Initial Reflective Essay Assignment
DUE: Tuesday, September 11th
In your life, up to this point, you’ve had many experiences. You’ve read many things, seen
many films, heard many songs, seen a good bit of visual imagery, participated in many
discussions, and had a number of adventures. All of these things have contributed to the
person you are today. In the PDP program, we identify four dimensions of a person’s
development: intellectual growth and discovery; emotional maturation and physical health;
ethical and spiritual growth; and citizenship and community responsibility. Together, these
dimensions describe the development of the whole person.
In this initial essay assignment, we ask that you take some time to reflect on the person
you are today. Describe for us how you’ve developed in each of these dimensions to this
point in your life, using your past experiences and thoughts as examples and explanation.
Describe to us what sort of person you are in terms of your intellectual curiosity and
development. Give us some idea of how much you’ve matured over the years, as well as how
your physical and emotional health has developed. Give us some insight into your spiritual
and ethical development, your understanding of values and the sort of principles you live
by. Give us some idea of your understanding of what it means to you to be a contributing
member of society. Illustrate your thoughts using examples and anecdotes from your
past experience. Think about books or films that inspired you; think about all the
influences that have gone into your development as a person.
Steps:
1. Describe and explain some of your development in each of the 4 dimensions.
2. Describe and explore the experiences that made you the person you are.
3. Explain your conjecture. What is a new way of looking at the topic(s) that can
provide you with a new sense of perspective on the topic or allow you to work
through the ambiguities and confusions in your thinking?
4. Analyze your development. Is it adequate? How far do you have to go? Where are
the contradictions in your thinking and actions? Reexamine the experiences you
first touched on to gain additional insight. Does your development match your
personal ideals and goals?
5. Explore the implications of your discussion for your life at BC and beyond. Set
some goals and explain how they relate to the points you already made.
The initial reflective essay should be 4-5 pages long—type written and doublespaced. You may organize the essay any way you like, but make sure that you
do the 4 stages of the outline for every dimension.