. Introduction

    What should I add to the introduction of my essay? Many students don't know how to start their reflective essays. When writing your intro, include some background information on the main topic you will be discussing in your paper. And state what it was that led you to this subject matter.

  2. Reflective Essay Thesis Statement

    When you're writing this essay, it's important to include an interesting thesis statement. This usually comes at the end of the introduction and sets up what will be discussed in the remaining work.

  3. Body Paragraphs

    Start each paragraph with a topic sentence to make it easier for your readers. Don't be too wordy in the first few sentences, and try not to overwhelm them. The main body of an essay is where you list out all the details. These details must support your argument or point-of-view, giving examples from your personal life experience when possible.

    You can break down this section into three parts: introduction, discussion/ summary (where you dig deeper), a conclusion that should summarize what's been said before concluding how they relate to present-day society.

  4. Conclusion

    The conclusion of an essay is just as important as its opening. So make sure to end the topic with a strong finish. And summarize what you have already said in your paper without adding any new information.

  5. References

    This is an absolute must in the academic writing process. Without a complete list of sources, your work will be considered plagiarism, and this is something you do not want. Therefore, make sure that you have added every source necessary and did not miss out on any information.

    These are the basic sections that a reflective essay outline contains. Once you are done with topic selection, create an outline and list the ideas discussed in your essay.

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Reflective Essay Format

The reflective essay structure format is different from other essays. It's a type of writing that an individual uses the MLA or APA style for their papers. Therefore, it needs to follow certain formatting requirements to make it appear professional when they're done with all their work on it.

In APA style, you should consider a few points:

  • Use Time New Roman.
  • The font size is 12, and all text should be double-spaced.
  • Page numbers are located at the top right corner of the page in Times New Roman (size 16).

For MLA format, you should consider a few points:

  • Use Times New Roman.
  • The font size is 12.
  • All the titles of the essay are centered on your paper with italics and underlined headings for sections.
  • Your header has all the necessary information such as name, course number, professor's name.
  • Mention date at the top right-hand corner of page 1 only.

Reflective Essay Examples

Reflective essays are a common educational assignment. Unlike the typical essay, it requires you to dive deep into your thoughts and feelings to analyze how they have been affected by an event or activity.

Below, you can find some great examples that can work as inspiration for yours if needed.

Reflective Essay Topics

The following are some reflective essay ideas that you can choose to write about.

  • A memorable encounter.
  • The toughest decision you had to make.
  • A frightening moment in your life.
  • When you were extremely embarrassed.
  • Admiring the sunset.
  • Visiting a historic battlefield.
  • The house of your grandparents.
  • Going on a vacation or a trip.
  • When someone makes you scared.
  • Climbing up a mountain.
  • Walking in the rain.
  • Watching animals at a zoo.
  • A bookstore or coffee shop.
  • Moving to a new city.
  • Going out on a special date.
  • Your personal growth and its effect on your actions.

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Reflective Essay Writing Tips

Reflective essays are not just about telling your story. Instead, reflect on all of the events in your life to engage readers and get their attention. Here are some expert tips for you:

  • A reflective essay is a type of personal writing where you write about your thoughts and feelings. Writing this kind of paper requires that the information provided be appropriate and relevant to the topic at hand, ranging from how one felt after an accident in their life or what they learned while on vacation with friends.
  • Even though this type of paper is personal, you must still keep it professional. Avoid using slang words and double-check for grammar and spelling mistakes, but also be creative! Don't forget to use your voice to have a more personal touch on the writing style and content.
  • Professional writers make creative use of transitional words and phrases to guide their audiences smoothly through arguments or stories. You can do this too by using transitions in your reflective essays, which will help readers follow the logic you're trying to lay out for them more easily.

Reflective essay writing is not as easy as it seems. Even if you are a great writer, expressing yourself in your words can be difficult when the language barrier arises, or there isn't enough imagination and creativity to make up for the lack of guidelines from professors. Luckily, WriteMyEssay.help has writers that will work hard with you until they craft an incredible paper.

Our team of experts provides the best ‘write my essays for me’ help and will help craft an incredible reflective essay for you. We have all types of formats, examples, and tips to ensure you get an A+. Don't wait! Get started today with our professional writers who understand this type of assignment inside-out.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the purpose of a reflective essay?

The purpose of a reflective essay is to explore your life experiences. These essays are not just about recollecting moments but also reflecting on how you have changed or learned from those events to become a better person as a result of it all.

How many paragraphs are in a reflective essay?

Reflective essays vary in length, but they do follow a 5-paragraph format. The first paragraph is your introduction, and the last one includes any conclusions or messages you might want to leave with readers.

Nova A.

WRITTEN BY

Nova A., Literature, Marketing

Nova Allison has eight years of experience writing both technical and scientific content. As a Digital Content Strategist, Nova focuses on developing online content plans that engage audiences. She strives to write pieces that are not only informative but also captivating.

Nova Allison has eight years of experience writing both technical and scientific content. As a Digital Content Strategist, Nova focuses on developing online content plans that engage audiences. She strives to write pieces that are not only informative but also captivating.

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