A reflective essay is a written piece of literature that focuses on presenting and narrating a person’s experience and how it becomes an instrument for a change of perception in life.
It is a way for a writer to share an important event in his/her life and how it affected him/her so that others may learn something from it. Reflective writing roots in life-changing events. The writer shares a specific experience and provides a narration of the incident including the material elements. It offers a realization so that others who may have had the same experience can draw out a shared mutual lesson from it.
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 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 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.
How to Write a Reflective Essay
To write a reflective short essay, you need to have the right disposition as well as the momentum. Remember that you are not just writing to say something but to share an important lesson in life.
1. Think of an important event. What you will be writing in your reflective essay is something that is rooted in your own personal experience or encounter with something. Think deep and concentrate. You may also see personal essay examples & samples.
2. Introduce your topic. In your introduction, write the concrete event or experience that you want to share. The pattern is in a story form.
3. Develop your point. Write the main content of your essay with at least three to five paragraphs supporting your main topic.