Essay Writing
Third Year Students
20013-2014
1. What is a Reflexive Essay?
A reflective essay is a piece of writing that expresses your views and feelings about a
particular subject. The goal of a reflective essay is to not only discuss what you
learned, but to convey the personal experiences and findings that resulted.
2. What are the basic steps in Writing a Reflexive Essay?
a. Reveal Your Ideas
A reflective essay is your chance to reveal and discuss your own thoughts about a topic.
Reflective essays are used as a self-assessment measure of sorts; they allow you to address
your experiences and what you’ve gained. You may be asked to write a reflective essay after
taking a course, completing a project or partaking in some type of experience. The goal of
this essay is to successfully relay your own beliefs, attitudes and observations. In some
reflective essays, you’ll be required to support your conclusions by citing materials such as
books, journals, articles and other resources.
b. Concentrate your thoughts
While a reflective essay concentrates on your ideas and reflections about a topic; you
want to show your readers why your points are valid. To do so, the information that
led to your conclusions should be included in the paper. Having references adds to
your credibility and illustrates that your findings result from both facts and personal
experience. A good reflective essay includes an insightful interpretation of the matter
at hand. The feelings and experiences that you write about in the essay should be
based on your own perception and showcase to the readers why your revelation is
significant on a larger scale. The essay should communicate both the importance of
the topic as well your consideration of it.
c. Add a personal sense
Reflective essays are assigned on a variety of topics and are frequently a part of
college applications. You may be asked to write about a life-changing experience or a
person in your life who has had a big impact on you. With these essays it’s important
to include an introduction that explains why you’ve chosen the topic and why it is
important to you. Although the essay may be of a personal nature, it should appeal to
anyone who reads it. Before writing a reflective essay, it’s a good idea to gather and
make a list of all the relevant materials and sources that you plan to include in it. An
outline helps to organize your thoughts and act as a blueprint for your paper.
d.
Arrange
Your
Ideas
Logically
Although reflective essays may not have a definite structure, there are certain formats and
guidelines that you should stick to. Your opening paragraph, sometimes referred to as the
thesis, should inform the reader about your topic and also engage him. After he finishes
reading the introduction of your essay, he should be eager to read the rest. The body of your
reflective essay should reveal your ideas and experiences with the subject. If you are writing
about an event, describe its progression. Include different aspects of the experience and
how it shaped your findings. In the conclusion of your reflective essay, reflect upon your
topic for and discuss its impact on you as well as the probable impact that it may have for
others.
Tips for Writing a Reflective Essay
A reflective essay incites the writer to reflect on topics from the framework of
personal experience. Reflective essays must have a clearly defined focus with a
consistent point of view. They should provide background information and include
narrative elements such as plot, characters, setting and conflict. Reflective essays
should present events in a clear format such as chronologically. Although they differ
from other essays in their content, they follow the same basic format:
1.Introduce and define the essay topic. The first sentence should be strong to enable the
reader to become immersed in the topic. Do this by providing interesting details and stating
personal feelings and/or expectations. Provide background and personal information in the
context of the essay topic. The point of view of your essay can be in first or third person but
should be consistent.
2. Provide the purpose or rationale for writing the essay. Ensure that your stated purpose is
clear as it will anchor your flow of ideas to the topic. Although this does not have to be
persuasive or argumentative, your reader should be able to get a sense of why you chose
the topic.
3. State your thesis about the topic. Your thesis should encapsulate your viewpoint
about the topic. Make this statement realistic and able to be substantiated with
information provided in the body of your essay.
4 .Edit your introductory paragraph at the completion of your essay. Check that your flow of
ideas is logical and you have avoided any ambiguity about the topic, rationale and thesis.
Ensure the paragraph is