Reflective essay- Back To Square One!
October 25th, 2008Reflective Essay Lets You Take a Trip Down Memory Lane!
A reflective essay is a type of essay writing in which the writer presents a thoughtful analysis of the particular issue or the topic that he has presented. In such an essay, the writer can discuss his opinions and thoughts while completing his project. Before writing such an essay, it is necessary for the writer to be well informed of things about the issue as he has to convey clearly to the readers, what his thoughts or conclusions are on that particular issue. Reflective writing provides an opportunity for the writers to look back on their hard work. This could be pretty hard. It involves a lot of research and analysis. Before writing a reflective essay, the writer has to collect a lot of materials like notes, quotes, journal entries, outlines, interviews and other sources that are related to his project. The essay should be at least three to five pages long. It should necessarily have the following parts.
- • Introduction
- • Supporting paragraphs
- • Conclusion
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Following the tips on how to write an essay introduction, a writer can describe the background of the project, the aims and goals of the project and also the main reasons or causes for choosing it.
The supporting paragraphs of a reflective essay should talk about the basic nature of the project. The writer has to outline the process of working on the project, right from the initial to its final stages. The writer would be appreciated if he paid attention to both the strong and weak points and aspects of the project. He can also outline the positive as well as the negative experiences that he obtained on doing the project. In a way, this may seem similar to a personal essay as the writer mostly talks about himself and hi experiences. The body of the essay should present details on the research findings and analysis. The writer must present his thoughts or opinions on his experience with the others working on the same project, the new knowledge and skills obtained by him and so on. The writer can also present a critical review of his progress. The writer should consider the following points for writing a reflective essay.
- • Be concrete
- • Stick to the point
- • Give bright explanations
- • Write in a clear style
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The conclusion is the most important part in the essay. It should focus on the achievements of the project. The writer should state whether the goals that were stated in the introductory paragraphs were met. If not, he should mention the reasons. It is also necessary for the writer to mention if the essay reached the target audience. He can also provide his own suggestions on how to improve the project. The essay conclusion should state what the opinions and views of the writer are. As stated earlier, when the writer writes about his experiences and observations of the project, he gets an opportunity to improve his skills and knowledge. Therefore, it is important for one to write a reflective essay, whether it’s included in some syllabus or not, at least for one’s own good!
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