Some students may think that they can write casually or messily when it comes to reflection papers. But that’s not true – a reflection paper is still a severe school paper. It can be slightly more personal than a research paper, but still, it has to abide by the principles of academic writing.
Regardless of whether you go to a college nearby or one as large as Stanford University, it is likely that they will assign this kind of writing task. Moreover, it is a chance for you to contribute your views on something, which does not happen too often in traditional school writing.
Of all the college assignments, this one provides ample opportunity to state your positions. Moreover, it makes you look at things from your perspective and forces you to speak about your ideas with others. It is not only crucial for your grades, but it makes you know yourself better. Thus, let’s find out how to write a reflective paper that will leave everyone breathless.
What Is a Reflective Journal?
A reflection paper resembles a personal essay. It allows the students to make their thoughts and feelings known on those topics. Whether it is a film, literature, activity, or in-class product, students must consider the core ideas and how they feel about them. Therefore, remember that although your reflection paper reveals your thoughts and feelings concerning an issue or the world at large, it is about how to view a piece of material.
When you write a reflective essay, ensure what you want to say. Moreover, it can be educational, professional, or personal, each with a slightly different tone:
- Educational: a response to a book, movie, or class lecture.
- Professional: a task for teachers or social workers to analyze someone’s behaviour.
- Personal: expressing your feelings about a more private topic.
If you want more ideas, you can find assignment writing help experts online to get inspiration for your writing. Therefore, they will help you come up with the most unique and exciting ideas.
Questions to Ask Yourself While Reflecting
Here’s a list of question depending on the type of reflection.
Reflecting On An Experience
When you’re thinking back on an experience, there are some questions you can ask yourself:
- What part of the experience do you remember the most?
- Was the experience good or bad?
- What are your thoughts or opinions about it? For example, were you offended, or does it have a good message?
- How does this experience connect to what you talked about in class?
Reflecting On a Book Or Film
When you’re thinking about a book or film, below are some things to consider:
- What is the book about? What are the main themes?
- Who wrote the book, and what does the author think about the themes?
- How do you feel about the whole book? Do you like it?
- What is this character, and why does it appeal to you in its role as the main character?
- If you’re talking about something else, describe it and tell how it affects the book.
- What do you think about this part of the book?
- What is the correlation between the class discussion and your talk?
- Why is the book or the part you discussed essential to your life or the world?
Reflecting on a Project
When you’re reflecting on a project, below are some things to consider:
- What would you say about working on this project?
- What are the pros and cons of this project?
- Did it help you understand the class subject better?
- Does it connect to things in the real world?
Reflecting on a Course
Now, if you’re reflecting on a course, below are some questions to think about:
- What were the classes like?
- Did you look forward to anything in class? What was it?
- What did you learn in class, like theories or concepts?
- In your opinion, what’s the most important thing you learned from this class?
- Is this course and what you learned from it essential to you? How?
Tips and Hacks to Write Your Reflection Journal Successfully
Keep these things in mind when writing one of the reflection papers. From the questions discussed earlier, you should have a general picture of what the reflection paper is all about. Therefore, f these tips will help you express your thoughts no matter what you’re reflecting on.
1. Choose your topic or focus
If your professor lets you pick a topic, consider what you care about the most. But if the topic is already set, like a film or book, consider what part you want to focus on. It could be a scene, a metaphor, a theme, or even a feeling you have.
2. Write down your thoughts
If you know you’ll be writing a reflection paper before the event or getting the material, taking notes as you go is good. But if you didn’t do that, you can still reflect on the experience and write down your thoughts.
3. Picking the Right Theme
Whether your teacher tells you what to write about or lets you choose, picking the suitable theme is super important. Your topics can be all over the place, but connect with your feelings to make your words come to life. If you’re unsure what to do, you can get help from assignment helpers online.
4. The Power of Honest Reflection
For a great reflective essay, it’s crucial to be consistent and relevant. Make your writing clear and easy to follow so readers can understand your thoughts. Don’t shy away from your feelings – they make your expression real. To write an excellent reflection essay, mix creativity with honesty. Let your emotions come out naturally, and pick words that fit how you want to write.
5. Keep It Formal
When you’re writing, use a serious and proper tone. If your teacher doesn’t say otherwise, using words like “I” in reflection papers is usually okay. But stay away from using slang or casual words.
6. Use appropriate formatting for better looks
You’ll probably use MLA format if you’re writing a college paper. But just do what your teacher asks for. Here are some things to remember so your reflection paper looks good:
- Use regular A4 paper.
- Keep the words a size 12.
- Use easy-to-read fonts like Times New Roman, Calibri, or Helvetica.
- Leave a 1-inch space on both sides.
- Put double spaces between the lines.
- Make sure to use APA, Chicago, or the citation style your teacher wants.
Final Thoughts
A reflective journal paper discusses what a student understands from what they learned. But what if you can’t think about a topic for some reason? Or you don’t know how to write a reaction paper? Sometimes, stress, insufficient time, or not liking the subject can make it hard to create something. We’re all humans and face similar troubles now and then. In this situation, getting a college research paper from an online assignment writing help service is the best thing to do. Let them help you with writing a reflective essay on some interesting subjects.
Read more – Rules That Will Help in Writing Assignments Quickly